Ask The Slot Expert

Will the video poker strategies in Victory At Video Poker by Scoblete work with triple play machines as well as with a single play machine? Colorado has many triple play machines.

Also, is the first coin payout as important as the fifth coin payout in video poker? I have found many machines in Blackhawk, Co. pay 250 coins for a Royal Flush and 4,000 to 5,000 coins for a max bet Royal Flush. Does this type of a payout schedule lower the payback % of a 9/6 Jacks or Better machine as opposed to a 9/6 machine that pays 800 or more coins for A Royal Flush for the first coin? We always play the maximum bet when playing video poker. Your thoughts on these answers to these questions and any other suggestions on video poker in Colorado will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tony

Dear Tony:

The beauty of multi-hand video poker machines is that the strategy is the same as a single-hand machine with the same paytable.

When you get only 250 coins per coin played for a royal flush, the payback on 9/6 Jacks drops to 98.4%. When you play max coin to bump the royal up to 4000 coins or play a machine that gives you the full 800 coins per coin played on all coins, the payback is 99.5%.

If you have machines that pay 800 coins for a royal on the first coin, play these machines one coin at a time. There's no reason to play more than one coin. You're not buying any additional payback, so when you play more than one coin, you increase your risk but get nothing in return.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert, at slotexpert@home.com.

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