Page 28 - September 2015 • Southern California Gaming Guide

PAGE 28
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
SEPTEMBER 2015
An Instantaneous Professional
A version of this article was originally published in 2008. As I’ve progressed in my video poker knowledge and experience, I answered some questions di erently. erefore, I’ve changed several things in the article.
Not long ago I received the following email from someone I didn’t know:
Mr. Dancer:
I recently inherited some money. I’ve decided to set $50,000 aside as a bankroll so I can play video poker professionally. What games should I play? Please be speci c. (signed) “Lucky Heir”
today didn’t exist a year ago and presumably won’t be around for long. Learning how to evaluate situations that arise is an art that must be developed. How do you intend to obtain this knowledge?
Finally, even after we’ve looked at a lot of the factors listed, there are still a number of ways to win at video poker. If you take ten winning gamblers, you’ll nd ten di erent “formulas for success.” ere will be a lot of overlap, to be sure, but every winner does it slightly di erently.
Looking at the way somebody else wins is useful, but don’t expect an exact map. Frequently, winning players have some unique talent that you don’t have, and never will. Although it’s not quite the same, if you read a book by Michael Jordan telling you everything he did to become a great player, you still won’t be able to dunk a basketball!
If you’re going to go ahead with this, I wish you good fortune. It’s a hard life, but one that’s rewarding if you can master it. Video poker has been great to me and the others who have gured it out. But it has also been an expensive hobby for others who haven’t learned it as well. Whether it’s good or bad for you is largely a product of how hard you’re willing to work at it.
Sincerely, Bob Dancer
As a follow-up to the letter, it’s now seven years after I sent it to “Ms. Heir” and I’ve not heard back from her. ere are a large number of reasons for that, but I’m guessing the most likely is that she doesn’t want to work as hard as I suggested she must. We are a nation that looks to quick xes — a “magic pill” to x whatever ails us. I don’t think such a pill exists for anybody when it comes to video poker.
Professional video poker player Bob Dancer’s radio show Gambling With An Edge, is on Thursday evenings 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Paci c Time on radio station 1230 am in Las Vegas online at klav1230am.com. Dancer’s products may be ordered at bobdancer.com or at 1-800-244-2224 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Paci c Time.
Dear Ms. Heir:
Congratulations on your windfall, but I’ll need a lot more information from you before I can hope to answer your question satisfactorily. If you want to meet with me for consultation (for which I will charge) we can work this out together, but there’s too much I don’t know about you to blindly send out recommendations.
Any successful coach starts out by evaluating the strengths and weakness of his team. Before I (or anyone else) can devise a winning strategy for you, we need to look at you, not the game.
First of all, are you already a winning video poker player? Most people aren’t. Just having a bankroll doesn’t mean you’re capable of winning. My guess is that one player in ten breaks even or better and possibly one player in fty or a hundred makes a decent living at the game. I assume you are not one of these players or you wouldn’t be writing to me for help. By the time you got that good, you’d know how to do it. If you’re starting from scratch, we can certainly detail a study program that will help you succeed, but winning requires a certain level of intelligence and aptitude going in, and a lot of study. Are you able and willing to do this?
Second, where do you plan to play? If you’re a local in Las Vegas, there are a number of pro table plays that I know and can tell you about. If you’re a local in Reno, Atlantic City, Biloxi, etc., I know fewer good plays. ere are good plays in each of those cities, but it takes a lot of local knowledge to learn about them. Figuring out which casinos send you good mailers for how much play, for example, is not something you learn overnight. If you are planning to travel to one of
these casino cities, how often will you go, and for what length of time?
ird, what games do you already know and what games do you like? If you insist, for example, that Jacks or Better is “too boring” or Deuces Wild is “too di cult,” then that will cut down on opportunities.
Fourth, what are you good at? I know players who can play fteen hours a day for three or four days running. I know other players who get bored or are physically uncomfortable after about two hours of play. Are you willing to drive around and play a little at several places, or do you want it all at the same place? Are you willing to travel to several di erent casino locations to nd good plays?
Fifth, how much scouting are you willing to do? Sometimes good plays come in the mail or are listed in the newspaper, but frequently good plays are only available to whoever stumbles across them. e people who scout the most are the ones who nd the most plays. And most times you go scouting, you won’t nd anything. Do you see this as a waste of time, or an investment that infrequently pays big dividends?
Sixth, generally speaking, how are you with money? Historically, have you usually been broke or have you almost always had some money in the bank? People who have been good savers in the past will be able to hold on to the $50,000 bankroll a lot longer than those who tend to spend whatever they have.
Seventh, winning at video poker is a moving target. Casinos are trying to make money and are constantly making adjustments, including changing the games, players clubs, and promotions. e best opportunities
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