Monthly Archives: March 2020

Just to the right of the main entrance of the Meadows Racetrack & Casino, dozens of Game King video poker machines line a wall and are grouped in nearby clusters.

They present options that could have been played when casino gaming first came to the Washington County harness track in 2007: single-line jacks or better, deuces wild, bonus poker, and the like.

Walk 100 feet past those, however, and patrons are playing versions never imagined when video poker machines were created in the 1970s. At Hot Roll Poker, Ultimate X Poker, Super Times Pay Poker, and others, players utilizing up to 10 hands at a time even 100 hands on one machine can get multipliers and bonuses that create all kinds of bigger opportunities for wins (and of course, losses, as those special features require a bigger investment per hand).

These new variations are part of a strategy that has grown video poker from about 6% of the machines at the Meadows a few years ago to 8% of the 2,500 on the floor today, said Benjamin Baugh, the casinos director of slot operations.

Our utilization at peak periods is very strong, and some of the highest utilizations are in video poker. Its something that seems to have gathered interest, he said. Theres now excitement from the multipliers, the different bonuses, and the progressives with multipliers This has really changed the player experience.

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Since its debut more than four decades ago and through various updates over time by primary manufacturer IGT, video poker has remained a niche interest for casino patrons who understand card strategy and view the slots as mindless. They may not cotton to the time and socialization required of live poker games, but they appreciate being dealt five cards and using math skills to assess the best ones to keep and throw away, all the while hoping in the back of their minds for that 1-in-40,000 royal flush to hit.

Bob Dancer, recognized as one of the foremost authorities on video poker, described video poker players on his blog as those who want to be behind the wheel of the car on a road trip, while slots players prefer to be passengers.

The best video poker players are bright, he wrote. Not necessarily genius, but at least average intelligence or better. Every hand may be played in 32 different ways one of which is uniquely best.

Some locals-oriented casinos in Las Vegas contain as many video poker offerings as slots, because regular customers in them are drawn to the machines that contain an element of skill and higher payback percentages than slots. That type of balance will likely never be the case in Pennsylvania, but the gaming operators know they need to keep video poker patrons in mind.

Demand is the biggest factor, said David Zerfing, general manager of the Valley Forge Casino Resort. At the end of the day, if customers want those types of machines, they will go somewhere else if you dont put it on the floor for them.

As a resort casino, restricted to 850 machines in total, Valley Forge is more limited in what it can offer and has to be laser-focused on what customers will play most, Zerfing said.

Video poker makes up about 5% of what the casino offers, and he said newer versions like Ultimate X and the rest allow for the kind of bonus wins and bigger payouts to which slots players are more accustomed.

The new variations still keep players involved in strategy affecting their outcome, however, which is the main difference from slots.

Theyre making decisions as opposed to just pushing a button, Zerfing said. The video poker player is a lot like a blackjack player. They like the analytics of the game and determining their fate. Its really a different type of player.

Pittsburghs Rivers Casino has about 220 video poker machines out of its total of 2,600, about 8% like the Meadows.

In one row of three machines there, a player in the middle would be playing the new Powerhouse Poker, where being dealt a winning hand to start (a high pair or better on the first five cards dealt) creates a new set of up to nine bonus hands to draw to on a screen above, some of them containing multipliers.

At the machine to the right, someone playing Super Draw 6 Card Poker receives a bonus sixth card along with other cards drawn, enabling special payouts for unusual hands such as three pairs or quads with a pair.

And on the left, someone playing Spin Poker which looks as much like a reel slot machine as a video poker device plays a dizzying array of nine hands from among configurations identified within three horizontal rows and five columns.

Those all are made by IGT, which keeps tweaking its portfolio of games offered to casinos while remaining aware that video poker players wont try just anything.

Video poker players tend to be more loyal to their preferred games and do not readily embrace change, said Darnell Johnson, IGTs director of product management, video poker. When IGT creates new video poker products, we take a very measured, research-based approach.

Thus, while adding games such as Hot Roll Poker, which brings a dice roll into play to determine multipliers on winning hands, Johnson said IGTs biggest video poker volume is from Game King machines, which can be found in almost every bar in North America that allows gaming, and from its Super Star Poker bundle that includes versions of Ultimate X Poker and Super Times Pay Poker on the same machine.

All of these themes have been in the field for many years and have developed a loyal following over that time, Johnson said.

Andre Barnabei, Rivers Casinos vice president of gaming, said the Pittsburgh property was once at only about 5% video poker before officials decided to increase it.

We did some research, met with guests and some video poker experts, and really dove in to expand our offerings, he said, which included adding 24 video poker units at the new sportsbook bar.

