I’ve borrowed the late Merle Haggard’s 1981 song title to describe a conversation video poker players have heard hundreds of times. It’s often expressed as an argument where the premises go something like the following:

1. Video poker pay schedules aren’t nearly as good as they used to be.
2. Casinos have slashed their slot club benefits.
3. Casinos do not offer promotions as lucrative as they used to.

From those premises, the conclusion usually becomes: Might as well hang it up. Video poker is simply not worth playing anymore.

It’s hard to argue with those premises. On average they are quite true. Occasionally a casino will add a looser-than-normal game for a while, (sometimes by mistake!), but the usual situation goes the other direction.

The thing is, I’ve been hearing this same argument for almost 30 years. And every time, players have been longing for the “Good Old Days.” But a number of video poker players continue to prosper. My entire video poker career has occurred after I first heard that the game isn’t very good anymore.

The argument is especially valid if they want to go to the same casinos they always have gone to, play the same game, and receive the same benefits. If they’ve been playing for more than a little while, that situation is basically impossible. 

Sportsbook players say that if you only have one out (i.e., one place to bet), you can’t win. The lines have enough built-in cushion, and the bookmakers are good enough, that a player won’t have the edge. To win in that game, you have to have a variety of outs where there are different odds at different places. The same is true in video poker. 

If you only know one game, and can’t or won’t learn another, you run out of options fast. If you know a variety of games, and are willing to play in a number of places, you can still find opportunities.

You might want to consider some or all of the following:

1. Visit other casinos than you’re used to. Out of town or out of state, if necessary. (For me, I play more coin-in outside of greater Las Vegas, where I live, than I do close to home.) 

2. Learn other gambling games. (For me, this has been advantage slots. Your mileage may vary.)

3. Increase and utilize your network of other successful gamblers. Nobody knows everything. If you have information that is useful to me, I might well have information that is useful to you. I’m not interested in a one-way sort of communication unless I’m getting paid well for it.

4. Consider changing stakes. Sometimes better games exist for higher or lower stakes than you normally play. Playing for lower stakes than you’re used to isn’t as exciting, but it can make sense. 

5. Consider non-gambling activities. I certainly am not doing all of the same things as I was ten years ago. Are you? There are myriads of things you could be doing. 

Finally, if it’s time to quit…quit. Not because somebody else thinks you should, but because you think you should. (Well, spouses can have a pretty big vote in these things.) At different times, I fancied myself as a backgammon player and as a blackjack player. I quit both of those because I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t going to be a financial success at either game. I’ve dabbled at sports betting and live poker and am convinced that they are not the games for me either. I’ve also quit various organizations through the years when I felt I had outgrown them, or they had outgrown me.

A quitting strategy actually makes sense. Decide what would have to happen for you to no longer be a profitable video poker player — and if and when those conditions arise, quit. Go do something else with your life.

I’ve recently written some more-complicated-than-normal (for me) articles concerning playing strategies. Today won’t be one of those!

One of my regular posters, Boris from Switzerland, posted (paraphrasing): “This is fine for the advanced players. Recreational players can use a phone app to get the same information. And they’ll probably get away with it.”

The reason I’ve never recommended this is because in Nevada and several other jurisdictions as well, using an electronic device to tell you how to play the hands is a felony. I’ve never heard of a player being arrested for this, but there’s always a first time. On Gambling with an Edge, attorney Bob Nersessian said several times that if a player were arrested for this, Nersessian would not be interested in defending him. “It’s against the law,” Nersessian said. “Don’t do it.”

It’s easy to make the argument that so many people use their cell phones for a variety of purposes in a casino, a player using a video poker app probably won’t be caught. And that’s true. You probably won’t be.

But what if you are? A small chance of being convicted for this is a LOT worse than no chance at all. When I started my video poker career, I did a number of things that weren’t completely on the up and up. I wrote about several of them in my Million Dollar Video Poker. So, I’m hardly in position to take the high moral ground on this.

