Smart play and goodies
equal profits
8 November 2004
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark, I think that you're right on with
your answer regarding counting cards at
blackjack. The pit crews are almost paranoid now
regarding card counters--witness one of the last
episodes of American Casino. I guess they think
that everyone is as good as the MIT students.
Card counting is hard work and boring. You're
right, just learn the basics first, and besides,
most people can't, or not even willing to play
perfect strategy. Besides, I think it is much
better to learn to play video poker. The
strategy is as easy as blackjack, and the comps
are better. Jean H.
And Right on to you, Jean. Playing on a full-pay
Jacks-or-better machine that pays 9 coins for a
full house and six coins for a flush, along with
comps, puts you in positive territory against
the casino over the long haul, so long as you
(Repeat after me) use a casino slot card to get
credit for your play. Nationwide, casinos give
away over a billion dollars in comps each year,
and as a video poker player, you deserve your
share of the goods. Comps are generally based on
the number of coins you cycle through a machine,
so you might as well get credit for all those
quarters that once were yours. Always make sure
though to shop casinos for comp value and ask
how many points you will receive per dollar
played. Then find out what those points are
worth in comps. You always want to treat "comps"
not as a form of profit, but rather as a balm to
ease the pain. You never want to gamble just to
receive them, any more than you'd roll in poison
ivy so as to feel the relief of the calamine
lotion later on,
You are also right, Jean, in noting that it's
easier to play basic strategy in video poker
than it is in blackjack. And as in BJ, it
reduces the house edge to less than one percent.
So, pray tell, how do you become skilled at
video poker basic strategy? For starters, by
purchasing one of those laminated cheat sheets
sold for about $3-$5 a pop in some casino gift
shops. Believe, me, they are worth their weight
in some yet-to-be discovered super-metal. But
instead of giving the casinos any more of your
hard-earned money than they deserve, allow me to
send you, and other sophisticated readers of
this column, a strategy card FREE. Yep, you're
reading it right, FREE. Just, send a
self-addressed stamped envelope to: Winners
Publishing, ATTN: Video Poker Strategy Card,
P.O. Box 1234, Traverse City, MI 49685.
Dear Mark,
Last week while playing video poker, I got four
aces and a joker before the draw. What are the
odds of that happening? Larry G.
The probability of being dealt 5-Aces (53-card
deck-including the Joker) before the draw are
2,869,684 to one. Last week I also happened to
be playing on a similar type machine and I
received four to a royal and the joker dealt
naturally. The odds against that hand were
119,569 to one.
Gambling quote of the week: "All casino strategy
is designed to chloroform the human lollipops so
they can be separated from their money as
painlessly as possible." Lyle Stuart, Winning at
Casino Gambling
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