When casinos devote more space to video poker instead of slots, they have the potential for hurting their bottom line. In Pennsylvania, machines overall on gaming floors return about 90% of money wagered back to players, but video poker typically returns a far higher percentage than slots.

There are nothing like the machines in Las Vegas that might carry signs advertising nearly 100% payback, but a player in Pennsylvania understanding the basics of the game should net a return of 95% or more.

The higher payback percentage does affect decisions related to how much video poker to offer, and where to place it, said Sunil Mukul, director of casino operations at Mohegan Sun Pocono, which has 98 video poker options, about 5% of its machines.

A popular location for these types of games are certainly on bar-tops at casino bars, and otherwise, there is not a need to be overly strategic on the placement of video poker, as the average player of these games will seek them out.

Barnabei and Baugh said their casinos have certain video poker machines with a theoretical return up to 97-98%.

The casinos rely on the prospect that a video poker machine returning more to a player than the average slot machine can make up for that by being utilized at a higher rate.

If someone is playing video poker optimally, they have a better advantage, but they need to be accommodated, Barnabei said. You have a group of players who come here to play video poker who will not transition to anything else. Its an offering to people who might not come in otherwise.

The casinos research resulted in other considerations for them, Barnabei said. Its video poker is clustered away from the main casino activity, placed where there are fewer other customers passing through and the music is played more softly.

Based on feedback, video poker players enjoy more of a laid-back, quieter, less-volume-of-traffic-through-the-area type of space, Barnabei said. We try to put them in areas of the casino that are a little less energetic I would say it is a bit less social environment certainly than table games, and even slots.

It is not uncommon to see a video poker player engrossed in a game for hours, devoting more time to his or her machine than would be typical for a slots player. It does not mean, however, that theyre having a winning session.

There are various strategy tips available by websites such as wizardofodds.com and books from Bob Dancer and others, but like everything else in which youre playing against the casino, the odds are stacked against you.

Dancer, who teaches classes about the game in Las Vegas after spending part of his life trying make a living from it, wrote on his blog that despite everything he knows about finding the best games and playing them the best way, he loses two out of every three sessions.

In regular poker, good players will win most of the time. In video poker that wont happen, he advises.

The new versions, however, might at least add more interest to any losses along the way.

Photo by Shutterstock.com

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Modern Video Poker Is Dealing More Bonuses, Multipliers, And Other Innovations To Players - Penn Bets

Over the last fortnight, weve brought you a series of self-help guides to improving your life at the poker tables and away from it. Weve

We now come to a vital and often overlooked aspect of poker, namely what to wear when youre at the table. On the face of it, you might think, it sounds easy. You get up in the morning, you take a shower and throw on some clothes. Right? Wrong.

Here are five ways you improve your ability to wear clothes and have a positive effect on your poker game.

1. Plan your wardrobe

Your regular wardrobe may well include the latest trends. In fact, you could be so on trend, youre practically a hashtag. But unless your wardrobe includes clothes you put aside for poker events, then youre never fully dressed, smile or not.

Planning what to take with you for a poker tournament isnt easy. Less is more when it comes to options, especially with the cost of taking luggage already astronomical and on the rise rapidly. Generally speaking, take less jackets, shoes and external clothes such as hats and scarves than you think youll need. Instead of those bulky and often heavy items, take more lighter wear such as under garments and t-shirts that you can wear under other clothes.

2. Account for weather

Poker clothes should be put by not only for tournaments in your own country, but in foreign climes too. If youre based on London and playing in Morocco for a week in Marrakech, then your regular jeans and jumper combo isnt going to work when you step off the plane into oven-like heat. Likewise, a ventilated polo and khaki shorts might raise a few eyebrows as you breeze through a freezing Heathrow Airport upon your return.

Planning for weather may be a fools errand in the British Isles or Ireland, but in many other areas of the world, you can make more solid plans for what to wear. If the meteorologists suggest its going to be cold for a week in deepest Russia or be fairly sunny in The Bahamas during summer season. Dress accordingly when outside and youll enjoy the event a lot more.

3. Dress for the day

One thing many poker players make the mistake of doing is to dress for the first two hours of a long, arduous day at the felt. Ive personally lost count of the number of times that Ive seen a gentleman of what might be called several decades enter the cardroom at noon in a crisply-ironed, colourful dress shirt. Looking resplendent as the tournament director announces, shuffle up and deal, that same shirt after ten hours of live poker looks like a crisp packet thats been left in the sun.

Wearing something that will still feel comfortable in for 10-12 hours not only is good planning for the eventuality that you make it that far, but it is positive assertion that youll do so. We all know the power of positive declarations on our poker game thanks to the positivity projected by players such as Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth.

