1 comments about Win At Video Poker: The Guide to Beating the Poker Machines.

1. It was a good tutor type book, I read it some time ago, decided to review it to see what I forgot. I was hoping to get another book by him or a similar book. I am not a big winner, but the book helped me to at least hold my own while playing.
   If you are going to play, get this book!

1 comments about The Smarter Bet Guide to Slots and Video Poker (Smarter Bet Guides).

1. After reading this book, I lose just as much money, but now I know why I do. Seriously, I have bought several of Nestor's books. They are all fantastic books, well worth the price you pay. Nestor knows gambling and knows statistics. He does not try to sell you on any questionable, feel- good, strategies. This is straight forward, honest, scientifically-based advice. As for this particular book, I bought it for the section on Video Poker. My main complaint is that I am not a slot player. Therefore, I wish Nestor has put out a separate, larger book on Video Poker or combined it into one of his other books. The section on Video Poker is very informative, but sort of rushed as it has to fit into a small section of the book.

5 comments about Victory at Video Poker.

1. You can get the edge at these games, if you know the right ones to play and the proper strategies. You'll find them in this book. Ignore advice to the contrary by foolish reviewers. The right video poker machines can be beaten!



2. Scoblete is victorious!!!!!!!! This was the first book I picked up written by him, because it was recommended by several of my friends. I figured he was just another gambling writer......but I was wrong. He is amazing!!!! I've never read anything like it!!! I read 2 more of his books after this one, and I only had great things to say. I'll definately be reading more of them. Scoblete is magnificent.



3. Words cannot describe this book...it is simply amazing. I'm a huge Frank Scoblete fan, and this book has to be one of my all time favorites. It tells you everything you need to know. It's great!



4. The strategies in this book are written in plain English and are easily memorized and understood. You would think a book such as this would be dry but Scoblete has enough filler material in addition to the strategies that the book is actually quite enjoyable to read. And it has improved my video poker game immensely.



5. This book was one of the video poker books I read while I was still something of an occasional amateur at this game. To his credit, Scoblete covered many different types of video poker games in the book, and was one of the first writers to question whether the payback of the machine could be determined from the displayed payback schedule for each winning hand. Now, the word is out that in New York the video poker banks of machines are controlled by a master computer, and hitting winning hands depend on the master computer and not on the skillfulness of the player--the same as a lottery. I am also suspicious of video poker machines at tribal casinos and aboard cruise ships. In Nevada and Mississippi the payback of the vp machines is based on the posted payback schedule and a randomly shuffled deck.
   
   The bad is that the author obviously is not a professional vp player, and scoffs at the idea that some professional gamblers make their living off vp (they do!). I believe vp is not the author's preferred game. Some of the strategy heirarchies are difficult to understand or wrong.
   
   The author is prolific, and knows a great deal about casino gambling in all its faces. His best book, in my view, is "Guerrilla Gambling." He is referred to in my book "Casino Gambling for Fun and Profit: Second Edition."
   
   J. Edward Crowder

5 comments about Powerful Profits From Video Poker.

1. From time to time I check to see how other people feel about my favorite Video Poker book. I look to see what people write about other books on casino games, and about Video Poker in particular. I am often amazed at the obvious intellectual inferiority of some of these people who so viciously lambaste books that they obviously don't understand.

   One such numb-nuts that I just read is from Scarsdale, New York. Perhaps he has some serious personal problems, because what he says about the usefulness of this book is just plainly wrong!

   If you really want to know which Video Poker games are the best, and why, then you should have this book. It's a simple fact that the information presented in that book is not only timely, but factual. Royer's information comes directly from the very people who designed and built these programs that run these machines. If the person from Scarsdale, New York isn't willing to admit his shortcomings in the way he complete misunderstands the purpose of this book, then the fault is his and his only. I don't think that the tremendous value of this book should be diminished by one person's obvious hatred for something he can't himself understand. Maybe he's a friend of that other acid-tongued reader from Gurnee, IL. Don't you think so?

   This reviewer's main concern seems to be that there are some typographical errors in the book. If there are, then this should be directed at the typesetters of the manuscript, and not at the content of the work by the Author. In 350 pages, there is a lot of value to be so terribly misunderstood by such a person as this, and all because he thought some typos made him angry?

