Video Poker Books - need a recommendation

[cestpatrick]

Hello,

I have Mason Malmuth's "Fundamentals of Video Poker". Is there another book someone could recommend?

Thanks,

Pat

[playersare]

best overall book is probably "Video Poker - Optimum Play" by Dan Paymar. it's on conjelco.

[Brad22]

Is this a joke? There is actually books for beating a casino game that has a built-in edge?

[playersare]

1. nobody said "beat". VP is primarily a comps play in B&M casinos.

2. using perfect strategy, there are indeed +EV varieties like FPDW (100.76%) and 10/7 DB (100.17%). even 9/6 JoB (99.54%) with cashback added is virtually breakeven, and can easily earn free hotel rooms and food in a few hours of play per trip. better than just getting a discounted B&M poker rate.

3. I bet there are books about black socks and razor refills too.

[Brad22]

Hells no there aren't, and believe you me, I've checked.

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]

I have Mason Malmuth's "Fundamentals of Video Poker". Is there another book someone could recommend?


[/ QUOTE ]

The best (and most reputable) authors in the field are Bob Dancer, Dan Paymar, and Stanford Wong. Look here. (http://www.gamblersbook.com/weblink.cby/items/VPB100.html)

It's best to avoid most anyone else. I haven't looked at Wong's web site recently, you might check it out. bj21.com if I remember rightly.

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]
Is this a joke? There is actually books for beating a casino game that has a built-in edge?

[/ QUOTE ]

There are a lot of books for "beating" casino books with a built in edge. Most of them are garbage:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0818405872.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.gif


Some video poker games have a statistical payout of over 100%, given perfect strategy. The good authors have done the analysis and can tell you what machines are beatable and what perfect strategy is. There are a few people who make a living playing video poker, and a lot who at least make enough of a profit plus comps to pay all expenses for their frequent Vegas vacations.

[Rob-L]

I actually think that a better tool to learn to play video poker optimally is Bob Dancer's WinPoker software. It shortens the learning curve considerably.

http://www.zamzone.com/

[Rob-L]

In the case of video poker (and blackjack for that matter) it's not so much a case of "beating" the game, but reducing the built in advantage.

[cestpatrick]

Thanks for all the useful info. Got to keep the girlfriend happy in Vegas and away from the "Wheel of Fortune" machines. Hopefully, she'll be better prepared for VP!

Thanks again. Pat

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]
Hopefully, she'll be better prepared for VP!


[/ QUOTE ]

Two things about VP in Vegas:

1. For max comps, you need to get a player's card from a casino and plug it into the machine when playing, and you need to play at the same casino as much as possible.

2. The high pay-out VP machines are not going to be at the glitzy places on the strip. They are going to be at the blue collar joints like Sam's, Boulder Station, Orleans, etc. Any of the good books will tell you how to recognize the good machines in a second, just by glancing at the pay table on the front.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
Is this a joke? There is actually books for beating a casino game that has a built-in edge?

[/ QUOTE ]

Is this question a joke? Of course there are. There are books about pretty much all of them.

[cgwahl]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

I have Mason Malmuth's "Fundamentals of Video Poker". Is there another book someone could recommend?


[/ QUOTE ]

The best (and most reputable) authors in the field are Bob Dancer, Dan Paymar, and Stanford Wong. Look here. (http://www.gamblersbook.com/weblink.cby/items/VPB100.html)

It's best to avoid most anyone else. I haven't looked at Wong's web site recently, you might check it out. bj21.com if I remember rightly.

[/ QUOTE ]


If you had to choose between all those books, would you say "Professional Video Poker" by Stanford Wong, "Video Poker: Optimum Play" by Dan Paymar and "Fundamentals of Video Poker" by Mason Malmuth would be in the top 3?

Going to be buying some books in the next few weeks and wouldn't mind picking up one or two on Video Poker since I am just not liking 'normal' slots as much as I used to.

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]


If you had to choose between all those books, would you say "Professional Video Poker" by Stanford Wong, "Video Poker: Optimum Play" by Dan Paymar and "Fundamentals of Video Poker" by Mason Malmuth would be in the top 3?



[/ QUOTE ]

I haven't read Mason's VP book, but that series is very general info for newbies, and I can't imagine there is anything in it that isn't covered in more detail by Paymar or Wong. Also, I would recommend that you check to see when Wong's book was last revised. VP machines are updated constantly, and current info is necessary. Since Paymar specializes in VP, my guess is that his stuff is the most current.

Personally, since VP is time sensitive, I would order from Gamblers' Book Club, and I would call them first (800 number) and ask about recent updates. I have talked to them before, and they are very helpful and knowledgeable.

You really don't need more than one book on Video Poker unless you are going to play it very seriously. VP strategy is like blackjack. There is a mathematically correct basic strategy that should be memorized and applied robotically. There are no decisions to be made. You just need to know the optimal strategy for the particular machine you are playing. (You can be really lazy and just open the book to the strategy for the machine you are playing, and sit there with the book in your lap.)

[playersare]

[ QUOTE ]
If you had to choose between all those books, would you say "Professional Video Poker" by Stanford Wong, "Video Poker: Optimum Play" by Dan Paymar and "Fundamentals of Video Poker" by Mason Malmuth would be in the top 3?

[/ QUOTE ]
if you only can buy one VP book ever, make it the Paymar book. the Wong book is completely outdated (last revised 1993!?) and is essentially only about 8/5 progressive strategies. so skip "Professional Video Poker".

the only other alternative might be a general gambling primer like "The American Casino Guide" by Steve Bourie. that book lists the simple strategy for 9/6 Jacks or Better, as well as the paytables for other popular variations. plus, Bob Dancer has a 4-page FAQ in there too.

[pastabatman]

Hi,
Thanks playersare, et al. You seem to be the VP guru around here - I did a search of your posts and others, and collected some links below. This whole thread got me interested in VP as a more interesting & less costly slots-alternative for my wife and mother-in-law, who wouldn't dare sit at a live table (probably a good thing). Hopefully all this will help. Sounds like 'Jacks or Better' (JOB) is the game they ought to play. Hopefully there are plenty of those machines in Laughlin.

Pasta

charts (http://casinogambling.about.com/library/weekly/aa041003.htm)

book, Paymar's "Video Poker: Optimum Play"(2004) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1886070202/ref=wl_it_dp/104-2962256-5054348?%5Fencoding=UTF8&coliid=I3JLLO4AFUPMJ5&v=g lance&colid=2P9F3V59HEO7Z)

software, WinPoker (http://www.zamzone.com/)

Wizard Of Odds (strategy, charts, more) (http://wizardofodds.com/videopoker)

[playersare]

[ QUOTE ]
Hopefully there are plenty of those machines in Laughlin.

[/ QUOTE ]
you should be good there according to this list:
http://members.cox.net/vpfree/L.htm

a few hours of quarter action per day, and I doubt you'll ever have to pay for any rooms or food in Laughlin again.

for more info on the "old lady" VP and casino comps lifestyle, you can read the "Frugal Gambler" book series by Jean Scott, or visit www.frugalgambler.biz (http://www.frugalgambler.biz)

[Overdrive]

[ QUOTE ]
Is this a joke? There is actually books for beating a casino game that has a built-in edge?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, Cestpatrick you are a freaking moron.