Video poker isn’t one of the most popular casino games. Even though it’s a machine-based game like slot machines, it isn’t anywhere close in popularity to slots. In fact, in land-based casinos, video poker seems to be dying out.
A rule today might not be the same in a few months. Having said that, here are some tips that should alo maximize your casino comps when playing blackjack: 1. Make Sure You Enroll In The Casino Players Club. This sounds simple but the easiest way to maximize your blackjack play is to be enrolled in the casino players club and use it. - Casino Comps. Originally published 2006, revised 11/2010 'Comp' is short for 'complementary' and it means anything free or reduced price that a casino gives you. It's a marketing tactic, like 'buy one get one free' at the grocery store.
Most video poker machines are now being replaced with new slot machines, because slots are more profitable for the casinos.
From a gambler’s perspective, it’s hard for me to understand why slot machines are so much more popular than video poker machines. The house edge on the average slot machine is over 5% and the house edge on the average video poker machine is around 2%.
If you play the right video poker machines using the best strategies, you can play video poker with a house edge of less than .5%.
You don’t have to be a math genius to understand that a house edge of a half percent is much better than a 5% house edge. In fact, it’s 10 times better.
This means your bankroll lasts 10 times longer when you make the same size bets, and it also means you have a better chance to win every time you play.
I put together this article for two types of gamblers. The first type is a slot machine player. If you play slots and want to switch to playing video poker, follow the simple steps on this page. Your gambling results are going to improve, and none of these steps are difficult to do.
The second type of gambler this page will appeal to is a video poker player who isn’t getting the results they want. You can quickly start seeing improved results when you adjust your video poker play based on what you’re getting ready to learn.
1 – Strategy Is Your Friend
Best Way To Earn Casino Comps
Video poker games are based on old draw poker games. Most start with a five-card hand and you choose which cards to hold and which ones to exchange for new cards. Some games use a standard 52 card deck and others use a standard deck plus a joker. Some games have wild cards and some don’t.
The most popular variation of video poker is Jacks or Better, and it uses a standard deck of 52 playing cards. Deuces Wild, another popular video poker version, uses a standard 52-card deck and all of the deuces, or twos, are wild.
This might not seem like it’s important, but the fact that you know the value of all the cards in the deck used for the game is a big deal. Knowing the value of all of the cards means every starting hand has a most profitable way to play.
Here’s an example of using strategy in video poker:
You’re playing Jacks or Better and your first five cards are the ace of clubs, king of clubs, jack of clubs, 10 of clubs, and the six of diamonds. The correct play is to keep everything except the six of diamonds.
If you draw the queen of clubs you complete a royal flush, which is the highest paying hand in the game. If you draw any of the three remaining aces, three remaining kings, or three remaining jacks, you have a pair of jacks or better, another paying hand.
Finally, if you draw one of the three queens that isn’t a club, you complete a straight. When you average the return for all of these winning combinations, it’s higher than playing the hand any other way.
You can determine the best possible play for every possible starting hand in video poker based on the game and pay table.
This can get complicated, but there’s good news. People have already used computers to run all of the possible combinations and produced the best strategy.
This means you can find a strategy chart or video poker strategy card that already has all of the best plays listed. You don’t have to do any of the hard work or guess the next time you have a hand that’s difficult to figure out.
When you use a video poker strategy chart or card, it keeps the house edge as low as you can possibly get it. Before you play another hand of video poker, get a strategy chart or card for your game and use it on every hand. Different video poker variations use different charts, so make sure you’re using the one designed for your machine.
2 – Check Pay Tables Online
Video poker machines come with different pay tables. Even the same game often has several different pay tables. Many video poker players don’t understand the importance of pay tables, but they’re just as important as using the correct strategy.
The pay table is the thing that determines the house edge. When you play Jacks or Better using a 9/6 pay table combined with perfect strategy, the house edge is .46%. But if you play Jacks or Better with a different pay table, even when you use the correct strategy, the house edge can be 2% or higher.
Good pay tables on video poker machines are getting harder and harder to find in land-based casinos. The casinos are trying to keep their profit from video poker machines up so they can still offer a few, and the main way to do this is offer machines with worse pay tables.
The easiest way to find video poker machines offering decent pay tables is to play poker online. Many online casinos offer 9/6 Jacks or Better and Not So Ugly Ducks Deuces Wild, which are two of the better games as far as pay tables you can find. Both of these games also have strategy charts that are easy to find.
You really need to become a student of video poker pay tables if you want to improve your results.
Learn the best pay tables for each game you enjoy playing, find the best strategy for these games, and only play when the best pay tables are available.
If you play video poker in land-based casinos, start a list of locations with good pay tables. As you find good machines, add them to your list, and eventually, you’ll be able to plan your trip based on where you can play with the best pay tables.
3 – Comps, Bonuses, and Promotions
I mentioned one of the best ways to play video poker is in online casinos in the last section. This is even better when you find an online casino that offers a sign up bonus you can use for video poker. It’s important to understand that not all online casino bonuses are designed for video poker play. Many online casino bonuses are only for slot machine play.
