then maybe I should do something different. I just started playing video poker about 7 months ago. I am close to 100k hands after today and have not scored a royal. I did get 5 4ok in DDB today and made $392 but where is my damn royal.

Getting one cold is 649740 to 1.

But that does not factor in standard video poker play, drawing cards, holding royal cards when it is the right play etc etc . In VP you should get a royal about every 40000 hands. So in reality even if you are REALLY playing poorly, you are statistically behind the curve.

Going 100k hands without a royal still will happen about ~8.2% of the time at 8/5 DDB (If you are playing any worse than this payout, find a better machine). Ideally, you shouldn't even be playing 8/5 DDB, but the way you describe your home casino, this may be the best DDB game available. Erie, PA at least offers a 98.9% Deuces machine which pays 2.1% more than 8/5 DDB in the long run.

Math: (40,065/40,066)^100,000 = 0.082

Cliffs: Variance is a bitch.

Here's one I thought was interesting on winpoker:

Ak8 diamonds 10 spade 6 heart

Keeping ak8 is 54.7% and keeping ak is 53.4%

Why is keeping the 8 +ev?

Holding 3 to a flush with 2 high cards is sometimes +EV if youre not playing Jacks or Better for the maximum number of credits (i.e. the Royal pays 250 for 1 versus 800 for 1 or 4000 for 5). Using 250 for 1 for the Royal gives you the percentages you stated. Even in the 250 for 1 game, this play is only +EV here because you have a T penalizing straight opportunities, A K is the default holding otherwise. For the 800 for 1 game, we ALWAYS hold A K here.

Ok thx , for some reason my table was set to play 3 credits instead of 5 and messed up my % I guess, thx again

Yeah, the tool I use also says that holding hold A K and discarding the other 3 cards is correct.

Here is the data from the tool I use based on max credits (5 coins):

1. Hold Ad Kd only:
###
Jacks or Better - Expected Value (ev) for holding Ad Kd and discarding Ts 8d 6h

Based on inserting 5 coins (max coins)

Non-Qualifying: (10014/16215)*0 = 0.00 ev
Jacks or Better: (5022/16215)*5 = 1.55 ev
Two Pair: (711/16215)*10 = 0.44 ev
3 of a kind: (281/16215)*15 = 0.26 ev
Straight: (47/16215)*20 = 0.06 ev
Flush: (119/16215)*25 = 0.18 ev
Full House: (18/16215)*30 = 0.03 ev
4 of a kind: (2/16215)*125 = 0.02 ev
Royal Flush: (1/16215)*4000 = 0.25 ev
Total: 2.78 ev

We inserted 5 coins and we expect to get back 2.78 so this hand has negative ev.
###

2. Hold Ad Kd 8d:
###
Jacks or Better - Expected Value (ev) for holding Ad Kd 8d and discarding Ts 6h

Based on inserting 5 coins (max coins)

Non-Qualifying: (760/1081)*0 = 0.00 ev
Jacks or Better: (240/1081)*5 = 1.11 ev
Two Pair: (27/1081)*10 = 0.25 ev
3 of a kind: (9/1081)*15 = 0.12 ev
Flush: (45/1081)*25 = 1.04 ev
Total: 2.53 ev

We inserted 5 coins and we expect to get back 2.53 so this hand has negative ev.
###

If you are playing $125 a spin does it still handpay every 1200$ payout?

And also I have the 50k slot tourney at borgata coming up , how does it work and how long does it take about.

Correct, the only time where Ad Kd 8d could possibly be the better play is in a game that pays only 250 to 1 for the Royal. In general, no one should play this, but in the St. Louis metro area at least...if you can't afford to play 5 quarters, you're better to short play a quarter machine (since they are actually full pay at some casinos) than move down to 5 nickels.

6 minutes, hit the button repeatedly for those 6 minutes and hope to run good.

cool thx, i been trying to read perfect strategy for it , im so nervous

What is the comp situation like for video poker ( in Vegas ) ?
If you make 7 Star Diamond on a Job 9/6 at CET, do you really always get a free room( as often as u want )?
(Just wondering as the house edge is so low..)

What kind of comps can u expect on lets say a 15-20k /day coin in ( 4-5 Star strip properties) ?

Well, when playing $100 VP ($500 a spin), someone stands behind you with a clip board and every time you get a 3 of a kind for example, they just write it down and turn the key and there is no hand pay.

On a $25 machine say 9/6 JoB you would only get a hand pay on 4 of a Kind or better, Full House pays 1125. So you don't have to worry about getting hand pays as often and yes they are paid out by hand each one...

Doesnt matter how you earn your tier score, you get a room...

Diamond you basically get a room anytime you want. I have never been told I couldnt get a room and I am diamond. Maybe on some busy weekends you might not get one but I dont know...

Seven stars, no question you get a room...

Cool thx , that is interesting for the 500$ a spin

Anyone played vp at harrahs cherokee? if so do they have full pay machines?

According to VPFree, they do. For a price of $25 per hand.

http://www.vpfree2.com/casino/harrahs-cherokee

Man I thought tonight was going to be the night. Have you ever had a night where it just seemed like everything you needed came on the draw. I had more 3ok and 4ok tonight than I had ever had. I spent 4 hours in front of one machine tonight. I put in a $50 and played continuously. I switched back and forth between JOB and DDB. Both games were $0.25. I had 8 4ok's and 2 times was dealt them. I had AAAA twice on DDB but no kicker either time. I also was dealt 4 to a royal 6 times but never got the needed card on the redraw. Overall it was great fun, I cashed out at $429.

http://www.vpgenius.com/video-poker/games/

click on the game you want and then click on strategy guide

I just want to quickly add to the VPfree unreliability posts. I just spent five days in vegas looking for decent plays and came up basically empty. I found one 9/6 JoB game (Mirage high limit room $25+) and a few other 9/5 games and a bunch of moronically worse ones (7/5 etc). There is an entire wall of 9/6 machines at my local casino, but I wore my shoes raw trying to find anything decent on the strip.

Any recent reports would be helpful. I go back there often.

Does this game exist online (deuces wild)? According to wizardofodds it has over 100% return:

http://wizardofodds.com/games/video-...ll-pay/simple/

At what online casinos can I play this +EV game?

Get in a time machine and go back to 2005

I saw that Bodog casino has for deuces wild almost the same payouts from wizardofodds with 3 exceptions:

Royal flush 800
4 deuces 200
Wild royal flush 25
5 of a kind 15
Straight flush 9
4 of a kind 4 (instead of 5)
Full house 4 (instead of 3)
Flush 3 ( instead of 2)
Straight 2
3 of a kind 1

What return does Bodog's deuces wild have?

http://www.vpfree2.com/video-poker/p...le/deuces-wild

I have no idea but here are some other pay tables