   I think you should all look at the entire body of the work by this Author, and how detailed and dedicated his works are to this subject. In this book on Video Poker, he has done what others have feared to do -- that is to tell the real and actual truth of the game as it really is. This book is a real and valuable tool, and essential for your gaming success. Just because there are some misguided persons who can't understand it doesn't mean they are correct in their misinterpretation.

   This book is something you should have. I do.




2. I come to Las Vegas first time. My friend she give me this book, so I learn her favorite game. I like book very much. Is very good book. I have good time, and I also buy book. In this book I find everything I need to be good player. All kinds of machines you will find in this book. Also you will see all programs that running the games. There is very much more good information in this book also.

   There is one page with very good chart. Chart show all the kind of machine and program and how much it pay. Also how to find it. You look at the machine, and if you know how to look, you will find great paying one. I not only have good time, but I also win money. If you want also to win money, you get this book. It pay for itself many times, and pay me also. If you get book and learn what is here, it also pay you.




3. Mr. Royer's Powerful Profits for Video Poker is well worth the price of admission. He is obviously wise and practical and knows the game inside out. The knowldege I have acquired have permitted me to know what I need in terms of playing Video Poker, so if you are a regular joe or joanna out there and is planning to get serious, this book if just what the doctor ordered. Repetition is the mother of skill but knowledge is still one step above. Buy immediately, now!!! (I'm just being pushy, do forgive me).



4. I thought I knew a lot about video poker until I read Mr. Royer's Powerful Profits-Video Poker book. He gives an in depth discussion about what kind of machines to look for, what all the pay tables and percentages mean, and keys to winning consistently. A person who reads this book will be light years ahead of the average video poker player. I actually read parts of this book years later and it even made more sense after having played video poker in casinos using Mr. Royer's knowledge and strategies as outlined in his book. It is a must read for anyone wanting to become a consistent winner at video poker.



5. All in all it is a very informative book. It tells you how to locate better paying video poker machines. However, there are no guarantees about winning when gambling.

5 comments about Million Dollar Video Poker.

1. As a professional gambler and gambling book writer (Casino Gambling for Fun and Profit: Second Edition), I can say that Dancer is the premier VP strategist and player on the scene today, and this book represents the success he's earned for hard work involved in the thousands of hours he's sat before the video poker screen. (He is also an excellent dancer.) I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
   J. Edward Crowder, Ph.D.



2. As an experienced VP player, I'm rating this book just as a fun read -- something to kill time while on your way to Vegas, Reno, or AC. I just wanted to know more about Dancer's life and what propelled him to decide to be a professional gambler. This isn't about agreeing or disagreeing with his methods -- just a fun read to see how a professional player got where he is today. Think of it on the level of admiring a film director alot and wanting to read about him/her -- you're probably not going to go out and make a movie, but you enjoyed hearing about his/her life.
   
   I've sent a couple of these books to friends of mine who also play VP and they loved them.



3. Even though he won over $1 million in a five-month period, he had to put most of his winnings back into the machines in order to win the next big jackpot. Mathematically his strategies are probably perfect, but that doesn't put money into my pocket. I've played video poker using his strategies and I lose every time. I guess if I had a bankroll of $80,000 to spend I would eventually win a jackpot, but then what's the sense if I win a jackpot of $40,000 when I'm already down by $60,000??!!! The book is a nice story about his life while earning a living at video poker, but his real earnings these days are from the sale of books, strategy cards, and video poker CDs.



4. Thought this was a how to book to playing video poker. Instead it was the author bragging about how good he was at the game. Boring!!!!!!



