I gave an example of a 4% edge at video poker. This is what the payscale was:

RF....................800
SF......................50
4 Aces...............160
Small Quads........80
Generic Quads.....50
FH.......................7
Flush..................11.66
ST........................5
3K........................3
2P.........................1
HP.........................1

What would you consider 30K hands to be? Short term, medium term, long term?

Playing 35K hands a week I rarely had a losing week playing the above payscale. That's because I had a 1.58% edge just up thru the 4 Aces. The Royal and SF were all gravy when I hit them.

But take a look at this Jacks or Better payscale at 103.5%:

RF.................800
SF...................50
4 of a Kind.......25
FH..................10
FL....................8
ST....................4
3K....................3
2P.....................2
HP.....................1

So what would you think about the variance of this payscale?. Could you possibly get beat playing optimal strategy?

With this payscale anyone who bet that a given player would be behind after 30K hands would be a major dog to win the bet.

The chance of a player using optimal strategy having a losing week (30K hands) with this payscale is somewhere between thin and none.

And that is what one has to understand about video poker and the short, medium and long term. The payscale is a major part of the equation.