When it comes to virtually every other casino game (slots, table games, etc), I can set a limit for myself, and I have absolutely zero problems walking away when that money is gone.

But for some reason video poker just puts me on monkey tilt and I just have to keep playing and shoveling money into the machine like I'm possessed by a demon.

Completely agree. I've lost track of the number of times I've set a limit, etc only to just blast through it and rage keep pushing buttons. It's part of the reason I tend to cash out tickets when they get big- SO SO EASY to just keep playing and before you know it POOF the whole ticket has evaporated.

Probably because on any given push you're just one hand away from $4k (or more with multipliers/multi-hands) and completely turn around a session/day/trip. Not true with blackjack, craps, poker, etc.

Yeah this factors in for sure. Random bolts of lightning acting like, well, random bolts of lightning.

Yup, I'm pretty much a non-gambler any more. I mostly got that out of my system in my earlier years. But even so, I sometimes find myself throwing "just one more hundo" in a vp machine when I play them. Which isn't often, thank goodness.

Yeah but those slots have those huge progressive jackpots and I never go crazy trying to chase those.

Nope, I never play progressives. A dealt royal pays $4k, on a 10 line game it's $40k. I was playing a 5 line Super Times Pay where it dealt 4 to a royal, then started the boop boop boop where it gives you a multiplier (which applies to every hand) which came out to 10x. Then it pauses for a second or two, which feels like a week, before it dealt the 5th card. A 5th card completing the royal would pay 40 grand per line, 200k total. That's just one push.

I'll also throw money into a Megabucks slot every once in awhile to earn tier credits. Min payout for the big jackpot is $10 million. One push. I lined up 2 out of the three winning symbols and all the lights on the machine went out. I guess it goes nuts if you hit the third symbol. Those teasers keep you shoveling money into Vegas earnings reports even if you have almost no gamble in you.

One push is all it takes...

Hey Leon, very interesting thread. I've only read a couple pages so forgive me if this has been asked or talked about by you already. Do you ever play the Double-Up option? If so, what are you thoughts/experiences? I've been playing VP for years now, only focusing on whether the machine has the Double feature enabled. So my strategy carries massive swings since I elect to Double-Up almost everything.

There's a lot of nuisance to doubling as it depends how up or stuck I am. Sometimes I'll take a two-pair hand and double it 4-5 times to equal a 4-kind. Conversely, when big hands are dealt I can't get a single double in. Sometimes I'm super aggressive when down to my last couple k. Other times I'm pretty nitty with it when close to my goal.

It's a frustrating side game to say the least, especially when you see the dealer have a low card yet you still can't beat it. My sessions are more based upon how the doubles are treating me rather than the hands I'm dealt (as odd as that sounds).

Would be interested in hearing your thoughts/experiences about this side game.

i havent seen a vp machine with the double up option in a major vegas casino in yearsssssssssssss

Yeah they're around, usually just have to ask slot supervisor if they can enable. Sometimes they'll need approval from higher ups. RIO high stakes has a bunch enabled, Venetian does, Palazzo. Aria will enable, same with Caesar's. Some places won't do it, either due to volatility or issues of players getting confused.

TI has a bank of them, or at least they did in May, across from their steakhouse.

MM MD

Isn't double up, along with that one bet in craps the only things you can bet on with 0 house edge?

Hey Leon (high pitch voice)!!

I had last blast weekend at my VIP comedy redneck gameshow ...








And




For the first 2 hours at least

Then I went home ...





I did finish evening for a nice swim at the Bacardi Party where a fat dancing millennial cow at the edge of the water was telling me to "go away" FML

Feels like “fat millennial cow” was a highly results oriented assessment

Hell ya! I'm broke as mofo and eating Mi Casa flour tortillas until payday. I know the VP Gods will soon shine down on me with some 10 liner Double Bonus Ultimate X

LOL good on you keeping it 100, StormTrooper!

Your little mini TR add ins are the little bump of VP TR cocaine this thread needs to get through between Leon updates

Here... a little more cocaine. The local's been good to me the few times I've been since the last Vegas trip.

First, there was the day when they were offering 10x points- that's a full 1% cashback so assuming one plays TDB full pay perfectly, it's actually a positive EV game. That said, I seem to always get crushed on point multiplier days. Not this time.

I played multiline, anywhere from 20-40 lines at a time. Basically just ran hot- made tons of hands, lots of dealt flushes, fulls, etc. I resolved to leave 1k up, then that got to 2k, then 3, then I was dealt 4 4's and had an above average kicker draw-



Value-



Ended up leaving 6k up that day.

I think I played once or twice more, always on point multipliers. Second time I won 500, third time I gave back 2k. I went again today, no multipliers but time to kill and hoping to pad the Vegas bankroll.



BAM- finally dealt a 4 digit hand playing 20+ lines!



I just crushed today. Gave back a few K and was going to leave up 6k. Decided to fire my last 1k at 10 line, 1$ credits and leave up 5k- still a nice win. Never got there. I hit 4's w/ kicker on the second hand and was up 7k. Decide I'll leave 6k up. BAM hit 4 aces w/kicker and now I'm up 10k. Decide I'll leave 9k up- I think I hit 2 or 3 more 4 2,3,4's w/kicker and up some point was up 15k. Then, I get dealt the second premium quads of the day!



NEED a good draw here!

Result-


Ugh. Still worth 5600$ but that was below expectation.

Ended up winning almost 18k today. I can't remember the last time I had a day like that at my local. Maybe never. Vegas roll DEFINITELY padded!

Woow Leon, what a day.

Save it for Vegas!

Congrats Leon!!!

SNORTTT SNIFFLE SNIFFLE

Holy ****! Nice run!


Trooper,

how much did Dracula pay?!

So wait, you win money around the corner, then take it 300 miles to Vegas to lose it? What's wrong with this picture?

That’s his version of his own “double up” feature.

The only thing out of order is that I somehow managed to WIN at the local. Usually it's- lose at local, get pissed and wish I was in Vegas, lose in Vegas, get pissed and wish I was at the local.

Seriously though, it's all entertainment and we know it's a losing proposition any way you slice it. So I'd rather be able to gamble with my folks and enjoy the city of Vegas and sweet hotels, as opposed to the decent-but-nothing-special set up at the local. Gambling fix is satisfied either way...

Yeah, guess you get almost free vacations out of it. I have to admit, I sort of have a weird admiration for someone that knows there will ultimately only be one result but still gets a kick out of this kind of gambling. I got bored of it in my twenties.