I don't update this blog much because there's not really much to blog about locally... But I realize there are enough people that make regular trips to other places to gamble, so I wanted to pitch my Video Poker book here.
Video Poker Profits from the Ground Up is available in paperback from Amazon and on the Kindle eReader. I wrote my book with several goals in mind, some of which are:
1. Share my knowledge of how you can lose less and succeed more often at video poker... It is a skill game, but like all skill games luck is involved too, but can you name any game including a slot machine that the jackpot is only a 1 in 40,000 chance of hitting? Of course you can play 1 hand and hit it, or you can play 1 million hands and not hit it. But having proper play strategy and knowing how to read paytables helps ensure a larger chance of hitting a royal flush without having to pay heavily for it.
2. To promote knowledge of, and hopefully enhance the popularity of video poker. I won't say it is endangered, but a lot of casinos treat it like it is. I want to see a growing excitement and more competition in the video poker areas of gambling. Without competition you end up with bad paytables that are not at all profitable to play.
3. To give everyone a chance to see the appeal of video poker and help them understand the game better. All too often I hear "I don't play video poker because it is too complicated" and "I don't understand it". It probably ends up like this due to how simple it really is.
4. To dispel myths about the game. You cannot simply push buttons at random and get the same results. What you hold affects the outcome. If you throw away a good hand or otherwise miss an important play, the machine in no way will compensate you for your mistake. Except in the case of video pulltab based machines which aren't real video poker. If you can throw away a pat hand and a genie flies across the screen and gives it back to you in the same or different suit, then you are playing video pulltabs and nothing you do changes the outcome of the game. It is all for show in this instance.
So... If you would like to give video poker a try but aren't sure how or where to begin, my book is written with the beginner in mind, and it includes many strategy tables for many varieties of video poker. This allows you to practice perfect play and begin to get a feel for the difference strategy makes in a typical session.
I played video poker for years without realizing the potential it really had until I mastered the strategies for myself. The result is only about 1 in 10 sessions were break even or net losers. The other 9 times I profited. And you can always play with nickels and scale up if you want. As long as the paytables are the same it doesn't matter what denomination you are playing on as long as you have a sufficient bankroll for that size of machine.
I did my best to write everything from my years of experience playing the game profitably. Sure, not everyone can be winners, and you are wondering how can someone regularly profit at video poker. The thing of it is, if everyone played perfect strategy, casinos would make a lot less on video poker. I figure the average person is lucky to get 80 or 90% return on a full pay 99.54% jacks or better. You only get 99.54% over the long run of playing perfectly. Does that not beat the 80 to 90% return of slot machines? Every hand you miss playing properly adds to the casino's bottom line. And when people see you winning, they will want their turn to win and play the games you are playing but without the knowledge they will probably lose. But there are two different kinds of gambler. There is the "I would rather go to the casino than the movie theater, it's my entertainment" type person. Then you have the gambler who plays for profit, like me. I learned from watching other people who did it, and since it was something I could replicate for myself, I wrote the book hoping I could enable others to do this as well. I don't have any good video poker options close to home, so I took up writing and publishing. Which, is much to your good fortune.
I thank you for reading this post, and hope you will give my book a chance. I appreciate it, and I promise you it is well worth the investment. And if a casino you go to doesn't have video poker, ask them why not and tell them you want to see it there. If no one complains, nothing will get fixed!
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Sunday, June 26, 2011
A Guide to the Local Casinos
I live in North Idaho, and it gives me roughly a 1 to 2 hour drive to just about any of several casinos. Some are larger resort style establishments while others are smaller and while they don't have hotel rooms, they do offer fine dining. The goal is to provide a guide here that will keep you from making plans if you are in the area only to be disappointed when you get to the casino.
First, let me explain WHY I avoid gambling in Washington State...
http://www.wsgc.wa.gov/faq/tls_faq.asp
Need I say more?