5. This is not a book on playing strategy. It's more an autobiographical account of how the author extracted over a million dollars from the casinos. Many of his tactics are described in great detail. The really amazing thing is that anyone would be so candid about his personal life and the things he's done, and how he rationalizes doing things that many people might consider unethical, immoral or perhaps even illegal. One sentence on page 170 is especially revealing: "I'd had a lot of people work with me, get mad at me, and want nothing more to do with me." He seems to delight in being disliked.
   There are many good recommendations, such as learning a game thoroughly before playing it and continuing to practice on a trainer program so that your skills don't deteriorate. I especially liked the section titled "The care and feeding of slot hosts." Flattery and gifts (bribes) will get you over a lot of hurdles.
   On the very first page of the text, Bob shows his disdain for less than perfect players. Consider a Jacks or Better hand containing a suited J-10, an off-suit King, and two low cards, one of which may or may not be a flush penalty card. The "best" play when there is no penalty card is the J-10 (highest EV by 0.01). I could go into a mathematical analysis discussing how infrequent such a decision occurs, and how frequently there is a penalty card, thus making the K-J the best play in the vast majority of cases, but Bob would come back with dozens of other trivial situations. Therefore, I'll simply point out that several respected analysts have shown that a penalty-card-free strategy comes much closer than 0.01% off of perfect play, and even my easy-to-follow Precision Play rules come within 0.01% of the game EV. That's less than one dollar (a cheap cup of coffee) on $10,000 action, not just on the example type of hand, but the total for all penalty card situations. That may be important for the 50 or so truly professional players (Bob's estimate), but the rest of us would probably lose more expected gain through playing errors and reduced playing speed when trying to follow perfect strategy.
   In spite of Bob's insistence upon perfection in playing strategy, he says he never uses a mathematical risk of ruin calculation. He uses the "3-to-5 royals rule" instead. For example, for a game with a $1000 royal, he is happy with a $3000 to $5000 bankroll. On Deuces Wild that figures to a modest 7.4% to 21% risk of ruin, but on Double Bonus Poker (one of Bob's favorite games), it's 61% to 74%. Most serious players would feel that he is often playing way over his bankroll. A few pages later he says, "...I learned that one pro had lost $80,000 on the [$5 15/10] Loose Deuces play at the Frontier. Wow! I had no idea that a loss of this magnitude was possible." A quick run with the Sorokin formula reveals a 39.5% probability of losing an $80,000 bankroll on that game. $80,000 is four royals. So much for the "3-to-5 royals rule." I might risk a few hundred dollars with a 40% risk of ruin, but not $80,000.
   To be fair, however, we must acknowledge that Bob doesn't play where his advantage is only about 0.1% on the game itself. Slot club rebates, comps and promotions add a lot to the expected value, with a corresponding reduction in risk of ruin. Still, I would want to estimate the total value to me of such amenities and incorporate that into a mathematical risk of ruin calculation.
   As he has done so often in the past, Bob goes out of his way to criticize others' work, and the facts be damned. On page 41, he says, "I'd picked up Dan Paymar's 8th edition of Video Poker Precision Play. His Jacks or Better strategy was an eye opener. It was considerably more complex than Wong's, but, as I learned as I went along, full of mistakes. Still, it gave me added insight. In a footnote in one of Paymar's appendices, he'd written that you should hold a suited high card-10 over two unsuited high cards unless there was another card suited with the high card-10."
   That's apparently his best example that my strategy is "full of mistakes," but the error is entirely his. The footnote in question can be none other than note "m" on page 57. Quoting verbatim from that edition, "`Honor-10 suited' means A-10, K-10, Q-10 or J-10 of the same suit. Don't hold a suited 10 with an ace if the jackpot is less than 940-for-1, and don't hold a 10 with any honor if any discard is the same suit or a straight card." Nothing at all is said of two unsuited high cards in this note, but in the hand rank table to which it refers, "Two honors (unsuited)" is just above "K-10, Q-10, J-10 suited." How does Bob interpret this to say that a suited high card-10 should be held over two unsuited high cards? Moreover, his error was pointed out to him when he wrote the same thing several years ago.
   On page 125 he says, "... Jokers Wild is an extremely difficult game to play.... Paymar's [strategy] was probably the best and I estimate it generated a return that was still at least .25% less than perfect." Actually, unless you're trying to be as perfect as Bob, Joker Wild is much easier to learn than Double Bonus, and an independent expert has determined that my hand rank table comes within 0.02% of perfect. Bob's "estimate" was off by more than an order of magnitude.
   On page 175 Bob says, "Today, Dan Paymar's Video Poker Optimum Play... is currently the best book on how to play video poker on the market." Thanks for the compliment, Bob. It's too bad you were unable to resist the temptation to say that it's full of errors. You wrote a long harangue (your word) on those "errors" several years ago, and I showed that altogether they added up to less than 0.01% of the total game EV. Jazbo Burns confirmed that, using his proprietary strategy analysis software.
   It's a minor point, but many places in the book Bob refers to a payoff as, for example, 800 to 1. I'm surprised that Anthony Curtis didn't edit this to the mathematically correct 800-for-1 (the "1" is not returned with the payoff). The difference is small on a royal flush (but still large if you view small errors as Bob does), but on a pair of jacks there's a 100% difference between 1-for-1 (returning your bet, which is just a push) and 1-to-1 (a real win of an amount equal to your bet, as on a winning craps pass bet).
   In summary, Million Dollar Video Poker is a very important book for anyone considering doing business with Bob, as it gives great insight into his ethics and morals. It is also important for anyone intent on becoming a professional gambler, no matter whether your game of choice is video poker, blackjack or anything else. Perhaps the most important lesson is that Bob spent several years learning how to take advantage of every potential opportunity, during which he made far less than he could have earned in a regular job in spite of admittedly stealing from the casinos (page 88). If you are not up to the task, the book will hopefully dissuade you from the attempt.
   By far the most valuable part of the book is the final chapter, "Winning is a Process, Not an Event." These four pages give the best advice I've ever read for a wannabe professional gambler. If you buy the book, do it for this section.
   The goal of making big money playing video poker boils down to a lot of hard work that would likely have yielded even greater rewards in a productive endeavor. And it's getting even harder as the casinos learn to structure promotions to be less vulnerable to pros.
   On page 210 Bob says that Deuces Wild is much more fun than Jacks or Better. I consider it very significant that this is the only time in the book where he says anything about video poker being fun. But don't despair; you can still have fun playing video poker as a skilled recreational player and supplement your income without all that work if you start with the strategy book that Bob recommends.