But when I was starting, I believed I was a “nobody” gambler. I believed the worst a casino would do is to kick me out and say don’t come back. And it probably wouldn’t come to that. It was at least possible that I’d get off with just a warning.

I now am not in the same position. I am moderately famous in the gambling world, and a “fall from grace” today would be a lot more severe. Plus, I always assume, rightly or wrongly, that in casinos that do allow me to play, I have a much shorter rope than an unknown player would have. Receiving a warning instead of being prosecuted is much less likely for me today than it was 30 years ago.

Another factor that is true for me that isn’t universally true for other players is that I have the ability to figure out and master strategies, and I enjoy doing so. Thinking about, writing about, studying, and playing video poker occupies a much larger part of my waking hours, even after about 30 years of doing this, than these things occupy in the lives of most other players. 

Other players have enough responsibilities and chosen activities that they simply do not have the time and ability to do what I do.  

Legality and ability aside, it takes time to look up a hand. I like to play at 1,000 hands per hour or so, and getting out the app, turning it on, making sure you’re on the right game, and actually entering the five cards doesn’t happen instantaneously. Many players aren’t positive of the correct play but don’t want to slow down and take the time to look it up. If you have the game memorized, you don’t have these time delays.

So, I’m not going to commit this felony. I advise you not to. But I understand why the temptation to this might be strong for some players.

One of the hallmarks of the Dancer/Daily strategies, especially the advanced ones, is that they presume the player can follow simple logic. 

An example of what I’m talking about can be found in last week’s blog, when we discussed the strategy for holding a solitary A with a JT in the same hand in the game 9-5 Triple Bonus Poker Plus. When we discussed a straight penalty (sp) to the JT, we limited the discussion to a 7, 8, or 9 and didn’t include either a K or Q. 

In many contexts, both a K and a Q are indeed sps to JT, but in this particular case, if one of these cards were in the hand, it would create an AKJT or AQJT 4-card inside straight. These two combinations (listed as ST4 3h1i) are higher ranking than either holding the solitary A or JT, so if the inside straight combination were present, we would never get to the A versus JT decision. 

Daily and I assumed that understanding this sort of logic was part of the price of using advanced strategies. We included three easier strategies for each game so players could use the one they wanted. The advanced strategies yield better results, but it takes some work to master them.  

Liam W. Daily passed away a decade or so ago, so he is not involved in the current decisions of how to create strategies today. At the same time, I believe he and I together created a good methodology and I stick to it as much as I can. Today I’m discussing an addition to our methodology that I can’t know whether he’d agree with or not.

I want to discuss a strategy in the same game as I did last week, but this time it involves hands that include unsuited AQJ. The default play for the lesser three strategies is to hold QJ on these hands. The advanced strategy outlines the cases where you hold the solitary A.

Like last week, the A can have a flush penalty (fp)) — “or worse” — meaning a straight flush penalty (sfp — specifically a 5) or a straight flush kicker penalty (sfkp —specifically a 2, 3, or 4). These fps will be front and center in the strategy.

Likewise, the A can have straight penalties — either a 5 (a low straight penalty) or a 2, 3, or 4 (a kicker penalty). While the presence of one or more of these usually (not always) precludes the A from being chosen, I do not specifically mention them in the strategy. (You’ll see why not!)

For the unsuited QJ there can be no flush penalties simply because the two cards aren’t suited with each other. The relevant straight penalties are the 9 and 8, but not both in the same five cards. That would give us QJ98 which is explicitly listed (as ST4 2h1i) above both the A by itself and the unsuited QJ.

In the strategy, I break these hands down into three different parts — based on the number of the fps to the A.

1. The A has two or more fps or worse. In these hands, we always prefer QJ. (As we shall see later, it’s this category that is the whole reason for this column.)

