Video Poker Times™
Index of Back Issues
This newsletter has recently ceased publication, but individual back issues are available for order at $5.00 each (first-class US postage included). Or, consider purchasing All the Best of Video Poker Times, a collection of the most useful information from the newsletter over the years. Following are highlights of what has appeared in each issue of Video Poker Times. Orders totalling $25.00 or more may deduct 20% when ordering. Please e-mail Dan@OptimumPlay.com for additional information or to order back issues.

* Full pay versions of games marked with an asterisk may no longer be available.
Volume 1 (1993)
1.1 September/October, 1993
  • The Double Card (in Atlantic City)
  • Royal Court
    		• 1.2 November/December, 1993
  • Straight Flush Bonus Poker *
  • Three New Casinos (Luxor, Treasure Island and MGM Grand)
    • Volume 2 (1994)
    2.1 January/February, 1994
  • Volatility Index and Attractiveness Quotient
  • Joker Wild (Two Pair) at up to 102% *
    		• 2.2 March/April, 1994
  • Risk of Ruin and Bankroll Requirements
  • The Best Video Poker (survey highlights)

    • 2.3 May/June, 1994
    All American Poker at 100.7%±
    Summary on VI, AQ, risk and bankroll requirements

    		 2.4 July/August, 1994
  • Universal Bonus Poker *
  • Getting Food Comps
    • 2.5 September/October, 1994
  • Bally Double Pay Deuces Wild *
  • Are You a Professional or Recreational Player?
    		• 2.6 November/December, 1994
  • 2nd Chance Progressive *
  • Understanding the real Risk of Ruin
    • Volume 3 (1995)
    3.1 January/February, 1995
  • Loose Deuces at up to 101.6%
  • Deuces Are Wild!  (a quiz for advanced players)
    		• 3.2 March/April, 1995 (six pages)
  • Review of video poker computer software
  • Double Bonus Poker at 100.15%
    • 3.3 May/June, 1995
  • Flush Attack (individual) at 101.85% *
  • First Annual Best Video Poker contest
    		• 3.4 July/August, 1995
  • Double Bonus Poker multiple progressives
  • Results of Best Video Poker contest
    • 3.5 September/October, 1995
  • Evaluation of Risk in Video Poker
  • Don't Kill the Goose (editorial)
    		• 3.6 November/December, 1995
  • Sigma Double Double Jackpot at 101.22%± *
  • Practical Risk Evaluation; new AQ table
    • Volume 4 (1996)
    4.1 January/February, 1996
  • Deuces Deluxe at 100.4%±
  • Book review: LVA Guide to Slot Clubs
    		• 4.2 March/April, 1996
  • Real Risk of Ruin for Deuces Wild
  • Promotions Come and Go
    • 4.3 May/June, 1996
  • Tournament Play
  • Double Bonus Bingo Poker
    		• 4.4 July/August, 1996
  • Loose Deuces with 5-way progressive
  • New Slot Club News column
    • 4.5 September/October, 1996
  • Las Vegas Double Joker Wild at 100.6%
  • Tangible vs. Intangible Benefits
    		• 4.6 November/December, 1996
  • 9/7 Jacks-or-Better (at Stratosphere) at 100.65%+*
  • Strange Promotions Come and Go
    • Volume 5 (1997)
    5.1 January/February, 1997
    $1 Deuces Wild survey
  • Atlantic City Double Joker Wild at 99.9%±
    		• 5.2 March/April, 1997
  • Strategy changes for seq. royal on Double Double Jackpot
  • Best Video Poker in Middle America?
    • 5.3 May/June, 1997
  • Survey of video poker in Mississippi
  • Double Pay Deuces Wild (at El Cortez) at 100.9%
  • Results of third annual Best Video Poker contest
    		• 5.4 July/August, 1997
  • Survey of Soaring Eagle casino in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
  • Refined strategy for All American Poker at 100.71%
  • Strategy for Triple Poker (at the Fiesta) at 100.34% *
    • 5.5 September/October, 1997
  • Real Risk of Ruin for standard Double Bonus Poker
  • Enchanced Double Bonus Poker (up to 101%)
    		• 5.6 November/December, 1997
  • Journal of a Video Poker Pro
  • Real Risk of Ruin for Jacks-or-Better
  • Who Pays More Royals?