In Washington State, the regulations allow a minimum return of 75%... The machines are also utilizing the Lottery Terminal System, otherwise known as central determination... VIDEO PULLTABS. This means that your video poker machine in Washington looks like a Video Poker machine, but it does not PLAY like a video poker machine. It means that your pays and plays are already determined by the system and that basically you are playing pull tabs with no way of knowing if the good pays and jackpots have already been payed for that batch of plays you are drawing out of. You are at the mercy of the casino. Trust me, lady luck is more merciful on random chance than with video pulltabs. They even admit that the bonus rounds give you the same results no matter WHAT choices you make! It is only for amusement only! How do you like that?!
So my friends, if you want good, random, honest gaming, and if you want Video Poker that will play like it is supposed to, i.e. 52 card deck dealt randomly... Idaho is where you want to be... Though Montana has legalized gambling and you will find machines in virtually every bar and gas station! Perhaps even restaraunts and truckstops too! But I do not know enough at this time to comment on the gaming regulations in Montana.
WASHINGTON:
Chewelah Casino:
Located on Highway 395 in between Colville and Spokane, it is home to a decent amount of machines, but is by no measure a huge casino. They have live dealt table games, including Texas Holdem, Blackjack, Roulette, Craps... There is a wide variety of machines to play, however, they are the video pulltab variety. Up until a few years ago, they ran old style coin operated machines, which saddened most of their customers who enjoyed playing with coins.
Their staff is the most friendly I have ever known of any place of business. Their hospitality gives you a feeling of welcome that none of the other casinos in the area come close to. They do serve Alcohol, but entry to the gaming floor is 18+. They have tended to stay open 24 hours on weekends but open only until 2AM on weekdays.
They have awesome food in the cafe, and the prices aren't very high when compared to most restaurants and even fast food joints, and the quality of the meals is so much greater. They also have an ice cream bar with many different flavors as well.
They have many games, though one seems to be unique to Chewelah, which would be "Paydirt"... They have many other games such as "One Red Cent" and "Petra", as well as "Orient Express", "Jade Monkey" and even a few poker machines which are quarters, deuces wild, and again, are not dealt randomly as per washington state regulations.
Food: 10/10
Friendliness: 10/10
Gaming Experience: 8/10
Convenience: 5/10 (They are kind of out of the way and not being open 24 hours a day gets in the way of plans, as well as no casino lodging on site.)
Northern Quest Casino:
Located off of Highway 2 going through Airway Heights near Spokane, Washington, by turning onto Hayford Road, you will see a massive Hotel. To the right of it sits the casino. I have been there just a few times, and couldn't figure out why their video poker machines worked so much like slot machines, that's when I did my research and asked questions only to find out that indeed the video poker was NOT actual video poker but rather video pulltab, and has caused me to move entirely to playing in Idaho.
They have a large variety of machines however, again, I stress that they are the video pull tab variety. They do have table games though, and seem to have quite a bit of food and drinking establishments. Their staff is not very friendly, but they do have a lot of machines to keep you playing for a long time. And their comps are pretty good, I mean the points on your player card add up very fast there.
Compared to Chewelah, Quest is a Behemoth, but in my opinion, you are trading a friendly playful environment for a rat race type atmosphere where almost no one wants to talk to you or make you feel welcome. Also, as per the regulations in washington, the games are not as they appear.
Also, the downer here is, you have to be 21+ to play here. That is a big negative in my book.
Food: Unrated
Friendliness: 2/10
Gaming Experience: 6/10
Convenience: 10/10 (They are accessible just off of Interstate 90, and everything you could possibly need and want access to is available 24 hours a day in Airway Heights, i.e. Walmart, Jack in the Box, etc, as opposed to being in a small town where everything rolls up and you have a long drive if you need something the casino doesn't offer)
IDAHO:
Coeur D' Alene Casino, "Worley":
This is quite possibly my favorite casino in the Northwest... It is HUGE, and there is no way to guess the number of machines. They also have worked on a HUGE expansion for the casino too... The Hotel rooms are awesome, and not too pricey, the coupons take a lot of the pain out of renting one. Swimming pool and hot tub access is provided when you rent a room.
The best thing about Idaho is, the random gaming. Video poker plays like it is supposed to, and things don't get much better than a good random game. However, there are no live cards in Idaho, so they have electronic blackjack and roulette, so yeah... I am not sure how much I trust them, but eh... If you like table games, go to washington. If you like slots and video poker, go to Idaho.
