Your Winning Strategy to Video Poker

In your pre-game warm-up, I suggest that you establish time limits on the amount of time that you are planning to play video poker.  In my past experiences, I suggest that three hours is the maximum that anyone should play video poker at a single stretch of time.  I have found that forty to fifty minutes with five- to fifteen-minute breaks allows me to clear my head and refocus.  In addition, pulling yourself away from a machine after forty to fifty minutes when you are ahead tends to help you win.  I remember of one occasion where I had over 500 coins on a video poker machine.  When I cashed out, I had to wait for an attendant to refill the video poker machine.  Once I had all my quarters, I lugged the bucket to the cashier where the cashier handed me one hundred twenty-five dollars and fifty cents.  I had put two twenties into the machine, so I was up eighty-five dollars and fifty cents.  The next day, my wife found ways to spend my newfound money on T-shirts in the Bahamas.  Unfortunately, I found myself paying a premium price for T-shirts, versus doubling my fortunes the next day, but all in all, I had a great time.

As you learn of my strategy in playing video poker, it is very important that you realize that personalizing the strategy is needed to help you have a great time.  If you can walk into a casino feeling happy and refreshed, and after a couple of hours, have the same feeling, even though you are losing money, this helps you prepare for the next day or time that you go into the casino.  Some of my most memorable trips into the casino were when I walked out a loser, but at the close of the day, I was making money.  One of my backup strategies is to own stock in the casinos where I lose money.  This provides me with the comfort that my money is helping the bottom line of the company.  I should disclose that I own stock in one of the cruise lines, and I always gamble in the casinos on board their ships.  I should add that my stock in this cruise line pays a dividend, and the unrealized capital gain far exceeds the amount of money that I would ever lose in their casinos.  I also want to disclose that I own stock in one of the casinos and I gamble in their casinos when I go to Las Vegas or Laughlin, Nevada or Atlantic City, New Jersey.  When I lose, I win, so as your pre-pre-game warm-up, look into buying stocks in the casinos that you like to gamble in.

As you prepare to visit a casino, you are there to enjoy yourself and have fun.  The best way to have fun is to relax, and to relax, you need to enjoy plenty of rest.  Before entering the casino, recognize that you will be excited and ready to gamble.  Unfortunately, as these emotions take over, we can forget to engage in various money-saving strategies, and lose sight of the primary goal, which is to have fun and spend our money wisely.  If you win after a short period of time, you will be feeling on top of the world.  However, many of us—me included—have arrived late at the casino and started gambling, and before I knew it, it was three in the morning, Pacific Standard Time.  Coming from the East Coast, I found myself with only a few hours of sleep, but my adrenaline was keeping me awake, even though a few hours earlier, I was nodding off while on the airplane.  Remember, the machines will be there tomorrow morning, and many of the machines will stay put for your entire trip.

When you register to get your room, my suggestion is to go to your room and get some rest.  If you have time, go register for your game card, and if you can’t sleep, take a tour of the casino.  In most situations, I suggest that you explore the casino and the surrounding area before starting to gamble.  This helps you settle into the casino and provides you with a unique opportunity to see all the interesting artwork, sculptures, and even the restaurants.  Another good strategy is to take a bath or shower after you arrive, to help you relax.  Remember, you’re on vacation, and the primary goal of any vacation is to rest and have fun.

Once you’re settled in and rested, now’s the time to register for your game card.  As you register for your game card, have your spouse, significant other, and/or friends accompany you.  In gambling, the buddy system can be an effective way to help you leave with money in your pocket or minimize your losses.  When you gamble with others, you can work together to find more interesting video poker machines, and you can help each other make better decisions in keeping and discarding cards.  In many cases, your spouse, signi