The Slot Expert's Guide to Winning at Slots and Video Poker

You can hear me give my slot and video poker tips live on The Good Times Show, hosted by Rudi Schiffer with Frank Scoblete, which is broadcast live from Memphis on WHBQ over the air on 560AM and over the Internet on Yahoo! Broadcast on Saturday morning from 8-10 CT.

The expected loss formula tells how much you will lose, on the average, playing a game in a casino. If you look at this formula from the other side of the fence, that is, from the casino's point of view, it's called the expected win formula and it's how casinos pay for lights and air conditioning.

The expected loss formula is simply this: Your expected loss playing a game is the number of decisions per hour times the number of hours you play times your bet per decision times the house edge.

This series of tips deals with stretching your bankroll, that is, limiting your losses, by changing the variables in the formula.

This week, let's take another look at the last variable: the house edge.

All other things being equal, your bankroll will last longer when you play at the lowest house edge possible. For example, many casinos have a selection of video poker paytables in each denomination and you should play the highest-paying paytables. Slot players can look for machines that have their paybacks posted; these are usually among the highest-paying machines in the casino.

Note that I said that all other things are equal. Higher-denomination machines generally pay back more than lower-denomination machines, but you may not have sufficient bankroll to attack the higher-denomination machines. Sometimes, though, it is worthwhile moving up in denomination. That will be covered in next week's tip.

This week's bankroll-stretching tip: Play at the lowest house edge possible.

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

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