Every smart gambler wants to
know their odds of winning at whichever casino game they
are playing. If not, then the keno room would be just as
crowded as the blackjack tables. And not to be unfair to
keno, the fact remains that no matter what game you play,
despite differences in maximum jackpot sizes (a little
redemption for keno), the odds are almost always in the
favor of the House.
Even when an online casino game like
video poker is optimized with perfect strategy, and the
machine happens to be giving back the player a small
percentage fraction of advantage over the House, the
possibility that the player will leave the video
poker machine a loser is still likely. The reason being is
due to a phenomenon called "Gamblers Ruin". It is probable
you have not heard this term before, and to be honest, you
may only rarely hear it come up in conversation regarding
games that require in-depth strategy, such as that of
blackjack and video poker.
What "Gamblers Ruin" addresses
is the fact that in order for a player to reap the
percentage advantages over the House, they will need to
play for an indefinite, or rather, long period of time.
The reason being is so the probability of averages can be
established, which although could show up in only a few
hands, is more likely to make itself known over the long
run. And since you have a limited bankroll, you are taking
a chance as to whether or not your bankroll will last long
enough to reap advantage over the Casinos Edge.
Gamblers
Ruin is especially relevant in video poker, for 2% of a
players payout (in general) is due to the "elusive" Royal
Flush. Being hit every 40,000 hands on average, the Royal
Flush becomes a breaking point for gaining advantage over
the online casino. In other words, so long as you have not hit a
Royal Flush, the House still has advantage over you.
This
is precisely why you may want to consider using a video
poker calculator to gauge an approximation of your
winnings percentage in terms of how many hands you play.
Although this is by no means a definitive value, it serves
as a helpful tool in preparing you for what your bankroll
may look like after a session at an online casinos
video poker machines.
Calculators (many of which can be
freely accessed on the internet), require you to input
your initial bankroll and the point in which you are
willing to cease playing. Based on an estimate of
playing a certain amount of hands per minute (ten is a
good average, but may be a little high for new players
learning optimized strategy), the calculator will
configure your percentage of winnings based on your
initial bankroll and how many hands you play.
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