John Brokopp of The Herald-News of Joliet, Illinois (USA) had a great article with gambling tips to make 2011 a better year for players at the casinos. Among his tips: learn how to play video poker and spot good video poker machines.

From The Herald News:

There are many reasons for slot players to learn how to play video poker, but one of the very best is the transparency of video poker games. Whereas the individual payback percentages of traditional spinning reel and video slots are proprietary information, video poker is an open book.

The payback percentages of video poker games are based on a mathematical formula using information from the game’s pay table, which is in clear public view. The standard way to determine the percentage is based on the number of coins paid back for each one wagered for a winning hand of a flush or full house.

The general rule is that games with the best returns on those hands are the best ones to play.

In addition to the video poker tips, Brokopp offers some additional insights about the wisdom of the “free odds” bet in craps, remaining aware of the monetary value of the credits you have in a slot or video poker machine, and avoiding the “sucker” side bets on certain table games.

Continue reading here.