TIP OF THE MONTH

TIP OF THE MONTH
Video poker
What seems a relatively insignificant difference in video poker pay tables can have a huge impact on a gambler's wallet.For instance, in the typical jacks-or-better video poker game, a pay table that returns nine coins for a full house and six for a flush (a so-called 9-6 machine) will return more than 99.5 percent of the player's money, assuming the bettor uses basic strategy for optimal results.The more common 8-5 machines (eight coins for the full house and five for the flush) return about 97.3 percent, also assuming basic strategy play. That difference means that the player on the 8-5 machine will lose, on average, five to six times as much money as the 9-6 machine player.Some poker machines pay a dreadful 6 and 5 coins for a full house and flush, respectively, and take a player's money 10 times as fast as a 9-6 machine.