Bob Dancer
Bob Dancer is a world-renowned expert on video poker strategy. His strategy guides are considered the definitive works on the subject of video poker strategy, and he explains and teaches these strategies in such a way that beginners can easily understand what he's talking about. He also writes video poker articles for Strictly Slots and Casino Player magazines.
Between 1993 and 2000, Bob Dancer parlayed $6000 and an old car into
$1 million in video poker winnings and a brand new Mercedes. His book,
Million Dollar Video Poker, is an autobiography specifically
focused on his winning journey over those 7 years. It includes insights
into his strategies and lifestyle, but most importantly, the book
provides important insights into how the mind of a real professional
gambler works.
About Million Dollar Video Poker
It's important to point out that this is not a how-to book or a strategy guide for video poker players. It's a story, and an autobiography. But Million Dollar Video Poker is also a story and an autobiography about a video poker player who won over $1 million. So you can take lessons away from this book, IF you have the discipline and the desire to live something similar to Dancer's lifestyle.
Million Dollar Video Poker is divided into five parts:
- The Ins and Outs of Video Poker
- From Backgammon to Big Vegas
- Bob Dancer Inc.
- My Million-Dollar Six Months
- Winning is a Process, Not an Event
I'll structure the rest of this review using the same five parts.
The Ins and Outs of Video Poker
The first two chapters of this section are titled "The Easy Part of Video Poker" and "The Hard Part of Video Poker". The easy part, according Dancer, is learning to play perfect video poker strategy. The hard part, he says, is having the psychological ability to deal with the inevitable losing streaks. You only hit a royal flush once every 40,000 hands in jacks or better, and there is no guarantee you'll hit one in that time. Standard deviation could take over, and the long run is a long time indeed. These chapters are important reading if you're interested in becoming a professional gambler, even if you aspire to play something other than video poker.
From Backgammon to Big Vegas
This part is mostly Bob Dancer biography, but since he's a professional video poker player, there is a LOT of information about video poker in this chapter. In particular, if you're interested in learning how comps add to your expected return in the long run, it's covered very nicely in this section. There are also quite a few stories about promotions and games at different Vegas casinos, including the Rio and the Frontier.
Bob Dancer Inc.
More information about Dancer's life, this time concerned with his growing business as a video poker teacher and writer. Very interesting stuff, and certainly a good career path for any aspiring pro gambler. Although it's also something of a two-edged sword; once you become well-known, some casinos might not want to give you a lot of action.
My Million Dollar Six Months
This is the climax of the book, and describes the high stakes video poker games and the jackpots that made Bob Dancer a millionaire. I won't spoil this section by telling any of his story, because it's worth reading for yourself.
Winning is a Process, Not an Event
More good stuff about how a professional gambler thinks. Definitely worth reading. This section of the book is very short, and so is this section of my review.
Conclusion
Million Dollar Video Poker is an excellent gambling book. Whether you're interested in becoming a professional gambler, or you're just intrigued by gambling stories, you'll find a lot of value in this book. Not only is it educational, but it's also an entertaining read. I recommend reading this one.
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