If there’s anything I enjoy doing these days on my trips to Nevada, it’s searching out, identifying, and taking advantage of any patterns the video poker machines may be signaling. That, in turn, means winning – albeit with an expensive investment from time to time. It has been very profitable nonetheless, requiring simple determination and a keen understanding of the game. But there is NO DOUBT that these patterns exist, and it would behoove all video poker players everywhere to heed the word on this.

Last week I explained how I took the time to investigate what I’ve noticed for many years but just wouldn’t come to grips with about the machines – and how they very obviously are not programmed in that 100% random method that has been sold to us for entirely too long a time. This week, I’ll review how recognizing and taking advantage of machine patterns helped me on my latest trip, as well as go over a few more now explainable oddities that we all see on nearly every session.

First I’ll be clear: I’m not about to give up even a penny on any trip in search of anything. My goal is always to win and to win consistently, just as I’ve been doing for over 10 years now. True, successful video poker professionals not only thrive off that which has worked for them in the past, but because of an ever-changing business world it is imperative we continue to upgrade our arsenal against the casinos. I believe in developing my ability to spot and take advantage of machine patterns, I’ve done just that.

I began my trip by heading south of Phoenix to Harrah’s Ak-Chin to play $75 worth of free-play that I receive most months. I only play it through once, and on this day it turned into $85 thanks to four 9’s on 50c 6/5 JoB. But the strange thing about this hit is how many 9’s I was receiving on the deal just before the quad hit. I’ve seen this happen so many times that it is a signal I’ll be looking for in the future, and if I’m on a multi-denomination machine – which is an automatic for me - then I’ll be switching to its highest level.

From there it was across town again and on up to Harrah’s Laughlin to pick up $50 in cash. After doing so I decided to sit at their infrequently found 3-level 25c/$1/$5 machines and play quarters for a while seeing if I could spot anything developing. $45 into it there seemed to be something happening due to the rash of Full Houses I was drawing to, so I switched to the $5 game and immediately hit one. A few moments later holding two 9’s resulted in a quad, and I quit with a $725 profit.

Onto Las Vegas, with my first stop being the Fiesta in Henderson. Here I had $50 in free-play to run through, but I decided to play an ARTT session since their $1/$2/$5 machines in the high limit area have SDBP on them. I wasn’t doing very well, but on $5 SDBP I hit four Queens for an overall $1100 profit. That’s always a sweet hit when you nail one of the unique hands you’re playing the machine for.

In Las Vegas I checked into the South Point and had a meet with a player from Colorado who wanted to both learn my ARTT strategy and compare notes on patterns. Well the administrative side of the chat went well, but I lost $4000 in the meantime. I lost my session and I couldn’t spot a pattern on any machine. That’s what I mean by saying it can get to be an expensive investment.

After we split up I went to the movies, then decided to give trying to detect a pattern one more try. After a quick $1000 down the tubes on $1 & $2 TBP+, I moved over to the $5/$10/$25 version. Something odd started to occur on $5 TBP+. I was dealt four to the SF twice in three hands, then failed to get the card I needed on the draw. However, in BOTH INSTANCES, the one card I needed was the first card out on the very next deal. So how many times do we see that? WAY too often.

I took this as a signal that something was about to occur, so I switched over to the $25 game. I don’t do this lightly because I am not comfortable at such a high limit, but just as with my play strategy that at times has me going to $25 games and more, following through on a plan is more important than anything else in video poker.

So what happened? It was very odd. Just two hands into the TBP+ game I was dealt a SF, and on this particular game that meant 500 credits – or $12,500. Surprising? One might think so at first, but I’m starting to feel very comfortable with my choices after seeking out and spotting these signals and patterns on what might be expected from the machines. Yet in this case I should have stopped. After dumping an additional $2000 into the same game there were no more winners to be had.

Still, I left the South Point with an impressive profit. I spent the night at Planet Hollywood, where once again in the high limit room on a 4-level $1-$10 machine I etched out a nice $1200 profit after recognizing on dollars that the machine was ready to spit out a quad – which for me was at the top level. Out of nowhere on the machine’s lowest denomination, holding a single face card meant a flush, then a straight, and holding a pair of 8’s ended in a FH by drawing 3 Aces. It was basically TELLING me that a quad was imminent, so I bumped it up to $10 immediately.

The following day I checked into the Palms for a very interesting offer. They gave me $2500 in AMEX gift cards after checking in, and while I was there I gave them about 5 hours of play. My biggest hit was four Aces on $10 DDB inside the Mint Lounge while playing $1-$10 ARTT. All in all I took about $2800 from their machines, even though I was down about $5000 at one point. The only time I searched for a pattern I found one playing $1-$10 in the high limit room. The multiple flushes/full-houses hit “the hard way” simply meant a quad was on its way. And it was, as four Queens appeared from holding just one.

You may or may not buy into what I’m saying here, but remember, I have no stake in anyone else’s money by reviewing my experiences and what I’ve learned from the machines. At times I’m able to read what the machines’ algorithms are telling me, and I adjust my bet size accordingly. If you disagree or look at this as nonsense, then please continue on playing as you’re playing, keep filling up those machines for me, and keep on wondering if the machines have been “tightened” or not because you just can’t seem to win. I don’t have that problem.