There is no magic wand, but if you are willing to forget the silly myths about "hot" machines and "money management," and instead rely on mathematically sound strategies, then YOU CAN be a winner at video poker.

This has been proven in the casinos by professional players who make a living doing nothing but playing video poker, as well as by hundreds of serious players who supplement their income with modest video poker winnings, and many thousands of recreational players who make their vacations more enjoyable by playing at an advantage while earning complimentary meals and lodging.

And I don't mean just an occasional win. That happens in nearly all games. The casinos structure all games so that there is an occasional big winner for the publicity value, but in nearly all casino games the odds are against anyone being ahead in the long run. One of the few exceptions to that rule is video poker, where it is possible for anyone, yes even you, to gain an edge over the casino.

I'm not talking about some system to beat the odds. I'm talking about gaining a real mathematical advantage, making you a favorite to come out ahead in the long run after many playing sessions. No tricks, no gimmicks, no grandiose claims, no looking for "hot" machines, no "system" and no cheating. Just intelligent play to gain a small but real edge over the house on certain games that are widely available in Nevada and some other gaming areas. And even if you decide to play where positive expectancy games are not available, my optimized strategies will minimize the house edge and give you the best chance of a winning session.

I have been playing video poker since 1989, and I have been analyzing and writing about the various games since 1991. Extensive computer analysis by myself and others knowledgeable in probability and statistics has shown that any player can gain a consistent edge, simply by selecting beatable games (which are easily identified by the payoff table), and following my rules to hold the best cards for each play.

Often the best play is not intuitive. Should you draw to an inside straight? (Yes, in some games, but not in others.) Should you hold two pair? (Yes in most games, but in Deuces Wild you should hold just one pair.) Should you hold two small suited cards with an Ace in Double Bonus Poker? (Yes.) Surprised? There are many such situations where most players miss the best play, which is why the state-wide average casino hold on video poker is 2% more than it would be if everyone played perfect strategy.

Whether you want to become a professional video poker player or just want to have a decent chance of winning while having fun and earning comps, then look no further. These publications will fulfill your needs.

Gaining a real advantage over the casino is not as hard as it may sound. If this is your first serious excursion into video poker, you should start with the best-selling book, VideoPoker — Optimum Play. In it, accurate strategies for several of the games, including Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild and Joker Wild, have been reduced to about a dozen easy-to-learn Precision Play^TM rules with no significant loss in expectation.

Every serious player, whether professional or recreational, should also own All the Best of Video Poker Times, a collection of the most useful information from the now out-of-print newsletter Video Poker Times.

Is a book or newsletter too bulky to carry with you and use during play? For your actual casino excursion, you should consider my highly optimized Cue Cards. Laminated, shirt pocket size strategy cards are available for 18 of the most attractive games, plus certain variations on some of those games.

Do you want to be able to analyze the games yourself, and to practice and hone your skills at home? Then you should get our video poker analysis and trainer program, Optimum Video Poker. Available for both Windows and Macintosh.

Do you want to be able to generate accurate strategy tables on your own computer? TomSki's Video Poker Strategy Master will do just that for most games in less than a minute. Available for both Windows and Macintosh.

Do you like to read about weird plays, strange types of players, anomalies reportedly seen in the games, and other unusual things related to video poker? Then you'll love my little booklet, Video Poker Anomalies and Anecdotes.

Please note that I am not saying that you can beat any video poker game. Only a few types of games offer over 100% return, but it is easy to learn to recognize those games. Also, I am not saying that you will be a winner every playing session. On average, I lose in about two out of three sessions, but the losses are small enough and the wins big enough to put me ahead in the long run.