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The Singer Play Strategy
(A goal-oriented, short-term strategy)

Rule #1: You must be comfortable where and how you choose to play. Your mind must be cleared. I only gamble alone when I play for profit. I never play on someone else’s time schedule. My willpower & determination switches are turned to ON. NOTE: While this play strategy has contributed the majority of my profiting during my first 7 years as a professional player, I have played it very sparingly since 2007. It requires a very large bankroll, potentially lots of time, and you need to be able to stomach the wild swings at times. And because every player I've taught it to has never utilized the bankroll I saved in order to play the strategy properly, anywhere that I say to cash out after attaining at least a 40-credit profit cashout is changed to 20-credits when playing any way other than exactly how I play it in the denominations I play.

Rule #2: Proper bankroll is extremely important. I take $17,200 as my minimum on each trip, my baseline denomination is dollars, and I have a win goal of $2500. Anyone can take whatever amount they feel is comfortable for them to attain their specific goals, based upon their individual finances & limits. Even more critical: YOU MUST HAVE A PLAN BEFORE YOU START TO PLAY, AND YOU MUST STICK TO IT !

Rule #3: I am prepared to first play 100 credits on BP, then 300 credits SDBP, TBP+, DDB, or Super Aces (in that order of precedence). Playing progressives of any amount are fine, and recommended if available. They are completely acceptable in this strategy. Play on a multi-game machine, or change machines at any time. The new multi-game/multi-denominational coin-less machines are tailor-made for this type of play. I always cash out the first time I am at least 40 credits ahead on BP. I pocket it, then begin again. If the initial 100 credits are lost on BP, regardless of how many 40+ profits were cashed out and pocketed, I begin play on advanced bonus machines (SDBP/TBP+/DDB/SA), playing up to 300 credits. Again, I cash out anytime 40+ credits are realized, and begin again until at least 140 credits are accumulated, with a minimum of 40 to be pocketed and never risked, and 100 to make up for the initial 100 credits lost on BP. Having recovered my loss, I begin again on BP.

Rule #4: If 100 credits are lost on BP and 300 are lost on any of the Advanced BP games, I advance to the next denomination and begin the process again. In my case this means the $2 machines. During the process once again (100 credits on BP / 300 credits on advanced bonus games), I play until 40+ credits are won, and always cash out as usual, but if and when I accumulate a minimum profit of 240 credits, I pocket 40+ credits and use the remaining 200 credits to cover my $400 in losses on the dollar machines. I then begin all over again on the dollar machines.

Rule #5: If 100 credits are lost on $2 BP, and 300 are lost on the advanced game, I advance to the $5 machines, and begin the process again. I now have $400 in dollars to recoup, and $800 in $2 credits to recoup. As usual, I continue to cash out and restart whenever 40+ credits are won. This time I require an overall minimum win of 280 credits before I go back to dollars and start over again: 240 credits to make up for the $1200 in dollar and $2 losses, and a minimum of 40 credits ($200) pocketed profit.

Rule #6: I will continue this process right up through the $100 machines as required (I've had to go to them few times, and I will risk up to an additional $40,000 at this level) - until either all the 40+ pocketed wins add up to my profit goal of $2500 minimum, I attain or surpass my goal with one big hit or several smaller ones, or I lose my bankroll. Losing has happened very seldom - less than 7% of the time, and my average loss is around $7000. But remembering I have pocketed quite a few 40+ credit profits in varying denominations along the way, I only advance to the $100 machines if this week's loss puts me behind my overall average weekly winning goal of $2500/week thus far-for the year. Generally, I only advance to the $25 machines under the same circumstances, but under certain playing conditions I will at times go to them to play up to 400 credits.

Rule #7: Realize my results have shown me being ahead at least 40 credits - within seconds, within minutes, or within hours - at least 75% of the time I risk 400 credits in any denomination. This does not mean I lose 25% of the time. The 40+ pocketed credits add up fast - sometimes very fast if you hit a quad or SF - and many times my win goal is attained by these profits alone. The main goals I play for are in this order of attainment: A) If I'm playing on any of the advanced games, my first goal is always to get back to Bonus Poker within the denomination I am playing. B) If I'm on any denomination other than my baseline denomination ($1), my second most important goal is to go back to dollars to begin again on BP. C) My final goal is to accumulate $2500 minimum profit and end the trip's session.

Rule #8: Whenever I hit a royal flush, I immediately pack up, check out, and go home! I have over-achieved my goal, and if it is hit on a higher-than-my-baseline denomination, I am instantly well above my average weekly goal. (This is an important factor for decisions made in Rule #7 regarding playing the $25/$100 machines).

Golden Rule: I never deviate from strategy. Never.

Note: You will find leaving a losing machine is very difficult, and leaving a winning machine is probably against your nature. Staying at winning or losing machines are long-term strategy pitfalls. This is short-term strategy. Be prepared to go home a winner for a change! I always play full-pay machines if available, and I will always play the vastly superior games (for my strategies) of SDBP & TBP+. Approximately 95% of the hands I play are exactly the same as expert strategy, because these are simple common sense to me (but be careful, they may not always be for you). The remainder are what I call "special plays that deviate from expert strategy" which incorporate plays that are derived from in-depth risk analyses on mostly minor EV give-up for the opportunities to hit session-ending winners. For instance, if any hand has a reasonable chance of attaining a winning hand on the draw that will allow me to reach my win goal for the week and go home – such as being dealt 4,4,8,8,6 and holding just the fours, trying for four of them, or four of them with the kicker – I play this way as required. There are quite a few other intricate deviations from expert play that I use, and I recommend not using them unless and until you have become very familiar with all or most of them, from sitting with me at your machine while I walk you thru them. Don’t be afraid to take these chances. Anything can happen at any time. You’re gambling & not taking an exam. It has often sent me home a winner. Don’t let anything stand in the way of playing how YOU want to.

SPECIAL NOTE ON THE PROGRESSION FACTOR: Much of the criticism on this play strategy has come from those who do not understand that this is video poker denominational progression, and not Martingale progression. The increase in denomination is not a result of losing the hand before and then doubling up. Although only one part of the overall strategy, the progression is critical in that it allows that any one of a number of large winning hands that almost always occur during everyone’s sessions to completely recover any losses, and in most cases allows the player to attain the overall win goal. Without it, play would go on within the same denomination until the player is wiped out – or a royal flush is hit. Which do you think usually happens first?

Remember: This strategy was developed to fit the abilities, needs, resources and circumstances for the author, Rob Singer. It is not meant as a magical “fix” to cure anyone’s losing ways. It is best utilized as a baseline in developing one’s own successful play strategy. It is based on the simple premise that players go into casinos with one goal – winning something on each separate and individual trip. Once you learn the art of choosing limits to cash out at, you will wonder why you ever wasted so much time trying to mathematically out-perform the unforgiving video poker computer. If you are determined to find a better way, this system will be of great assistance in attaining your goals.