Q1: Is it possible to gain an advantage at Video Poker?

A1: The video poker strategy discussed here is for the common "8/5" machines. They are called 8/5 because of the 8-for-1 payoff for a full house and 5-for-1 payoff for a flush. "Joker's Wild" and "Deuces Wild" machines will require a much different strategy.

In order to have an advantage over the house, you must find a machine with a progressive jackpot that is larger than about 1750 maximum bets. ($8750 for $1 machines, $2200 for $.25 machines, $440 for $.05 machines) This level only makes the game even with the house. The jackpot must be higher than this in order to gain an advantage. The player's edge increases by about 1% for each addition of 350 maximum bets into the progressive jackpot.

Q2: Is playing five coins always better than playing one coin?

A2: Not necessarily. In fact, you’re usually better off playing one coin than playing five. The ratio of coins returned for winning hands is the same whether you play one coin or five, except when you hit a royal. For example, if a machine returns one coin for a pair of Jacks with one coin in, it will pay two for two coins, three for three, four for four, and five for max-coin play. This 1:1 ratio remains constant. Usually, though, a royal flush will return 250 coins for one coin, 500 for two, 750 for three, and 1,000 for four, then jump to 4,000 for five, which raises the per-coin ratio from 250:1 to 800:1. The shot at the bonus jackpot explains the popular advice to always play the maximum five coins.

Q3: When the cards are dealt, are the next five cards already lined up behind the first cards?

A3: No, they’re not lined up behind the first cards, but they have already been selected. When the random number generator selects the cards for a hand, it actually takes ten cards, not five.

Q4: What is the best video poker game to play?

A4: This answer depends on the denomination of coin you want to play with. You must learn to distinguish between good and bad pay schedules and play only the good. Furthermore, another factor in deciding which game to play is the game which you know how to play the best. Playing video poker well requires a high degree of skill, so if you don’t know how to play Deuces Wild, but you do know how to play Jacks or Better, then you are better off sticking with Jacks or Better. But it's always a good idea to learn the strategy of the other games, as the more games you learn, the more options you’ll have.

Q5: How big a bankroll do you need to play video poker?

A5: A bankroll is an amount of money set aside for gambling. If you’re going to play on a full-time basis, we recommend having at least a three-royal-flush bankroll. For casual players, we recommend a more psychological approach as there will be days where you’ll lose half a royal, or more. If losing just $500 scares you, you do not have the psychological bankroll for playing quarters. If losing $2,000 makes you late for the rent, forget about playing for dollars.

Q6: What's the best way to learn how to play successfully?

A6: You have to work at it. Video poker is a game where every hand has one best play and the strategies are complicated. Learning what these are takes time and effort. And the time and effort is rewarded by better results when you play.

The game-play of roulette is rather uncomplicated, but one must be a bit familiar with roulette rules before placing any sophisticated bets. In addition to roulette rules, this page addresses proper etiquette around the table, and gives a walkthrough so you know exactly what to do. The first thing you should know is how the table minimum works. If you are playing at a table with a $5 minimum, you are required to place $5 on each of your outside bets, and/or a total of at least $5 on your inside bets (inside and outside bets are explained in a second) So if you play black/red, odd/even or high/low, you must place the table minimum for each and every bet. On the other hand, you could place 5 $1 bets on 5 completely different inside bets (specific numbers or combinations of numbers) Before you get confused, standard North American roulette rules have the table use different chips than other table games at the casino. Each player is assigned a different color of chip, letting the dealer differentiate bets and match them to the right players. These chips are worthless at the other tables in the casino, so don't bother trying to stack them up under your blackjack chips or anything silly like that. The roulette dealer will exchange your game chips for regular chips when you are finished playing. You usually have to give some indication to the dealer as to what value of chip denomination you want to be provided with. For a $5 minimum table, you will usually have a minimum value of $1 on roulette chips. Judge this based on your average bet and whether or not you like to split things up a lot. Again, so you don't get confused, when you get your roulette chips they will not be marked with a denomination, you choose it, and all of the chips will reflect that worth (the dealer keeps track of this by associating the amount and color with a 'lammer') Roulette doesn't move at a quick pace, it's for a more relaxed crowd than you're likely to find at the craps table. Roulette rules kind of necessitate this sluggishness, as making all of the bets is what slows things down. When you're at the point that you want to place your bet, don't be concerned about someone else having already taken your bet, chips can share bets thanks to the colors. Roulette rules give you lots of time to set your bet, and can even keep doing so after the wheel has been spun, just don't try it after the dealer waves his hands over the table (if there are any new players the dealer will most likely say 'no more bets' out-loud too) Once the ball has found its pocket, the dealer will call out the winning number and place a clear marker on that number's spot on the table layout. The dealer then sweeps the table clean and the winner is paid. Wait until the dealer says 'place your bets' before putting any chips down for the next spin.

Slot machines are actual free-standing "machines" easily identified by their spinning reels and pull handles. The concept is simple, drop in some coins, pull the handle and hope the reel symbols line up. Different symbols win different amounts, and there's usually a jackpot available to be won.Slot machines are a total game of chance. There are no rules to learn, and the outcome is totally random. The ease of play, the potential huge payoffs, the noise and the excitement level around the slot area all contribute to a high entertainment value for some.Slot machines come in a variety of forms with diverse symbols on the wheels and numerous payout systems. Slot machines can have from three to five reels/wheels and one to five payoff lines. In all of them the basic idea is the same, to line up particular symbols on the payout line. The less likely a combination is to occur, the greater the payoff.The most basic slot machines require you to bet one coin (a fixed amount such as a dollar), they have only three reels, only one payout line, and pay a multiple of the bet coins value (e.g. Three cherries on the payout line will result in a payout 300 times the bet coins value) The player inserts the coin and pulls a handle (or presses a button on the front panel) and waits for the wheels to stop on the payout line to see if, and how much they have won (the payout symbols and payoff values are posted on the front of the machine) The more complex machines accept more than one coin (up to five), can have up to five wheels, and many also have up to five payout lines (three across and two diagonal)