Poker Winner Blog

Playing an unknown or short-pay game: Most players pay little attention to the payoff schedule. We often see someone playing a short-pay game while a full-pay machine sits idle nearby. Avoid any game that does not match the payoff schedule shown with a published strategy.

Holding too many cards: The most common playing error is holding a useless card (a kicker). In live draw poker, you can occasionally hold a kicker. For example, holding an ace along with a pair gives the possibility of making aces up, which is a pretty good hand in draw poker, and it has the deceptive value of making some opponents think you have trips. In video poker, two pair pays the same regardless of the ranks, and deception is futile. Holding that kicker merely reduces your chances of making three-of-a-kind or four-of-a-kind. Just remember that every card held means one less chance of catching a desirable card. Some people just refuse to draw five new cards, yet a significant part of your payback comes from those five card redraws.

Playing with money you can’t afford to lose: This is a symptom of compulsive behavior, and the dangers apply to all forms of gambling. If losing that next bet means that you won’t be able to pay the rent, then you are doomed to lose. All intelligent gamblers take risk of ruin into account. Each bet should be only a very small percentage of your gaming bankroll. If you don’t have some discretionary funds that are not needed for necessities, then you shouldn’t be gambling at all.

Playing hunches: Many players think that they see patterns in the cards, but human nature may coax us in the direction of seeing order in chaos, much as we see faces in the clouds. The machines are random, and hunches cost you money by leading you to deviate from the correct strategy.

Following “tips” instead of a real strategy: Many general gambling books and other publications offer brief guidelines written by someone who may be an expert at other forms of gambling, but not video poker. Most of these sources contain some serious errors and misconceptions. Use a real strategy from an acknowledged authority on the subject.

Not optimizing your play: Your expected gain obviously will be reduced by using too simplified a strategy (or foregoing a strategy altogether). What many serious players don’t understand is that it may also be reduced by attempting to use a strategy that is too highly detailed. If a strategy is too complex for you to memorize, it slows your play and leads to unintentional deviations. Optimum play means using an accurate strategy that is simplified just enough for fast action without deviations, but without significant loss of expected payback. The best goal is to maximize your expected hourly win rate without overplaying your bankroll.

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