    • Volume 6 (1998)
    6.1 January/February, 1998
  • Survey of Pahrump, Nevada
  • Tournament play column
    		• 6.2 March/April, 1998
  • Tournament Play column
  • Double Double Bonus Poker
  • Deuces Wild Adjustments for $2000 Royal Flush
    • 6.3 May/June, 1998
  • Money Fever on Williams multi-game machines at 100.4%
  • "It's the Quality"
  • Best of Vas Vegas
    		• 6.4 July/August, 1998
  • Triple Play Video Poker
  • Five-Deck Frenzy
  • Feedback to the Tournament Director (part 1)
    • 6.5 September/October, 1998
  • The Best Place to Play Video Poker
  • Expected Return in Video Poker Tournaments
  • Tournament Play: Going for the Royals
    		• 6.6 November/December, 1998
  • Pick Five Poker
  • Feedback to the Tournament Director (part 2)
  • Sneak Peek Poker
    • Volume 7 (1999)
    7.1 January/February, 1999
  • Pickem Poker
  • More on Pick Five Poker
  • More on Sevens Wild
  • Volatility on Triple Play and Four Play machines
    		• 7.2 March/April, 1999
  • Testing a machine for "honesty" in an Indian casino
  • Atlantic City video poker update
  • A new formula for Risk of Ruin
    • 7.3 May/June, 1999
  • Odyssey Multi Play machines
  • An open letter to casino managers
  • Boom, a banking slot game
    		• 7.4 July/August, 1999
  • Big E video poker (new Williams game)
  • Double Diamond Mine (banking slot game)
  • Video Poker Playoff (Jacks-or-Better)
    • 7.5 September/October, 1999
  • Bankroll Requirements for many attractive games
  • Buccaneer Gold (banking slot game)
  • Doug Reul reports on Midwest opportunities
    		• 7.6 November/December, 1999
  • Ten Basic Rules of Gambling
  • Super Sevens (banking slot game)
  • What is Variance?
    • Volume 8 (2000)
    8.1 January/February, 2000
  • Top Ten Gambling Mistakes
  • Wheel of Fortune (banking slot game)
  • Calculating Risk of Ruin with an Excel Spreadsheet
    		• 8.2 March/April, 2000
  • Probability of a Winning Session
  • Risk of Ruin With Cash Rebates
  • Double Bonus Banking Slot Game
  • Does "Clumping" Affect the Payback?
  • Report on video poker in Biloxi, Mississippi
    • 8.3 May/June, 2000
  • Report on Detroit Area Casinos
  • Another Attractive Double Pay Deuces Wild
  • Long Run Expectations
  • Using the LVA Coupons for Vacation Village
    		• 8.4 July/August, 2000
  • Report on Chicago Area Casinos
  • Riddle of the Sphinx (banking slot game)
  • A Universal Spreadsheet for RoR and TSI (by Yuri Sorkin)
    • 8.5 September/October, 2000
  • How Long To Expected Profit?
  • Dispelling the Myths
  • Bankroll requirements, a simple approximation
  • NSUD (Not So Ugly Deuces at 99.7%) strategy
  • Testing Random Number Generators
  • Book review: Las Vegas Slot Clubs
  • New slot club column (PT's Mining Co.)
    		• 8.6 November/December, 2000
  • A Small Video Poker Oasis
  • Short Pay Games With Good Cash Back
  • Testing Random Number Generators
    • Volume 9 (2001)
    9.1 January/February, 2001
  • Book review: The Undeniable Truth About Video Poker
  • How Long Is The Long Run?
  • Video Poker in California, Indiana riverboats, Detroit
  • Slot Club News
    		• 9.2 March/April, 2001
  • Probability of Being a Winner
  • Quads After Quads Anomaly in Deuces Wild
  • Four-to-a-Royal Bonus at the Opera House
  • Comments on changes at the Fiesta
    • 9.3 May/June, 2001
  • Another Measure of "The Long Run"
  • Hopper Fills vs. Coinless Machines
  • The Doctrin of Video Poker
  • Fiesta Being "Stationized"
  • Good Nickel Plays
  • Recommendations for "On-line" casinos
    		• 9.4 July/August, 2001
  • Minimizing Risk of Ruin
  • 2 Strategies for All American Poker paying 50-for-1 for quads
  • Current Slot Clubs and Promotions
  • Hidden Hotel Charges (warning and avoidance)
  • Video Poker Encounters of the Strangest Kind
  • Internet Gambling Legalized (?) in Nevada
    • 9.5 September/October, 2001
  • Double Bonus Poker with 80-for-1 Straight Flush
  • Minimizing Risk of Ruin in Various Deuces Wild Games
  • Comments on double royal promotions
  • Should you or shouldn't you offer unsolicited advice?
  • What about those annoying W-2G's?
  • A major strike against internet gambling?
    		• 9.6 November/December, 2001
  • What about those annoying W-2G's? (two follow-ups)
  • Editorial about September 11
  • What is the significance of 11?
  • "Expert" advice on how the cards are dealt
  • Protect your slot points
  • Seasonal advice
    • Volume 10 (2002)
    10.1 January/February, 2002
  • Bankroll Fluctuations on Multi-Play Games
  • How to explain to friends and relatives that you have an advantage over the casino
  • The Palms casino grand opening
  • The Significance of 11 in the 9/11 attack
    		• 10.2 March/April, 2002
  • Is "Video Poker Times" Useful Only In Las Vegas?
  • Weekend bankrolls
  • Is a $250 Jackpot Taxable?
  • Be sure to report all of your gambling winnings
  • Keeping Good Video Poker Alive
  • The Gold Coast - Paradise or Wasteland?
