Contest Strategy

[stewfed]

Do you adjust basic video poker strategy to win contests? What adjustments do you make for double bonus poker? What is the best video poker game to play to win contests?

[alpax]

I just think the only way to win these contests is when you are dealt a Royal Flush or A.W.A.K

Odds for dealt RF about 1 in 649,740
Odds for a dealt AWAK about 1 in 208,000

Play enough of these contests and one of those monster hands will be dealt to you in 50 or 100 play.

[pokerforme]

And even then it may not be enough to win. Luck is a huge part of winning one of these contests.

[Minn. Fatz]

In an earlier topic I laid out an "endgame" strategy assuming you were 4000 or 2000 off the lead in a single-line game, like the current monthly contests. That was for TDB, which isn't offered this month, but it gives you some idea.

alpax is correct about multi-line games; you pretty much need a dealt RF or AWAK to win or finish in the top few anyway. imo the best strategy in that case is to play for the best expected return in the hopes that you'll wind up with more points in the session than players who are aggressively chasing the big hands.

For the monthly I'm playing DDB, holding A alone from A and one or two other high cards without a Ten, breaking a FH with As over kickers to go for the case A/holding a kicker with three Aces for the same reason, but holding a suited A-high card as the RF is the only hand worth 4K. I like to be able to draw to the big hands to score big as well as having them dealt to me.

In non-contest single-line I play Royal Aces; just filled a trip-Ace draw the other day to make my 8th achievement so only have to play something under 1,000 hands a day to make the 7-star level.

Good mathematics.

[Vman96]

If it's offered, TDB every time. Good luck!

[BigPinni13]

good discussion!

[Galeygoo]

Main Ingredient:        Luck
Added Ingredients:    More Luck    ....imo

[herlrod49]

[herlrod49]

Great discussion and input.  Have been playing for a few years and thought I had a pretty good strategy, but there's always another angle in competition, which is new to me.

[slang]

I agree. You just have to be lucky enough to be dealt it. I play strategy until the luck happens.