There is a food court, a buffet, and a cafe, as well as a bar where liquor is served. There are a large number of machines ranging from pennies to $10 and possibly higher. Progressive jackpots ranging from hundreds to millions as well! This place is awesome, not only does it have some of the older games that we cherish such as Texas Tea, but they have some of the newest games, such as Pony Express.
The staff is mostly friendly, much more so than Northern Quest, but still, I don't feel they are as friendly as the workers at Chewelah.
There are quite a few Video Poker machines available, ranging from nickels to $5 and $10 credits. And there are so many different slot machines that it would easily take a couple days for you to actually try each type of slot!
I would say the Coeur D' Alene casino is a little bigger than Northern Quest, and in my opinion, much nicer. The machines are more fairly regulated, and I have never gone and NOT won, it's just a matter of getting out while I am ahead.
Unlike some casinos I've been to, the non smoking area is quite large, and is actually placed in a spot where it makes it virtually impossible for the smoke from the smoking section to drift down into.
Bingo is also a featured event every Saturday and Sunday... There are HUGE payouts, up to $100,000!!!
I think this is easily the top destination you should pick if you are ever wanting to gamble in this area. Admissions are 18+ for the gaming floor.
Food: 9/10
Friendliness: 9/10
Gaming Experience: 10/10
Convenience: 10/10 (Everything you need is available most of the time, even a gas station next to the casino. If you are staying a while and there is something you can't find there, it's only about half an hour drive into Coeur D' Alene)
Kootenai River Inn:
Located in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, it's in one of the more scenic locations I've seen for a casino, and it sits along the banks of the Kootenai River. I've probably spent more time here than at any of the other casinos. It isn't huge, but it is bigger than Chewelah, but much much smaller than Quest or Worley.
There are nice hotel rooms, and an indoor pool and presumably a hot tub still... It's been changed since I last stayed the night there, so all my time since has been spent just going up for the day and playing.
There are maybe only a few hundred machines, but still, there is plenty of variety to keep you entertained, and a lot of the machines are multi denominations and consists of many of the classics like Texas Tea, Cleopatra, and some newer games too.
The machines seem to pay well at some times and pay badly at others, I suspect the smaller size of the establishment contributes to the more streaky nature of the gaming... You either do really really well, or really really poorly... But still, my worst day here is better than my best day playing at Northern Quest.
The casino is only maybe 45 minutes from the Canadian Border, so more often than not you will find quite a few Canadians playing here, and sometimes makes for interesting conversations. The people are for the most part friendly, though no where near as friendly as Chewelah or Worley.
There is a deli and a restaraunt with a decent menu though the prices are not so small... But there is everything from steaks to salmon and trout to more common stuff like hamburgers and fries. Alcohol is served on the floor, but the admission to the gaming areas is still 18+.
So if you feel like a scenic drive, and don't mind a smaller gaming experience with a decent chance at decent wins, then give it a try.
Food: 6/10
Friendliness 6/10
Gaming Experience: 7/10
Convenience: 6/10 (It is open 24 hours, but it is in a small enough town that it's a bit of an inconvenience to get there for some people.)
This concludes my first round of reviews... There is another casino I will be reviewing shortly, I just don't remember how to spell the name... I will edit this post and add to it soon as I get the info!
Thanks for reading! And Good Luck!
First, let me explain WHY I avoid gambling in Washington State...
http://www.wsgc.wa.gov/faq/tls_faq.asp
Need I say more?
In Washington State, the regulations allow a minimum return of 75%... The machines are also utilizing the Lottery Terminal System, otherwise known as central determination... VIDEO PULLTABS. This means that your video poker machine in Washington looks like a Video Poker machine, but it does not PLAY like a video poker machine. It means that your pays and plays are already determined by the system and that basically you are playing pull tabs with no way of knowing if the good pays and jackpots have already been payed for that batch of plays you are drawing out of. You are at the mercy of the casino. Trust me, lady luck is more merciful on random chance than with video pulltabs. They even admit that the bonus rounds give you the same results no matter WHAT choices you make! It is only for amusement only! How do you like that?!