    • 10.3 May/June, 2002
  • The "Law of Averages" (long discussion)
  • What a Recreational Player Should Expect
  • Beware of Coinless Machine Scams
  • Value of "Double on Second Royal in 24 Hours" promotions
    		• 10.4 July/August, 2002
  • Random Number Generators in VP Machines
  • Chances of a Royal With A Small Starting Bankroll
  • Response to an Undeniable Letter
  • Cost of Ignoring Inside Straight Draws
    • 10.5 September/October, 2002
  • Penalty Cards
  • Becoming a Professional VP Player
  • Overdue for a Jackpot?
    		• 10.6 November/December, 2002
  • Alternative Strategies for Progressive Jackpots
  • Doubling Up
  • News of the Weird
    • Volume 11 (2003)
    11.1 January/February, 2003
  • More on Doubling Up
  • Certainty Equivalence
  • "Million Dollar Video Poker" book review
    		• 11.2 March/April, 2003
  • ICoast casinos Go from First to Worst
  • More on using Certainty Equivalence
  • When to Quit?
    • 11.3 May/June, 2003
  • The Future of Gambling
  • How the Cards Are Dealt
  • Trump Marina Cutbacks
  • The Standard Deviation
    		• 11.4 July/August, 2003
  • Multi-Strike Poker
  • Stratgey for Multi-Strike 10/7 Double Bonus Poker
  • Calculating Mins, Maxs, and Zero Crossings of SD Curves
  • What Killed the Tuscany Golden Goose?
    • 11.5 September/October, 2003
  • Poorest Video Poker in Town?
  • Stratgey for Multi-Strike full-Pay Deuces Wild
  • Compendium of Interesting Questions and Dan's Best Answers
    		• 11.6 November/December, 2003
  • Developer's Response to "Poorest Video Poker in Town?"
  • Anything Wild — Another Machine to Avoid
  • Another Promotion Backfires
  • Whence Royals?
    • Volume 12 (2004)
    12.1 January/February, 2004
  • Is "Gaming" in Trouble?
  • What Is a Pro?
  • "More Frugal Gambling" book review
  • More Suggestions for Casino Managers
    		• 12.2 March/April, 2004
  • "Powerful Profits from Video Poker" book review
  • The Attractiveness Index
  • News of the Weird
    • 12.3 May/June, 2004
  • More on Double Up (lengthy article)
  • Follow-up on the Attractiveness Index
  • Harrah's Horseshoe
    		• 12.4 July/August, 2004
  • It Pays to Pay Close Attention to Paytables
  • Programmed Near Misses
  • Questions & Answers
    • 12.5 September/October, 2004
  • The Las Vegas Monorail review
  • Giant Casino Groups
  • Anti-Trust Regulators Just Don't Get It
  • A Common Assertion
    		• 12.6 November/December, 2004
  • "Commandments" for Winning in Video Poker
  • Same-Rank Anomaly Revisited
  • A New Dbl Dbl Jackpot Type of Game
  • A New Indian Casino Game
    • Volume 13 (2005)
    13.1 January/February, 2005
    The Right Questions (To Ask Regulators)
  • Analyzing a Strange Game (How-to)
  • Announcing "Optimum Video Poker Software"
  • Keeping Track of Wins and Losses
    		• 13.2 March/April, 2005)
  • Minimum and Maximum Slot and VP Payback
  • Another Strange Promotion
  • The Value of a Coupon
    • 13.3 May/June, 2005
  • Player Beware (of Strange Machines)
  • Random vs. Honest
  • A Worthwhile Promotion
    Cost of a Royal
    		• 13.4 July/August, 2005
  • Another Tournament Tactic
  • Paradise Lost (Can it be regained?)
  • When To Move (or Quit)
  • Strategy vs. Tactics
    		•
    13.5 September/October, 2005
  • Trip Report
  • Analyzing Keno Progressive Jackpots
  • Be Aware of Your Surroundings
    		• 13.6 November/December, 2005
  • Bankroll Requirements for Progressives
  • Teaching Quiz, # 1
  • More on Anomalies
    • Volume 14 (2006)
    14.1 January/February, 2006
    Trip or Session Bankrolls
    Teaching Quiz, # 2
    Optimum Play vs. Penalty Cards
    Risk of Ruin Before Royal Formula
    One Strategy Or Several?    		 14.2 March/April, 2006
  • Risk of Ruin Before Royal
  • Teaching Quiz, # 3
  • Random Number Generators
  • Is Variance A Good Gauge of RoR?
    • 14.3 May/June, 2006
    Book Review - The Video Poker Edge
    Teaching Quiz, # 4
    10/7 Double Bonus vs. FPDW    		 14.4 July/August, 2006
  • Risk of Ruin on Multi-Play Machines
  • Teaching Quiz, # 5
    • 14.5 September/October, 2006
  • The Nine Ages of Slots and Video Poker
    More on RoR on Multi-Play Machines
    What To Maximize? (A poem)
    		• 14.6 November/December, 2006
  • How Slot Teams Worked
  • Teaching Quiz, # 6
  • Book Review - Frugal Video Poker
  • Why Did I Move Away From Las Vegas?
  • Full House Frenzy