2. The A has exactly one fp or worse. Here we hold the A if the other two cards are 97 or 96. A 9 is a more severe sp to the QJ than an 8 is (because the 9 interferes with KQJT9 and QJT98 straight while the 8 only interferes with the QJT98 straight.) After the 9 has been chosen, the reason it is limited to 97 and 96 is that these are the only ones not including a straight or straight flush penalty to the A. 

3. The A has no fp. Here we hold the A if the other two cards are an 87 or 86 or 9 anything. The 87 and 86 combinations avoid any straight penalties to the A, and the 9 is a strong enough straight penalty that one straight penalty or kicker penalty isn’t strong enough to change the play.

That’s the strategy in English — which is much too wordy to include in a strategy. Here is how I code it — never previously published and actually a work in progress as I’ve found reason to tweak this a little even in the process of writing this blog.

QJ (NEVER < A with two fp or worse)

(< A with exactly one fp or worse when 9p or 87 or 86)

(< A with no fp, when 97 or 96)

A

Here are some example hands. If you’ve mastered what I’ve said here, it should be easy for you.

1. A♥ Q♣ J♦ 8♣ 4♦
2. A♥ Q♣ J♦ 9♣ 4♦
3. A♠ Q♥ J♣ 9♠ 6♠ 
4. A♣ Q♦ J♠ 8♥ 6♣
5. A♦ Q♠ J♥ 8♣ 7♦
6. A♠ Q♥ J♣ 9♠ 8♠ 

Here are the answers:

1. QJ
2. A
3. QJ
4. QJ
5. QJ
6. QJ98

How did you do?

The leading impetus for today’s column is the strategy line of “(NEVER < A with two fp or worse).” So, what’s so unusual about that?

What’s unusual is that QJ > A is the default strategy. Advanced strategies generally only list the exceptions — namely the cases where QJ < A. So why did I include this line telling you to do the default?

Because of the next line — “(< A with exactly one fp or worse when 9p or 87 or 86).” This line includes the new phrase, to me, of “or worse.” Anybody else using this strategy might forget what I mean by fp or worse — namely fp or sfp or sfkp. If you weren’t exactly clear on the definition, you might easily conclude that two fps qualifies as “exactly one fp or worse.” Obviously two fps are worse than one, but I am not using “or worse” in that context.

And not just for you. I have a place where I play this game now, but it could easily go away for one of a variety of reasons. In that case, my strategy will stay in a computer folder until the next time I find that game and decide to play it. My memory isn’t what it used to be, and I might have forgotten what I meant by “fp or worse” way back in the summer of 23.So, I added the redundant line.

On July 24^th, we are celebrating International Self Care Day, chosen to emphasize to our global community that self-care is a cornerstone to overall wellness. As we continue to find out more and more just how important self-care is today, we learn that it is more than something we do for ourselves. By caring for our mental, physical, and emotional health, it not only helps us but the side effect can help promote healthy relationships. Part of this self-care conversation intertwines with someone who may have a gambling problem because of the stigma that goes along with it. This can weigh heavily on their self-worth and self-esteem and cause many problems for not only problem gamblers but can also affect up to 9 or 10 people around them. Keep reading to learn more about the link between problem gambling, health, and the stigma one feels in seeking out recovery resources, as well as helpful self-care tips.

The impacts of disordered gambling reach much farther than many people assume. Those who struggle with problem gambling are more likely to deal with stress-related conditions, including sleep deprivation, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension. [1] Additionally, problem gambling can take a toll on one’s mental health, as it can worsen or initiate depressive episodes and anxiety, as well as lead to substance use disorders. [2] This perceived stigma can cause internal strife and interfere with help-seeking efforts.

There are also social impacts, as compulsive gambling can strain relationships, lead to legal troubles, and threaten job security. [3] While these issues are not one-size-fits-all and those who struggle with problem gambling may experience a mix of these impacts, each highlights the importance of prioritizing self-care and taking proactive steps to protect health. 

