In a September 2008 issue of “Newsweek” magazine there was a column on whether it was better for students to be tested frequently or rarely? The bottom line answer was that students who were tested frequently retained far more of what they studied after a few weeks than did the students who weren’t tested so frequently.
Most video poker players are considerably older than the students referred to in the article. I was wondering whether it made sense to test video poker players, and if so how?
The only tests that make sense for a video poker player are self tests. Players just aren’t going to voluntarily submit to public tests on their knowledge, and casinos wouldn’t want them to. After all, players tend to overestimate their skill level on average and casinos want this.
Back in school, if we were tested on whether we had correctly memorized the names of the presidents, in order, we could fairly ask, “What good does this knowledge do me?” In video poker, however, most of what you could be tested on is directly related to your results. If you were tested on hands starting from an unsuited AQJ in Double Double Bonus, for example, and asked when do you hold the ace by itself and when do you hold the QJ, it’s easy to understand how knowing the correct answer puts you dollars ahead in your gambling career.
Learning the order of the presidents won’t pay off in most occupations. Yes if you’re planning on being a history teacher, political lobbyist, or perhaps a Jeopardy! contestant, this information can be useful. But in everyday occasions, this is useless information. Even if you actually know whether Chester Arthur came before or after Rutherford B. Hayes, most people don’t value that achievement and will resent you for showing off what you know.
In video poker, however, nobody else needs to know how much you do or do not know. A smart player and a not-so-smart player can play side-by-side and if each one is concentrating on his own game, they don’t know how the other one is playing. If one is waiting for a jackpot to be paid and watches the other play, he will notice differences in how certain hands are played. Many people assume that if others play differently, then it is the other person who is making the mistakes. Obviously this assumption is faulty in many cases.
Playing the game has certain similarities to being tested and certain differences. In a test, a very easy question might be a dealt flush ‘AKQJ4’. The obvious correct answer is to toss the 4 and just hold ‘AKQJ’. This is the correct play by a mile. In the casino, however, rarely is this correct play rewarded. Only 1 out of 47 times do you end up with the royal flush. Frequently you’ll end up with an unsuited card that gives you no paying hand at all.
There are short-sighted players who believe that this play “cost them a flush” and are hesitant to break a flush that contains a 4-card royal in the future. This is a very expensive way to think about the game. Hopefully you’re not one of these people.
On the other hand, many of the plays you’ll be tested on in video poker come up every day. Over time, making the correct plays consistently makes thousands of dollars of difference a year.
In a test in school, the right answer gets rewarded. In a casino, sometimes the right answer gets punished. Depending on your personality, this can be tough to take.
The easiest way to test yourself is using video poker software, such as Video Poker for Winners. Using this product, you can set the level of difficulty to easy, intermediate, advanced, or mixed. If you want a relevant test, stay away from the “easy” hands. You’ll get these all correct, see your score balloon upwards, and think you’re doing fine. You’re kidding yourself. You’re passing a kindergarten test.
The most difficult test, at the advanced level, just gives you tough hands. Not every hand will be difficult for you, of course, because what’s difficult for some people is easy for others. But on the whole the hands are complicated enough to let you know whether or not you know the game.
I personally only test myself at the advanced level on VPW, but I recognize that this isn’t for everybody. Most people do not live and breathe video poker as I do. Even so, you should either use the intermediate level, or the mixed level, which deals randomly.
I strongly believe that self-testing is important if you’re playing for money that’s serious. It’s a good way to improve your skills and the only way to get a handle on how well you actually play.
On September 9, 2008, Orleans casino in Las Vegas offered 9x points, which means the slot club returned 0.90% that day. That made 9/6 Jacks or Better worth 100.44%, if you play perfectly. But to know how close-to-perfect you play, and even whether you have the advantage at this game or not, you must test yourself. If you don’t play this game well enough, you still are an underdog --- even with this killer promotion.
It’s possible that you know Full Pay Deuces Wild (100.76%) well enough that you have the advantage 24/7. (You can find this out by testing yourself). But this game is limited to 25¢ single-line and lower --- while the 9/6 Jacks game at the Orleans is available up to $1 Five Play. Playing lesser games for higher stakes during juicy promotions yields considerably more in terms of dollars per hour than 25¢ FPDW. But you need to test yourself to know if you know either game well enough.
There are extremely-important bankroll differences between playing $1 Five Play 9/6 Jacks or Better with a 0.90% slot club versus playing 25¢ FPDW. While I’m not choosing to discuss that in this column, it’s definitely something YOU need to consider in making your decision about which game to play.
Bob Dancer is America's best-known video poker writer and teacher. He has a variety of "how to play better video poker" products, including the software "Video Poker for Winners," Winner's Guides, strategy cards, his autobiography Million Dollar Video Poker, and his two novels, including Sex, Lies, and Video Poker. Dancer's products may be ordered at www.bobdancer.com or by telephone at 1-800-244-2224 M-F 9-5 Pacific Time.
