How Quickly Can You Lose at Video Poker?

Q During a recent casino trip I wanted to try something different, so I switched from blackjack to video poker. I was playing a one-dollar machine, five hands at a time, maximum credits ($25 per bet).Basil Nestor is the author of the new Playboy Complete Guide to Casino Gambling. This wonderful book teaches players how to avoid sucker bets and win more when playing gambling games.  He is also the author of The Smarter Bet Guide series for video poker, slots, craps, and many other books about gambling.  Basil's website is www.smarterbet.com  My $500 bankroll didn't last long. I was surprised how fast the money disappeared compared to blackjack. Was I unlucky, or is video poker always like this?

Remember that video poker keeps your bet when you lose, but the machine also keeps your bet when you win a hand, so a one-credit win is actually a push.

55% of hands are losers.

21% of hands are single-credit "winners" returning only the original bet.

This is a push (a tie).

13% of hands win exactly two credits per unit wagered.

11% of hands return more than two credits.

Less than 3% of hands return six credits or more.

(Average results for a single hand after the draw when using optimal strategy)

Most video poker hands are losers, and losers outnumber winners by a two-to-one margin. The win-lose imbalance is offset by big payoffs for quads, straight flushes, and royal flushes, but it's still a recipe for going broke unless you have staying power. A player needs a session bankroll of at least 150 to 200 bets to withstand the inevitable losing streaks between jackpots. In your case that would be at least $3,750 when betting $25 per trial. You were playing with $500 (only 20 bets), so your bankroll did not provide enough "wiggle room" for the natural ebb and flow of the game. One option is to increase your bankroll; another alternative is to wager in smaller increments. For example, playing single hands on a dollar game ($5 per bet) would be somewhat better for a $500 bankroll. Single or multiple hands on a quarter game would be ideal.

And of course, optimal strategy has an effect on winning and losing. Were you using optimal strategy? If you weren't, then I have some wonderful money-saving news. Optimal strategy is a method of playing video poker that mathematically maximizes the probability of hitting all the paying hands, and it can dramatically increase your chances of making a royal flush.  You can learn this video poker strategy right here at ReadyBetGo!