Bob Dancer Video Poker Classes at Silverton in Las Vegas

I've taught hundreds of classes in various Las Vegas casinos for the past nine years. My most recent gig, at Fiesta Rancho and Fiesta Henderson, ended in December of last year, and I've been searchingBob Dancer is one of the world's foremost video poker experts.  He is a regular columnist for Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and the Las Vegas Review-Journa land has written an autobiography and a novel about gambling.   He provides advice for tens of thousands of casino enthusiasts looking to play video poker.  Bob's website is www.bobdancer.com  for another casino to host the classes. That search is over, and the new classes will begin on September 5 at Silverton, which is just west of I-15, one offramp south of I-215.

The classes are free and are being held in the Twin Creeks Steakhouse, which is normally closed until 5 p.m. The room will hold about 100 people for the classes, and I expect the classes to "sell out." That's probably not the best phrase for a free class, but you get the idea.

The schedule is as follows:.

September 5		9/6 Jacks or Better
September 12		Full Pay Deuces Wild
September 19		10/7 Double Bonus
September 26		NSU Deuces Wild
October 3		10/6 Double Double Bonus
October 10		9/4/4 Deuces Bonus
October 17	10:00 a.m.	9/5 Super Double Bonus
	Noon	8/5 Super Aces Bonus
October 24	10:00 a.m.	9/6 Jacks or Better Multi Strike
	Noon	NSU Deuces Wild Multi Strike
October 31	10:00 a.m.	Triple Pay Deuces Wild
	Noon	9/7 Triple Double Bonus
November 7		NO CLASS
November 14		NO CLASS
November 21	10:00 a.m.	Two Pair Joker Wild
	Noon	8/5 Super Double Double Bonus
November 28		Kings or Better Joker Wild
December 5	one class	What a video poker player should know about slot clubs
December 12	one class	Secrets of a Video Poker Winner

Most of the time, if you arrive by 9:45 a.m. there will probably be no problem finding a seat. The first week, though, the signups may go slower than average because it's required that you join Silverton's Discovery Club before attending the class. Anyone not already a member will need to sign up, and that will slow the line a bit. But the room will be open by 9:30 and signups will be starting at that time. There will be drawings for free gifts after the second class, and you have to be there by 10:20 to be eligible for the drawings.

Where there is one game being taught, the first class is at the "Recreational Level," which is appropriate for players who play once a month, or maybe a few weekends a year. It is a simplified strategy, but still powerful. The second class is taught at the "Basic Level," which is as advanced as you can go without using penalty cards. This is a stronger strategy, albeit more complicated.

Although it's up to you to decide how strong of a player you are, generally speaking you should be an experienced player or have taken the first class before you venture into the second. (If you aren't sure whether or not you meet the "experienced" criteria, go ahead and attend the class and take what you get. You may well find some parts of the class are a little complicated, but you'll get most of it.) Using the strategy from the second class generally returns an extra tenth of a percent or so over the strategy for the first class, but the class is more difficult. When there are two separate games taught in the same week, both classes will be taught at the Recreational Level.

The GREAT news about the classes is that the Silverton is installing machines to support the classes. There will be at least 16 machines (near the aquarium, to start with), labeled "Bob Dancer Approved", which will have the games taught in the classes. The highest paying games (Full Pay Deuces Wild and Kings or Better Joker Wild) will be limited to quarters-and-lower only, but the other games will be found up to the one-dollar level. How many of these games will be offered higher than a one-dollar denomination is currently an unresolved question.

There is no other casino in Las Vegas (or probably anywhere in the world, for that matter) with this many different varieties of games exceeding 99.5%. With many casinos tightening pay schedules, it is refreshing news that a casino is offering a big variety of loose games.

In the past, many students have decided to take the entire series of classes --- sometimes multiple times --- even though they will eventually end up concentrating on one or two games only. This is a good idea, as each class points out WHY that game plays different than other games. So you may well learn something in a Double Double Bonus class that helps you understand something in a Deuces Wild class. Although each game is different, there are considerable overlaps between games and the more you understand about ANY video poker game, the more of this underlying theory you'll be able to absorb.