One thing that might hold people back from taking care of themselves is the stigma attached to problem gambling and recovery. In general, people may not seek help for problem gambling in fear of judgment from others and being labeled a “problem gambler.” [4] There are also more gender-specific stigmas — for example, women are often viewed as caregivers, and struggling with problem gambling can be viewed as irresponsible and this shame prevents these women from admitting their struggle and getting the care they deserve. [5] For men, they fear the perceived embarrassment and shame that could come from seeking recovery resources. [6] In society, men are supposed to be strong and be able to stop or control themselves so it becomes self-perceived as failure. It’s important to remember that there is no shame in seeking help, and that the best favor anyone can do for themselves and their loved ones is to protect and promote self-care and wellness through problem gambling recovery. 

So, what does self-care actually look like? For those struggling with problem gambling, the first step to better self-care is seeking out Your One Sure Thing, 888-ADMIT-IT. You can call, text, or chat this 24/7, multilingual, and completely free HelpLine as it can help those who might have a problem with gambling and their loved ones take the first step to a better future. Additional tips for practicing self-care include:

• Getting regular exercise
• Eating healthy
• Prioritizing a good sleep cycle
• Trying a new hobby
• Participating in relaxing activities
• Goal setting
• Practicing gratitude
• Staying connected to community [7]

This International Self-Care Day is the perfect opportunity to take a positive step in the right direction. Taking care of one’s self, whether it’s through seeking recovery resources or one of the helpful tips above, is crucial when overcoming a problem gambling addiction and creating a life full of joy. 

1. Matheson, Flora I., et al. “The Use of Self-Management Strategies for Problem Gambling: A Scoping Review .” BioMed Central, 29 Apr. 2019, bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-6755-8.
2. Ibid
3. Ibid
4. Hing, Nerilee, et al. “Perceived Stigma and Self-Stigma of Problem Gambling …” Taylor & Francis Online, 15 Nov. 2015, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14459795.2015.1092566. 
5. “Female Gamblers and Mental Health.” Algamus, 12 May 2022, www.algamus.org/blog/female-gamblers-mental-health.
6. Baxter, Alison, et al. “Gender Differences in Felt Stigma and Barriers to Help-Seeking for Problem Gambling.” Addictive Behaviors Reports, 3 Nov. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5845950/#:~:text=Men%20are%20less%20likely%20to,lose%20an%20important%20social%20network.
7. “Caring for Your Mental Health.” National Institute of Mental Health, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health.

El 24 de julio, celebramos el Día Internacional del Autocuidado, elegido para subrayar ante nuestra comunidad global que el autocuidado es una piedra angular del bienestar general. A medida que continuamos descubriendo más y más cuán importante es el autocuidado hoy en día, aprendemos que es más que lo que hacemos por nosotros mismos. Cuidar nuestra salud mental, física y emocional no solo nos ayuda, sino que el efecto colateral puede ayudar a promover relaciones saludables. Parte de esta conversación del autocuidado se entrelaza con alguien que puede tener un problema con las apuestas debido al estigma que lo acompaña. Esto puede pesar mucho en su autoestima y causarles muchos problemas no solo a los apostadores problemáticos, sino que también puede afectar hasta a 9 o 10 personas a su alrededor. Siga leyendo para obtener más información sobre el vínculo entre el problema del juego, la salud y el estigma que uno siente al buscar recursos para la recuperación, así como consejos útiles de autocuidado.

Los efectos de las apuestas desordenadas llegan mucho más lejos de lo que muchas personas suponen. Quienes luchan contra las apuestas problemáticas tienen más probabilidades de lidiar con afecciones relacionadas con el estrés, lo que incluye la privación del sueño, las enfermedades cardiovasculares y la hipertensión. [1] Además, las apuestas problemáticas pueden pasarle factura a la salud mental de la persona, ya que puede empeorar o iniciar episodios depresivos y ansiedad, así como conducir a trastornos por uso de sustancias. [2] Este estigma percibido puede ocasionar conflictos internos e interferir con los esfuerzos para buscar ayuda.

