Triple & 5 Play Quarter Machines
Written by Jack Jones
If you are new to video poker then most likely you tried learning the game on singlehand, 5 coin machines. Today however the casinos are putting in more and more quarter video poker machines and many patrons are moving towards the popular Triple Play, Five Play, or even Ten Play quarter machines.
These machines may be popular, but they can be bankroll cleaners. A quarter Triple play, if you play the maximum number of coins on each hand, leaves 15 coins, or $3.75 at stake each time. On quarter Five Play machines you are risking 25 coins or $6.25, which leaves the Ten Play machine and the 50 coins, or $12.50 at stake with each spin.
That’s a lot of cash to be throwing around and if you hit any kind of dry spot then your bankroll will dry up faster than water in the desert.
Here is what we think about Triple and Five Play quarter machines: even though they can amplify your earnings on decent hands, they exagerate your losses on losing ones. If you’re playing 5 coin singlehand video poker and are dealt bad cards then you only have $1.25 out there. On a Ten Play machine you have a whole lot more dough at stake for those same junk hands. Granted, though there are some acceptable paytables available in most gaming markets, but if you are conservative then you will still want to stay clear of them.
Here are a couple of tips for those of you who enjoy multiplay video poker. First, seek out the best paytables. Paytables, or pay schedules, are posted somewhere on the front of a video poker machine, or on the screen itself, and they tell you what each winning hand will pay for the number of coins put at risk.
Also, always choose the slowest playing speed available when the casino allows you this option. Some casinos have this machine feature blocked out, forcing you to play at the highest speed. Bear in mind that the more hands you play per hour, the more you subject your bankroll to a quick shave by the house edge.
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