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Dancer's Answers

We publish a brand-new video poker article from Bob Dancer every Thursday in this section. These columns are called "Dancer's Answers". Click on any of the links below for more Dancer's Answers:

Bob Dancer Articles - Main Page
May 1, 2008

Vicksburg Video Poker - May 8, 2008

Vicksburg, MS Video Poker - Part 2 - May 15, 2008

Vicksburg Casino Video Poker - Part 3 - May 22, 2008

Common Deuces Wild Mistakes – Juan or the Other – May 29, 2008

Figuring Out Quick Quads - June 5, 2008

Breaking Full Houses in Quick Quads - June 12, 2008

A Quick Quads Puzzler - June 19, 2008

Let’s Go Scouting - June 26, 2008

When You're Not Sure of the Game - July 3, 2008

Can it be Right to Play Hunches - July 10, 2008

Good Hearted Woman in Love With a Good Timin’ Man - July 17, 2008

One-Way Versus Two-Way Straight Penalties - July 24, 2008

Effectual versus Ineffectual Straight Penalties - July 31, 2008

Unusual Dealt Royals - August 7, 2008

Learning from a Horse Handicapper - August 14, 2008

When Bad Is Good - August 21, 2008

I Live For These Moments - August 28, 2008

Next Dancer's Answers column coming on September 4, 2008!

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Vicksburg MS Video Poker - Part 3

Vicksburg Casinos - Vicksburg Casino Promotions

In the last two columns, I’ve described a too-good-to-last promotion at the Horizon, in Vicksburg. Shirley and I played there in the first week in February, 2004, but were too busy to go back. We suggested to our friends, Pedro and Maria, that the situation was too good to pass up. During the second week in February, they played a few days, but the casino stopped offering “double royals”. The casino management hadn’t planned to offer the promotion on video poker machines anyway, but somehow that word didn’t get passed down effectively to the front line workers. Pedro and Maria won several thousand dollars during their two days of play, visited with some family for a few days and then decided to come back during the third week of February to see if the promotions still had any legs.

When Pedro and Maria got back to the Horizon, they immediately went to the Fifty Play machines to check them out. Last week they had 9/6 Jacks (99.5%), NSU Deuces Wild (99.7%), and 8/5 Super Aces Bonus (99.9%), but were shut down when they left so the casino could do some painting in the area. This week the painting had been done, but the games were now 8/6 Jacks or Better (98.4%), pseudo NSU (15-9-4-4-3) (98.9%), and 7/5 Super Aces Bonus (98.8%). These were still pretty good games by the standards of most of the casinos in Mississippi, but the slot club paid “only” .67% and Pedro and Maria were only interested in playing a game where they had the advantage, so they skipped these machines.

The best game they found was $5 9/6 Jacks or Better. With the current slot club, this would be worth $30 per hour back in Las Vegas, but only about $20 in Vicksburg because of the confiscatory 3% non-refundable fee on all W2Gs in Mississippi. Pedro and Maria didn’t know it, but with this fee it changes certain plays, like from Ah Kc Qd Jd 5s, you should hold QJ in Las Vegas (where royals pay $20,000 and straight flushes pay $1,250), but AKQJ in Mississippi because royals there pay “only” $19,400 and straight flushes net only $1,175 but you still get a tax form.

 Pedro and Maria wouldn’t have traveled to Vicksburg for a $20 per hour opportunity, but since they were already there, they made the best of a so so situation. Especially since the next day would yield double points for ten hours, and even in Mississippi, this would be $120 per hour and THAT was worth staying for.

When they came down to play during double point days, they couldn’t get to the $5 machines because that entire area was closed for painting. The best game they could find was $1 9/6 Jacks with a progressive that was currently a little over $4,300. This wasn’t a bad play at all with a 1.33% slot club, but it wasn’t why they were in Vicksburg. When they were psyched up to be playing $62.50 a hand on 25¢ Fifty Play, playing $5 a hand on a single line dollar machine was downright boring. Oh well. They knew the promotion wasn’t guaranteed to last.

At the end of the double points on Wednesday, they cashed out their points, checked out the hotel, and arranged to fly back to Las Vegas. Overall they lost a few thousand dollars on their trip because the $5 Jacks or Better machine ate up all of their profits from the previous week, and then some. But that’s what $5 machines do when you don’t hit the top jackpots.

But in sum, Pedro and Maria were extremely happy they had this adventure. They got to see a new part of the country (for them), experience video poker in a totally different environment than they were used to, and got to play a day and a half on a lucrative 25¢ Fifty Play machine. These machines are a kick and a half.

Before the trip started, I offered to take any percentage of their “action” if they felt $62.50 was too rich for their blood. This was a good deal, and if the promotions lasted, it was essentially impossible to lose. They declined my offer (a wise decision in my opinion), experienced the promotions changing, and ended up relatively small losers --- given the stakes they were playing. That’s gambling.

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.

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Classic Dancer

We republish a classic Bob Dancer article every Sunday - often these articles are updated with new insights from Bob Dancer, the master of video poker writing.

Video Poker Questions and Answers - May 4, 2008

More Answers to Questions About Video Poker Machines - May 11, 2008

Losing is a Major Part of Winning at Video Poker - May 18, 2008

Video Poker VS Blackjack - May 25, 2008

The Art of Tipping Slot Personnel - Part 1 - June 1, 2008

The Art of Tipping Slot Personnel - Part 2 - June 8, 2008

Putting Your Ducks In a Row - June 15, 2008

Luck and Skill in Video Poker - June 22, 2008

Strategy Adjustments in Video Poker - June 29, 2008

One Coin vs Five Coin - July 6, 2008

Video Poker Progressives - July 13, 2008

High Pairs versus Three Cards to a Rolal in Kings or Better Joker Wild - July 20, 2008

The Double Up Feature -- Does It Ever Make Sense? - Part 1 - July 27, 2008

Doubling Up -- Does it Ever Make Sense? - Part 2 - August 3, 2008

Did I Quit at the Right Time? - August 10, 2008

Money Management: What Does and Doesn't Work - August 17, 2008

"I'm Playing The Wrong Game" and Other Video Poker Fallacies - August 24, 2008

More Classic Dancer coming Sunday August 31, 2008.

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