También hay impactos sociales, ya que las apuestas compulsivas pueden tensar las relaciones, conducir a problemas legales y amenazar la seguridad laboral. [3] Si bien estos problemas no son generalizables, y quienes luchan contra las apuestas problemáticas pueden experimentar una combinación de estos efectos, cada uno de ellos destaca la importancia de priorizar el autocuidado y tomar medidas proactivas para proteger la salud. 

Una cosa que podría impedir que las personas se cuiden a sí mismas es el estigma asociado a las apuestas problemáticas y la recuperación. En general, las personas pueden no buscar ayuda para las apuestas problemáticas por temor a ser juzgadas por otros y verse etiquetadas como “apostadores problemáticos”. [4] También hay más estigmas específicos de cada género: por ejemplo, las mujeres a menudo son vistas como cuidadoras, y luchar contra las apuestas problemáticas puede verse como irresponsable y esta vergüenza impide que las mujeres admitan su lucha y obtengan la atención que merecen. [5] En el caso de los hombres, temen el bochorno percibido y la vergüenza que podrían provenir de la búsqueda de recursos de recuperación. [6] En la sociedad, se supone que los hombres son fuertes y capaces de detenerse o controlarse a ellos mismos, de modo que se convierte en un fracaso autopercibido. Es importante recordar que no representa una vergüenza buscar ayuda, y que el mejor favor que una persona puede hacerse a sí misma y a sus seres queridos es proteger y promover el autocuidado y el bienestar a través de la recuperación de las apuestas problemáticas. 

Entonces, ¿cómo es realmente el cuidado personal? Para quienes luchan contra las apuestas problemáticas, el primer paso para un mejor autocuidado es buscar a Your One Sure Thing, 888-ADMIT-IT. Puede llamar, enviar mensajes de texto o chatear en esta línea de ayuda multilingüe y completamente gratuita las 24 horas del día, 7 días a la semana, ya que puede ayudar a quienes podrían tener un problema con las apuestas y a sus seres queridos para que den el primer paso hacia un futuro mejor. Los consejos adicionales para practicar el autocuidado incluyen:

• Hacer ejercicio con regularidad
• Comer de modo saludable
• Darle prioridad a un buen ciclo de sueño
• Probar un nuevo pasatiempo
• Participar en actividades relajantes
• Establecer metas
• Practicar la gratitud
• Mantenerse vinculado a la comunidad [7]

Este Día Internacional del Autocuidado es la oportunidad perfecta para dar un paso positivo en la dirección correcta. Cuidarse a usted mismo, ya sea mediante la búsqueda de recursos de recuperación o aplicando uno de los consejos útiles anteriores, es crucial para superar un problema de adicción a las apuestas problemáticas y crear una vida llena de alegría. 

1. Matheson, Flora I., et al. “The Use of Self-Management Strategies for Problem Gambling: A Scoping Review .” BioMed Central, 29 de abril de 2019, bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-6755-8.
2. Ibid
3. Ibid
4. Hing, Nerilee, et al. “Perceived Stigma and Self-Stigma of Problem Gambling …” Taylor & Francis Online, 15 de noviembre de 2015, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14459795.2015.1092566.
5. “Female Gamblers and Mental Health.” Algamus, 12 de mayo de 2022, www.algamus.org/blog/female-gamblers-mental-health.
6. Baxter, Alison, et al. “Gender Differences in Felt Stigma and Barriers to Help-Seeking for Problem Gambling.” Addictive Behaviors Reports, 3 de noviembre de 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5845950/#:~:text=Men%20are%20less%20likely%20to,lose%20an%20important%20social%20network.
7. “Caring for Your Mental Health.” National Institute of Mental Health, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health.