So my friends, if you want good, random, honest gaming, and if you want Video Poker that will play like it is supposed to, i.e. 52 card deck dealt randomly... Idaho is where you want to be... Though Montana has legalized gambling and you will find machines in virtually every bar and gas station! Perhaps even restaraunts and truckstops too! But I do not know enough at this time to comment on the gaming regulations in Montana.
WASHINGTON:
Chewelah Casino:
Located on Highway 395 in between Colville and Spokane, it is home to a decent amount of machines, but is by no measure a huge casino. They have live dealt table games, including Texas Holdem, Blackjack, Roulette, Craps... There is a wide variety of machines to play, however, they are the video pulltab variety. Up until a few years ago, they ran old style coin operated machines, which saddened most of their customers who enjoyed playing with coins.
Their staff is the most friendly I have ever known of any place of business. Their hospitality gives you a feeling of welcome that none of the other casinos in the area come close to. They do serve Alcohol, but entry to the gaming floor is 18+. They have tended to stay open 24 hours on weekends but open only until 2AM on weekdays.
They have awesome food in the cafe, and the prices aren't very high when compared to most restaurants and even fast food joints, and the quality of the meals is so much greater. They also have an ice cream bar with many different flavors as well.
They have many games, though one seems to be unique to Chewelah, which would be "Paydirt"... They have many other games such as "One Red Cent" and "Petra", as well as "Orient Express", "Jade Monkey" and even a few poker machines which are quarters, deuces wild, and again, are not dealt randomly as per washington state regulations.
Food: 10/10
Friendliness: 10/10
Gaming Experience: 8/10
Convenience: 5/10 (They are kind of out of the way and not being open 24 hours a day gets in the way of plans, as well as no casino lodging on site.)
Northern Quest Casino:
Located off of Highway 2 going through Airway Heights near Spokane, Washington, by turning onto Hayford Road, you will see a massive Hotel. To the right of it sits the casino. I have been there just a few times, and couldn't figure out why their video poker machines worked so much like slot machines, that's when I did my research and asked questions only to find out that indeed the video poker was NOT actual video poker but rather video pulltab, and has caused me to move entirely to playing in Idaho.
They have a large variety of machines however, again, I stress that they are the video pull tab variety. They do have table games though, and seem to have quite a bit of food and drinking establishments. Their staff is not very friendly, but they do have a lot of machines to keep you playing for a long time. And their comps are pretty good, I mean the points on your player card add up very fast there.
Compared to Chewelah, Quest is a Behemoth, but in my opinion, you are trading a friendly playful environment for a rat race type atmosphere where almost no one wants to talk to you or make you feel welcome. Also, as per the regulations in washington, the games are not as they appear.
Also, the downer here is, you have to be 21+ to play here. That is a big negative in my book.
Food: Unrated
Friendliness: 2/10
Gaming Experience: 6/10
Convenience: 10/10 (They are accessible just off of Interstate 90, and everything you could possibly need and want access to is available 24 hours a day in Airway Heights, i.e. Walmart, Jack in the Box, etc, as opposed to being in a small town where everything rolls up and you have a long drive if you need something the casino doesn't offer)
IDAHO:
Coeur D' Alene Casino, "Worley":
This is quite possibly my favorite casino in the Northwest... It is HUGE, and there is no way to guess the number of machines. They also have worked on a HUGE expansion for the casino too... The Hotel rooms are awesome, and not too pricey, the coupons take a lot of the pain out of renting one. Swimming pool and hot tub access is provided when you rent a room.
The best thing about Idaho is, the random gaming. Video poker plays like it is supposed to, and things don't get much better than a good random game. However, there are no live cards in Idaho, so they have electronic blackjack and roulette, so yeah... I am not sure how much I trust them, but eh... If you like table games, go to washington. If you like slots and video poker, go to Idaho.
There is a food court, a buffet, and a cafe, as well as a bar where liquor is served. There are a large number of machines ranging from pennies to $10 and possibly higher. Progressive jackpots ranging from hundreds to millions as well! This place is awesome, not only does it have some of the older games that we cherish such as Texas Tea, but they have some of the newest games, such as Pony Express.
