Your Video Poker Bankroll - Pay Tables and Variance

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Your Video Poker Bankroll – Pay Tables and Variance could be essential to playing Video Poker. Consider how well you play, the games available (and their paytables), and the denominations. That determines your bankroll. Whether you are a severe player or one who plays socially, this article will open your eyes.

What is Bankroll?

It is the amount of money an individual has to gamble with. A player’s bankroll should be only what the player can afford or has saved. Furthermore, it’s essential to keep your bankroll separate from other accounts. It cannot be part of any money required for everyday living expenses.

How Much of A Bankroll Should I Bring?

This depends on the game you are playing and the denomination of that game. Simply put, a rule of thumb for video poker is three to four times the amount of a royal flush on your game. Here is how you can do it.

For example, if you plan to play a 25-cent Jacks or Better game (classic game, not a progressive) where the royal flush pays 4,000 credits (which comes to $1,000), you need three to four times that amount, $3,000 to $4,000. Any serious video poker player should use this long-term rule to stay in the game and reduce any long-term losses.

How Much Should Your Bankroll Be When Taking a Trip?

Here is how to figure out Your Video Poker Bankroll for a three-day casino trip. First, try figuring out how many hands you play accurately in a minute. Then, multiply by 60, and you have the number of accurate hands per hour at max bet. The average player plays 500 hands per hour, but many play faster. Remember, accuracy is more important than speed. Now follow the math:

Four hours per day X 500 hands per hour is 2000 hands per day. So at the max bet of $1.25 per hand, you need $2500 per day or $7500 for your total visit. Higher than you might have thought. But wait, there’s more……

And That’s for Any Video Poker Game?

NO! The previous example was for 9/6 Jacks or Better, the most accessible video poker game. It also used its best odds, which have the slightest Variance. Unfortunately, Variance is one of the things that makes a big difference in the short term and dramatically influences your bankroll. Variance is a mathematical reference to the game’s volatility – those long winning and losing streaks.

For example, two games, 9/6 JOB (Jacks or Better) and 10/6 DDB (Double Double Bonus), have a payout expectancy of above 99%. The plus between the two is that DDB has much higher paying four-of-a-kinds (yahoo!) but only pays 1:1 instead of 2:1 on two pairs.

Comparing the two games, you will find that JOB 9/6 will offer a long run of smaller pay that keeps you going, while the DDB 10/6 will be much harder on your bankroll without hitting any of the four-a-kind. This difference is what Variance is all about. The volatility increases as the pay tables numbers decrease. Therefore, 6/5 JOB has a higher variance than 9/6 JOB.

What Does This Have to Do with Bankroll?

The example above uses two games that are hard to find – especially at the quarter level. Every time a number is lowered in the payout table, expect a 1% lower payout change. 9/6 JOB = 99+%, 8/5 JOB = 97+%. Thus the worse the payout, the higher the Variance

The lower the paytable, the increase in volatility. Most casinos offer 8/5 as the highest JOB paytable, 8/5 or 9/5 DDB. Remember that 3-day trip at 9/6 JOB with an expected bankroll of $2000? You’ll need more to increase your chances of bringing money home, never mind playing for four hours a day. Please note that this is just for playing single-line VideoPoker.