3 comments about Frugal Video Poker.

1. I've known Jean Scott for years and I can tell you this - she is the most accomplished advantage player when it comes to playing with an edge at video poker, getting everything for free, and not spending a penny more than necessary. Everything she writes about in her books; she does! You will not find a better advantage player on the planet. If you want to know the ins and outs of how to really give it to the casinos then read this book.
   
   Frank Scoblete: author of Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution! and Golden Touch Dice Control Revolution!



2. This book shills the related Frugal Video software program and, by my own experience, does not work to improve performance.



3. I bought this book for someone who really likes to play video poker and going to casinos. He had heard about this book and wanted to try some of the items that the author had talked about. He is hoping to go to the casino and apply these techniques. Overall he was very satisfied with the book.

5 comments about The Video Poker Answer Book.

1. I was very pleased with the Video Poker Answer Book. I'm no novice to vp, it's my favorite game in the casino. I play fast and, I believe I play well. Yet there was valuable information and tips that I picked up from John Grochowski's book. It's clear and concise and the format works. Thanks for teaching an old dog some new tricks.



2. THIS IS A GOOD BOOK FOR THE BEGINNING VIDEO POKER PLAYERS AS WELL AS THOSE WHO ARE AT MORE ADVANCED LEVELS. THERE ARE LOTS OF GOOD INSIGHTS INTO SUCCESSFUL PLAY AT A LARGE VARIETY OF VIDEO POKER GAMES. HOWEVER MR GROCHOWSKI DOES NOT GET INTO SUFFICIENT DETAIL TO ANSWER SOME OF THE ADVANCED DECISIONS THAT MUST BE MADE BY ALL VIDEO POKER PLAYERS. FOR EXAMPLE AT FULL PAY DEUCES WILD WHAT IS THE BEST STRATEGY (BASED UPON EXPECTED VALUES) IF ONE IS DEALT THREE DEUCES WITH TWO 3'S?, TWO 8'S?, TWO 10'S?. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE BEST STRATEGY IS TO KEEP THE FIVE OF A KIND UNLESS IT IS FIVE 3'S THROUGH 9'S? MR GROCHOWSKI DOES A GOOD JOB OF CRUNCHING THE PROBABILITIES AND PRESENTING EXPECTED RETURNS ON DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS, BUT IT MIGHT BE EASIER TO REMEMBER IF THERE WAS A CHART THAT ONE COULD TAKE WITH TO HELP WITH THE DECISION MAKING AT THE MACHINE. HE DOES PROVIDE A WRITTEN LIST RANKING THE HANDS WHICH HAS TO SUFFICE. ALL IN ALL THIS IS A WORTHWHILE BOOK FOR THE MONEY.