The staff is mostly friendly, much more so than Northern Quest, but still, I don't feel they are as friendly as the workers at Chewelah.
There are quite a few Video Poker machines available, ranging from nickels to $5 and $10 credits. And there are so many different slot machines that it would easily take a couple days for you to actually try each type of slot!
I would say the Coeur D' Alene casino is a little bigger than Northern Quest, and in my opinion, much nicer. The machines are more fairly regulated, and I have never gone and NOT won, it's just a matter of getting out while I am ahead.
Unlike some casinos I've been to, the non smoking area is quite large, and is actually placed in a spot where it makes it virtually impossible for the smoke from the smoking section to drift down into.
Bingo is also a featured event every Saturday and Sunday... There are HUGE payouts, up to $100,000!!!
I think this is easily the top destination you should pick if you are ever wanting to gamble in this area. Admissions are 18+ for the gaming floor.
Food: 9/10
Friendliness: 9/10
Gaming Experience: 10/10
Convenience: 10/10 (Everything you need is available most of the time, even a gas station next to the casino. If you are staying a while and there is something you can't find there, it's only about half an hour drive into Coeur D' Alene)
Kootenai River Inn:
Located in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, it's in one of the more scenic locations I've seen for a casino, and it sits along the banks of the Kootenai River. I've probably spent more time here than at any of the other casinos. It isn't huge, but it is bigger than Chewelah, but much much smaller than Quest or Worley.
There are nice hotel rooms, and an indoor pool and presumably a hot tub still... It's been changed since I last stayed the night there, so all my time since has been spent just going up for the day and playing.
There are maybe only a few hundred machines, but still, there is plenty of variety to keep you entertained, and a lot of the machines are multi denominations and consists of many of the classics like Texas Tea, Cleopatra, and some newer games too.
The machines seem to pay well at some times and pay badly at others, I suspect the smaller size of the establishment contributes to the more streaky nature of the gaming... You either do really really well, or really really poorly... But still, my worst day here is better than my best day playing at Northern Quest.
The casino is only maybe 45 minutes from the Canadian Border, so more often than not you will find quite a few Canadians playing here, and sometimes makes for interesting conversations. The people are for the most part friendly, though no where near as friendly as Chewelah or Worley.
There is a deli and a restaraunt with a decent menu though the prices are not so small... But there is everything from steaks to salmon and trout to more common stuff like hamburgers and fries. Alcohol is served on the floor, but the admission to the gaming areas is still 18+.
So if you feel like a scenic drive, and don't mind a smaller gaming experience with a decent chance at decent wins, then give it a try.
Food: 6/10
Friendliness 6/10
Gaming Experience: 7/10
Convenience: 6/10 (It is open 24 hours, but it is in a small enough town that it's a bit of an inconvenience to get there for some people.)
This concludes my first round of reviews... There is another casino I will be reviewing shortly, I just don't remember how to spell the name... I will edit this post and add to it soon as I get the info!
Thanks for reading! And Good Luck!
Welcome To The Pacific Northwest Casino Review Blog!!!
I regularly visit the casinos in Western Montana, Northern Idaho, and Eastern Washington... And it seems that with all the time I have put into being a customer at these establishments, I am well qualified to provide reviews of these casinos, as well as everything I've learned about the games that I can possibly share in the hopes of making your travel plans that much more fun, and allowing you to more easily decide which places are best suited to your needs.
Please check back regularly as I plan to keep adding material to this blog as fast as possible... There is a lot to be written about casinos and gambling, and it is my goal to make this as complete a blog as possible.
Good luck, happy gambling, and soon you will see my first official post. I think I am going to start by reviewing the casinos in my area and later expand with a post for each as to the amenities and attractions each has to offer.
Thanks for visiting!
Please check back regularly as I plan to keep adding material to this blog as fast as possible... There is a lot to be written about casinos and gambling, and it is my goal to make this as complete a blog as possible.
Good luck, happy gambling, and soon you will see my first official post. I think I am going to start by reviewing the casinos in my area and later expand with a post for each as to the amenities and attractions each has to offer.
Thanks for visiting!
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