4. Comfort is everything

Wearing comfortable clothes is important for poker players. From trousers that allow you to sit without distraction for many hours to a top that you can store what you need at the table in were not thinking Mike Postle, just some music and a healthy snack what you wear at a poker table should be optimal at all times.

When youre thinking of what to wear at a poker table, think of the last time you made a bet then faced an all-in from a player you then folded to. What were they wearing? If you cant remember, it could well be because they looked so comfortable that it didnt even register. Be that comfortable.

5. Be yourself

While the previous four tips all focus on the ways you can tailor your apparel to suit your environment, other players and the length of time youll hopefully be playing poker, its important to remind yourself that individuality matters too.

While wearing comfortable clothes and centering your apparel around maintaining an optimal physical condition is advisable, retaining your own sense of style is important too. You always feel at your best in clothes you enjoy wearing, so while choosing clothes that reflect your personality or the table image you want to project is something worth considering.

There are loads of different places to buy poker-centric clothing, such as Bad Beat Clothing and Spreadshirt, both of whom ship most places at reasonable rates. Whoever you use to help you, we hope you look the business at the poker table and enjoy winning wearing whatever you feel comfortable wearing.

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Poker Hacks: What to wear - CalvinAyre.com

The call came out of the blue. Jennifer Ellis* had been rejected for personal independence payments (Pip) in October 2018 having scored zero points, despite struggling daily with bipolar type 2.

Ellis threw herself into the standard appeals process and waited for a tribunal date. But in February 2019, she got a call from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP): it had re-evaluated her situation and wanted to offer her 11 points.

Ellis describes it as a poker game: if she took the offer, she could bank the standard care rate but feared she would miss out on the higher award she needed. If she turned it down, she was told, she would go back down to zero points and have to risk it at a tribunal.

She was given five days to make a decision, and was not told she had a right to ask for legal advice. They were dangling a carrot. They said I might have to wait another six months for an appeal date, with no money. But [if I took it], Id get the money now, with back pay.

Ellis turned down the offer but said she was made to feel really uncomfortable doing so. It was like: Well, if you want to take your chances.

The stress of it triggered her condition, and she began to fixate on the calls, anxiously questioning her decision. Her mental health means she struggles in social situations and she began to panic about going to court. In my head, going to tribunal was the process I could have coped. But when you get a call, you think: Am I being stupid? It threw me totally.

After a week, Ellis relented: she called the DWP and took the offer. I just wanted it to stop, she said. I thought: I cant take this any more.

In one letter seen by the Guardian, Elliss assessor notes a number of concerns about her mental health including her chaotic thought process and difficulty making decisions but she was nonetheless contacted with the cold call without any support.

Ive attempted suicide many times, she said. Why would they put someone in a position thatll obviously distress them?

Ellis said she worries about other people getting these calls who are vulnerable to accepting a deal. This sort of stress can push people to their limits Theres no advice on whether this is normal, or what to do. You feel almost obliged to take it.

Months later, Ellis said she regretted accepting the offer. I wish they hadnt called me. Now Im stuck with the decision for two years.

* Name has been changed

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. Other international helplines can be found at http://www.befrienders.org.

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'It was like a poker game': on the receiving end of a DWP cold call - The Guardian

March 04, 2020Matthew Pitt

Thousands of online poker players stream their sessions using the popular streaming platform Twitch. Anyone can stream, but not everyone can produce high-quality entertainment and education while grinding cash games and tournaments.

GGPoker has an elite group of nine players who are collectively known as the GGStreamers. Between them, they hit the virtual felt every day, showcasing their skills, interacting with their legions of followers, and giving away tickets galore throughout the week.

Alias: EasterdamnzRepresenting: EuropeTwitch Channel: http://www.twitch.tv/easterdamnz

Michiel Van Elsacker is a Belgian poker pro who specializes in tournaments. While he only has a handful of live results to his name, Van Elsacker has dozens of five-figure prizes from his online tournament grind.

Earlier this year, Van Elsacker secured his largest online score, one worth more than $41,000. Tune in for regular streams from this talkative, fun MTT grinder.

Alias: KarlenchoRepresenting: EuropeTwitch Channel: http://www.twitch.tv/karlencho

Karlen Aladzjan shot to fame when he documented his $10 to $1,000 challenge. His progress was severely hindered by the Czech gaming laws and although Aladzjan came agonizingly close to winning his challenge, being only $60 away from his goal, he ultimately failed.