3. Of all the video poker books I have read and reviewed in my gaming columns, John's book ranks right up there as one of the best. Whether you are a novice player or have some experience playing video poker, you will become a much better player after reading his book. John's Q&A format also makes it easy for the reader to grasp key points and his recommended strategies & explanations on how the machines work are right on the money. Trust me - you will not be disappointed. Highly recommended for players who want to learn how to play & more importantly how to improve your chances of winning. Henry Tamburin....



4. Most people, including me, know how to play video poker machines and what cards to hold in a play. The real problem comes when you double your play to get the most payoff, and that's where the real strategy is needed.
   This book is good for someone who is just starting to play and understand poker, but is not helpful at all when you already understand the game, odds and strategies and need to maximize your payoffs when doubling your game.



5. I have very little confidence in this book, primarily because of the glaring error in the fourth paragraph on page Xiii of the Introduction. What am I to expect from the rest of the book. If the auther cannot state the basic premise properly, I have very little confidence in the accuracy of the details in the remainder of the book. He states, "The days.....for Jacks or Better games that pay 9-for-1 on full houses and 6-for-1 on straights,...."

3 comments about The Frugal Video Poker Scouting Guide.

1. This may seem a little pricey for what you get (3.5" x 7" inches, and 34 pages), but if you consider the time it would take you to compile 37 VP games and almost 200 pay tables, into a compact little easy to read notebook that you can carry with you to the casinos...it's really a bargain, and a necessary tool for any recreational or serious VP player.
   
   The guide is essential for separating the good VP machines from the bad ones. There are nine pay tables for Deuces Wild that range from 100.76% to 94.82% returns, eight pay tables for Jacks or Better, seven pay tables for Double Bonus Poker, nine for Double Double Bonus Poker, eight for Joker Poker, and many more.
   
   The progressive totals are also a nice feature of the guide. Most of us wouldn't touch a Jacks or Better machine that only had a 95% return, but did you know that you could play it if it was a progressive and paid $3,085 or more? It's the little things like that, and the Multi-Strike and Super Times Pay return percentages that show this was a well thought out guide.
   
   I only have one small complaint about the guide; I wish it were about one or two inches shorter so that it could fit in your back pocket without sticking out. The longer pay tables could easily be continued on the next page, and if they had to add a couple of pages to the guide to compensate for shortening the pages, that wouldn't really be a problem since it is only about an eighth of an inch thick. Jean or Viktor, hope your listening ;)



2. This book is exactly what is claims to be. It's a pocket guide that takes the guess work out of determining the payback percentage on all the popular video poker games and then some. The volatility ratings are a nice touch and are very helpful in determining what games to play based on the size of your bankroll.



3. Finally - just the book I've been waiting for. As long as I've been playing video poker, I've yearned for handy listing of the percent payback for the various games and paytables associated with them. I'd even started building the tables myself from numerous books on the subject of Video Poker. My efforts were never satisfactory because I never seemed to have the value for the machine I was standing in front of at the time - i.e. when I really needed it. This book is nearly perfect. It has numerous precentages for all (I haven't found one missing yet) each of the popular games that you find in casinos these days with various permutations of their paytables - sadly these are mostly NOT to the players advantage, but the authors' can't be faulted for that. My only complaint is the spiral-bound book is a smidge long for the average man's pocket and has a lame textual style for the little prose it contains that uses a sailor-schtick which I found a bit inappropriate. However, you don't buy this for the prose - you buy it for the NUMBERS and the numbers are just fine.

5 comments about Video Poker: Optimum Play.

1. The book has really good information. The problem is that is painfully boring to slog through. I have noticed an improvement in my VP playing. I am playing longer and not losing as much still in search of that magical royal.

   It took me over 2 weeks to get through this book and it is only 200 pages.




2. This is an excellent book. It details the steps necessary to become an expert player, a professional player of Video Poker.
   
