The thing that separates Bodog from the rest is its customer support. Many other online gaming companies outsource their support. It can be difficult getting a response from them, and if you do it is often slow and handled by somebody with little understanding of gambling or even of English. But Bodog's support is handled by Bodog, and their support staff is actually knowledgeable and helpful.
I'm so confident that you'll have a good experience with Bodog that if you have a problem getting paid and you can't resolve it with them on your own, I'll talk to them myself. I personally have known the Bodog management for about three years and always found them to be professional, friendly, and knowledgeable. I have also personally visited one of their call centers so I could see first-hand how they handle customer issues. (More on my mediation service.)
If you have a problem with any other casino besides Bodog, I can't help you. I get complaints from players of other online casinos every day who have difficulty getting paid. However that isn't my job nor my problem. If you play at Bodog after clicking through my site I'll stand behind you 100%. Any place else and you're on your own. (Visit Bodog)
Try free Jacks or Better at Bodog. One click and you're in:
No popups, no download, no registration, no B.S., just the game.
No download, no registration, no popups, no B.S., just the game. One click and you're in.
Video poker made its entry to the casino in the seventies and is today one of the most popular forms of gambling. For
the player who likes a game of skill, a low house edge, the possibility of large wins, and the anonymity of playing
alone there is nothing else that can compare to video poker. The rules of video poker are simple; you play 1 to 5 coins,
the machine give you five cards, you choose which to hold and which to discard, the machine replaces your discards and
pays you off according to the value of your hand.
The serious player can find opportunities with a player advantage. As in any form of gambling, if attaining an
advantage were easy then everybody would be doing it. It is a volatile game where the ups and downs in the short term
require a strong stomach and a big bankroll. There are numerous variations of the game and each one requires its
own strategy. The successful player must know what the best pay tables are for each game, where to find them, and how to
play them.
The number of variations of video poker is constantly increasing. Wild cards have been introduced, some games
feature multiple decks, bonuses for certain four of a kinds are common, and payoff tables can vary from one machine to
another. To have an edge the player must play correct or near-correct strategy appropriate to their game and payoff
table. The player who picks a machine at random and plays by common sense is going to lose over the long run. Serious
players trust in strategy that is the product of computer analysis and make the best play near or at 100% of the time.
In general the more complicated and long a strategy is the closer to 100% accuracy it will come. Serious players also
don't just play any machine but are diligent about researching and finding ones that have the most generous payoff tables.
Playing Strategy
A book the size of the yellow pages could be writen about
video poker strategy. Due to the numerous different games,
different pay tables, and levels of complexity in the
strategy it would be a neverending task to try to cover the
topic completely. I offer three video poker strategies as
follows.
The following Java games are available to play for fun. Jacks or
better and deuces wild have an advice feature and will
correct you when you make an error.
Always play the maximum coins. I have never seen a
machine that didn't offer a bonus on the highest hand for
five coins played. If you are uncomfortable playing five
coins then drop down to a lower coinage.
The cards are chosen at random and the games are fair. There is no
switch inside the machine that can make the machine loose
or tight. Do not be fooled by Pull tabs which are not real video poker games.
A royal flush can come along at any time with equal
probability. A machine is never "overdue" in the sense
that it become more likely to hit. Theories such as that
a machine will get very tight right before hitting a
royal are simply not true. Given no change in strategy a
royal is just as likely to be hit right after the last
one as a million trials since the last one.
Always use a slot club card if there is one, and there usually is. This is free money for playing and can
often make the difference in having an edge or not.
When you put your slot club card in make sure the game can read it. Every few minutes check to ensure the connection isn't lost.
Do research on where the most generous machines are. The best source in my opinion is VP insider, a subscription based site costing $65 for the first year of $20 for a three-month trial. The best free source in my opinion is VP Free.
Some games offer a double-up feature. This, and the odds in craps, are the only bets you can make with no house edge. Whether you make the double-up bet should depend on your reason for playing. If you want low volatility, with long "time on device", you should decline it. If you are playing a 100%+ game, you should decline it. If you want high volatility, you should accept it. If you want to maximize return, including money bet on the double, then you should accept it. If you should take, up to what point, you may ask? That is something you can decide for yourself, according to how much you value risk vs. reward.
Tipping in video poker, as well as all electronic games, is a matter of much debate. I think a good rule of thumb is to tip 0.5% to 1.0% on any jackpot requiring a hand pay. The smaller the jackpot, the larger the percentage. An exception can be made for games in which you get hand pays frequently, like $5 10-play. In this case, tipping on just big wins, or at the end of the session is acceptable. If you lost badly, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't tip.
Video Poker in Macau
For a detailed explanation of the video poker scene in Macau, please visit my companion site, Wizard of Macau.
Video Poker: Strategy, house edge, and more