Recently, I explained a bit about the 32 different ways that a video poker hand can be played. This accounts for all the different ways a Player can discard 0 to 5 cards from a five card deal. Each of these 32 ways is assigned an expected value by looking at every possible draw for that discard combination. Whichever of these 32 ways has the highest expected value is the right way to play the hand.
Read MoreLast week, I discussed the importance of knowing which games to play. Casino game paybacks vary from about 80% all the way up to 100% (and sometimes even more). If you spend your time playing the 80-95% games, you're going to find it hard to win even in the short run. The cost of playing in a casino is going to be far greater than if you try and find those 97% and up games. To this end, when talking video poker, you are looking for full-pay machines. These are the ones that are commonly found and generally have the highest possible payback for that particular type of machine.
Read MoreOne of the key principles of Expert Strategy is to know which games to play. For the most part, this means play the games with the highest paybacks possible. If this is all that mattered, there would be a very long line waiting to play whatever game has the highest payback. So, I say 'for the most part', because I recognize that if I'm going to argue that casino gaming is a form of entertainment, then the game you choose to play has to be fun for you. This is a subjective decision. You may hate playing video poker, or you may hate sitting around a table playing blackjack having people analyze all of your plays.
Read MoreThe premier consulting firm that has been demystifying casino gaming math for more than two generations.
Engineered with care by @NisFrome