   Optimal play is NOT perfect play. Mastering a trade is not easy. Discipline and practice are the watch words of all good Video Poker players.



3. I strongly suggest any fledgling video poker player read this manual to learn the basics of the odds and strategies necessary to conquer the casino video poker machines. An excellent basic, introductory text, Paymar also sells video poker training software and strategy cards that are a must for the budding or even serious player. I contribute much of my success at the game to the precepts in this book.



4. Paymar's book is pretty much the definitive handbook for video poker play today. He discusses every factor involved in beating theoretically beatable games, and at least stretching your dollars and getting the most out of your play in the rest.
   
   Dan disects each of the most popular games in detail, as well as multiple variations of each, and some of the older machines you might still run across. Each is subjected to computer payback and play analysis, and this runs to quite some length (and strictly speaking is not necessary reading). He streamlines all of this information into shorter hand flowcharts on how to play each hand to maximum potential, something which comes as quite a relief after going through his exhaustive and detailed optimum play discussion.
   
   Further, he delves into just what the stats mean. If a game is technically beatable over the long run, what does that tell the player? Well, it means frankly a full-time career of playing video poker, all day every day for months, at almost unbelieveable speed and rapidity and of course with perfect unerring accuracy. It is not easy or simple, and I can't even imagine that it would be fun. Moreover, one's potential edge in even the very best game, with the best payback, is so microscopic, that the fluctuations in the player's bankroll, even with only slight statistical blips, are huge. Don't even think of playing full time at a quarter machine with less than $50,000 to start. His advice in this area is depressing but honest and frankly about the most important stuff in the book.
   
   If the only thing this book does is to show the reader how to shop for a 'good' game and refuse to play short-pay ripoff games, it will be well worth the money. If your play improves as well, that's a bonus. Regular video poker players will benefit by reading this book.



5. I was very impressed with the amount of good info packed into this book.

5 comments about The Video Poker Edge: How to Play Smart and Bet Right.

1. I can say for sure, that this is a must read book for video poker. Although it appears that the modern casinos do not have the 9/6 tables in their establishments any more, (8/5, best I could find around the east coast) the information in this book has enabled me to break even after three times visiting my local casino. One of those times I hit a straight flush, but kept playing. Had I left, I would have been up a hundred. Also, online I put a hundred dollars into a site and made over four hundred, so I guess I can say the book paid for itself, plus. I also bought a computer program to practice on, which she recommended. That too, has paid for itself. There is a definete strategy to video poker, and you must study, no matter who your so called friends are that are supposable experts, LOL yes yes, I have one of them. :) Anyhow, he can not understand why I keep beating him. A very good book, and easy to read.



2. An excellent treatment on Video Poker. Gives, as all these guides do, a quick overview of what is involved in playing Video Poker. Then she delves into the deeper aspects of choice of game which is based on the printed paytable and its implied "expected return" and volatility level. You see some games while having very attractive payoffs for those very rare hands, require a substantially higher bankroll to play with a reasonable expectation of achieving the theoretical long-term payoff while others with lower payoffs (but more frequent) require less bankroll. Lots of tables are included containing all the really essential stuff sought after by the serious Video Poker player. Now if you are NOT a serious player, this book can still be a valuable investment because there are removable strategy cards at the end of the book covering all the most common machines. Those alone were worth the price of admission.



3. This book doesn't provide much in strategy that you can't find on the net or elsewhere. I was looking for some well formated strategy charts for non-full pay games, and this book was not good for that need.
   
   One positive section was the discussion of VLTs in many racinos and bars in several states (e.g. bars in Louisiana). VLTs are not VP machines based on random number generators.
   
   The strategy cards are terrible and I think my copy was missing a page (there was a tear showing a previous perforation). If you play VP in large casinos on the strip, you won't be playing full pay games.



4. Excellent, understandable and I'd rec. to any one looking for a 'how to' on video poker



5. This is a very well written book for beginners. Other authors on this subject introduce their books as suitable for a beginner in the first few chapters but the following chapters are difficult for the novice to read and understand. Linda Boyd, perhaps because she is an educator, writes clearly and fully introduces new vocabulary before using new terms in her explanations.