Video poker is not a hard game to understand, but it is a game that someone can get hooked on and lose a lot of money. If you want to have a better chance at winning, you must gain basic knowledge of the game. In addition you must know how to overcome the casinos "secret weapon."
Casinos Secret Weapon
Casinos are out to make money, there is no mistake about that. The marketing team for the casinos do a very good job at promoting video poker. You're told your chances of winning are better playing poker because you control which cards to hold and which ones to throw away.
Many books talk about pay tables and how a player can gain a 2% edge by selecting certain types of pay tables to play. All this makes for interesting conversation, but the real secret weapon the casinos have is: players' emotions.
Comps
To further entice you to play the casinos have spent millions of dollars studying human habits. Comps are the magnets that keep players coming back, some of these comps are: lights, colors, sounds, freebies (drinks, food, rooms), access to money (ATMs), etc. All of these comps are calculated by the mighty "club card."
When playing you use the casinos club card to track your play. Points accumulate based on the denomination played and time played. Points are used for food, gifts or cash. The casinos will advertise all the millions of dollars they give away in comps, but you are never told about the hundreds of millions they made from people losing. I wonder why.
People lose thousands of dollars just to get a hundred bucks in comps, the club card works out very well for the casinos. There is nothing wrong with using a club card, but be aware of how you get hooked into thinking you're getting something for nothing.
If you buy into the casinos promotions that gambling is entertainment, then they have done a good job at advertising. For them it's all about getting your money. The challenge you have as a player is, how to keep your money and get theirs?
Casinos Secret Weapon
Casinos are out to make money, there is no mistake about that. The marketing team for the casinos do a very good job at promoting video poker. You're told your chances of winning are better playing poker because you control which cards to hold and which ones to throw away.
Many books talk about pay tables and how a player can gain a 2% edge by selecting certain types of pay tables to play. All this makes for interesting conversation, but the real secret weapon the casinos have is: players' emotions.
Comps
To further entice you to play the casinos have spent millions of dollars studying human habits. Comps are the magnets that keep players coming back, some of these comps are: lights, colors, sounds, freebies (drinks, food, rooms), access to money (ATMs), etc. All of these comps are calculated by the mighty "club card."
When playing you use the casinos club card to track your play. Points accumulate based on the denomination played and time played. Points are used for food, gifts or cash. The casinos will advertise all the millions of dollars they give away in comps, but you are never told about the hundreds of millions they made from people losing. I wonder why.
People lose thousands of dollars just to get a hundred bucks in comps, the club card works out very well for the casinos. There is nothing wrong with using a club card, but be aware of how you get hooked into thinking you're getting something for nothing.
If you buy into the casinos promotions that gambling is entertainment, then they have done a good job at advertising. For them it's all about getting your money. The challenge you have as a player is, how to keep your money and get theirs?