It wasnt all bad news because GGPoker loved the content hed created and offered him a sponsorship deal. Hes now in the middle of a $1K to $10K challenge. Check out Aladzjans channel to see where hes at with his latest venture.

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Alias: ShroomRepresenting: United KingdomTwitch Channel: http://www.twitch.tv/shroomtheriver

The UKs George Davidson has been grinding online poker seriously for almost 10 years and poker is in his blood. Davidsons Uncle Geoff has played live poker professionally since Davidson can remember.

Davidsons worked as a croupier, installed air conditioning, and even trained dogs as jobs, but now streams full time on Twitch. He mostly streams short-handed cash games around the NL100 mark, but he does take shots at higher stakes too.

Alias: KomodoDragonJesusRepresenting: CanadaTwitch Channel: http://www.twitch.tv/komododragonjesus

Darius Wajda, better-known as his awesome alias KomodoDragonJesus is another GGStreamer who specializes in cash games. He primarily plays NL200 but, like his teammate Davidson, does fire the odd shot now and again.

Wajda first started playing casually eight years ago while studying for a mechanical engineering degree. He switched to playing poker full time when he decided to leave his job in the aerospace industry.

Alias: JektissRepresenting: GermanyTwitch Channel: http://www.twitch.tv/jektiss

If the name Torsten Brinkmann rings a bell thats because he came from relative obscurity to finish second in the 2011 EPT Grand Final in Madrid for 900,000. He finished second to famed angle shooter Ivan Freitez.

Known as Jektiss, Brinkmann discovered poker 15 years ago while serving in the German army. He then turned a free $50 into a playable bankroll, before securing his massive EPT prize.

He switched his attention to online poker from 2014 and has basically grinded online ever since. Brinkmann switched from MTTs to cash games when many others were doing the opposite. The German wanted a lower variance way to make an income, but that doesnt mean he sits being a nit taking low variance lines. Quite the opposite is true.

Alias: ScrimRepresenting: EuropeTwitch Channel: http://www.twitch.tv/scrimitzu

Romanias Tudor Scrim Stefan didnt have the easiest starts in life. Growing up with parents who drank too much and were always arguing, Stefan dreamed of becoming a professional basketball player. A badly injured leg ended those hopes.

Stefan saw Tom durrrr Dwan talking about how he turned $50 into millions of dollars playing poker and the seed was planted.

Scrim gave it his best shot, pouring hours into studying and improving, eventually 24-tabling NL2 and making the average salary for Romanians. He was then scammed for the majority of his bankroll but knuckled down and got his grind back on.

His story, past and present, is one of struggling against demons while playing this amazing game.

READ: Qualify for the 2020 Irish Open

Alias: PokerbrahsRepresenting: EuropeTwitch Channel: http://www.twitch.tv/pokerbrahs

Scott Pokerbrahs Kenyon is a British grinder who now calls Amsterdam home. Kenyon works as a bar manager a couple of days per week and spends the rest of his time streaming his play at GGPoker on his popular Twitch channel.

Kenyon is living proof that you can achieve your goals and dreams in poker through hard work and sheer determination. It doesnt matter if you have to work a job and only play poker in your limited spare time. Keep grinding and good things can happen.

Be sure to check out Kenyons Twitch channel.

Alias: SamyBaemRepresenting: GermanyTwitch Channel: http://www.twitch.tv/samybaem

Christian SamyBaem Dressler is another GGStreamer who grinds online cash games. Dressler started his poker career playing $0.01/$0.02 stakes before progressing up the various levels up to $1/$2 where hes usually found these days.

Dressler also has a love of video games and was a pro gamer for a while before switching his talents to poker. If youre a fan of cash games with expert analysis thrown in, Dressler is for you.

Alias: JeffizdaRepresenting: GermanyTwitch Channel: http://www.twitch.tv/jeff

If you love video games and poker you need to check out Nils Boms. His Twitch channel had hundreds of videos and streams saved, the majority of which are from his passion for gaming, but there is also plenty of poker action in there.

Boms also plays casino games and slots regularly and streams those as well. He loves to gamble in all sorts of ways, making him perfect for viewers eager for action.

Take on the GGStreamers online at GGPoker and you may find yourself appearing on their Twitch streams! Imagine busting them live on air that'd be pretty cool.

Download GGPoker via PokerNews and you can receive a 200% up to $600 first deposit bonus.

All you need to do then is play cash games or tournaments to clear your bonus. It's released into your account in $10 increments and you have 90-days to clear the full amount. $10 is released for every 6,000 Fish Buffet Points, or for every $60 contributed to the cash game rake or tournament fees.

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Who Are the 'GGStreamers'? - PokerNews.com