A video poker bonus is one of the best ways to increase your bankroll, and they give you more opportunities to hit a royal flush, which is the top payout in most games. A bonus doesn’t make your percentage chance of hitting a royal flush go up, but it gives you extra hands to try to hit one because your bankroll is bigger.
As a video poker player, whether you play in land-based casinos or online, you should always sign up for the player’s or comp club where you play. If the casino doesn’t offer some kind of a reward’s club, try to find a different place to play that does offer one.
Any time you earn comps, whether it’s a free meal or free play, it offsets your losses. You usually won’t earn enough in comps to break even on your play, but it still effectively lowers the house edge because you’re receiving something of value.
The other thing you need to look for is promotions. Casinos run a wide range of marketing programs and promotions to try to get new players. Sometimes, promotions offer free spins or a certain amount of free play.
You can look for promotions in gambling publications, local media close to casinos, and online.
It’s also a good idea to ask the player’s desk in the casino if they have any promotions. You should also ask them to put you on their mailing list for future promotions.
Conclusion
When you find video poker machines with good pay tables, use the correct playing strategy and get all of the bonuses, comps, and promotions you can find. Your results are going to get better.
If you’re currently a slot machine player, switching to video poker is going to help you immediately. Any time you can play with a house edge that’s 10 times lower, if it does nothing else, it’s going to let you play much longer on the same size bankroll.
It’s easy to find and use a video poker strategy chart, so there’s never a good reason not to use one. It also doesn’t take long to find the best pay tables, so I recommend doing that right away. When you play video poker at online casinos, read the terms for the available bonuses so you can start with a bigger bankroll.
Earning comps when playing blackjack isn’t as simple as you might think. Not only is there a human element to tracking your play but casino operators reward blackjack players differently than other games. In order to earn any rewards, you have to enroll in the casino players club. High rollers might be able to speak directly with a host and have everything sorted. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll look at the 95% of casino guests who aren’t in the highest tier of a players club.
The majority of gamblers are entry level loyalty club members. There isn’t much public information available since casino operators typically keep players club membership information to themselves. Over the years I’ve seen reports that state anywhere from 50%-70% of customers never leave the entry level of a players club. Those reports also show that 2%-5% reach the top level of casino players clubs.
Rules and promotions change fairly often for casino players clubs. A rule today might not be the same in a few months. Having said that, here are some tips that should alo maximize your casino comps when playing blackjack:
1. Make Sure You Enroll In The Casino Players Club
This sounds simple but the easiest way to maximize your blackjack play is to be enrolled in the casino players club and use it. Just place your players club card with your buy-in on the table for the dealer when you sit down. Players club reward points are given based on an algorithm that takes the buy-in, wager amount, and time played into account.
If you forget your players club just present a legal identification like a driver’s license. The pit boss can use that to sign you in for play. Some casinos can even print a new card for you right in the pit so you don’t have to go elsewhere for a new card.
2. Find Out If The Casino Rewards Blackjack Players With Points
Casino operators have different policies on how the reward table games players. Some will reward points for any wager, regardless of the amount. Some casino operators require a minimum wager (often $25) for a player to be rated. There are some casino operators that don’t offer players club points for any blackjack or table game play.
Every casino operator treats their loyalty club differently. The rules are usually detailed in the players club rules. You can usually find the information on the casino website. If you forget to check before visiting the casino just ask a dealer, pit boss or players club staff.
3. Play The Game With The Best Rules
The best blackjack games can have a minuscule house edge if you play with perfect basic strategy. If you can count cards you may even be able to give yourself an advantage.
Not only do you increase your chance of making money by playing good blackjack games but you can also play longer. The lower the house edge is, the longer your bankroll should last. Since you are rewarded based on time played the best blackjack rules should reward the player more.
For example, Caesars’ Total Rewards players might want to shop around for the best blackjack games among their group of Las Vegas casinos. The Cromwell now offers affordable 3:2 blackjack (under $25) and a host of other good gambling options. Meanwhile, Caesars Palace is just across the street and has plenty of atrocious 6:5 blackjack games.
4. Time Is Money And Rewards
Playing blackjack games with a low house edge is just one way to extend your gambling time. Blackjack players are resourceful and look for other ways to increase their time in the game. A few slow visits to the restroom is one way to add a time to a session of blackjack. Phone calls aren’t allowed at the tables so you’ll have to step away from the game. This can also add a few more minutes to a session.
These are just a couple of sly examples. There are more ways to slow down play to extend a blackjack session. Experienced pit bosses and dealers see these tricks often so don’t get too aggressive with any tactic. However, adding a few extra minutes can certainly increase the time allotted for a session and add a few players club points.
5. Make Sure You Were Rated
Unlike machines games, the table games are monitored, in part, by eye. This isn’t the most accurate system for tracking players. If your vary bet sizes this can be almost impossible for a pit boss to track. When you complete a session just ask the pit boss for your rating. They have access to time and average wager. They’re not always accurate so it doesn’t hurt to double check. Many players lose reward points by being rated below what they spend.