South Point: Best video poker?

The staff of the R-J this year picked South Point as having the best video poker. (Readers picked the Fiestas). Both are places with good video poker, but the best? I'm not sure.

Part of my definition of good VP is lots of games with a long-term return to the skilled player of above 99.5, and South Point passes this test with ease. In particular, the casino is full of 16/10 "not so ugly deuces" in a variety of denominations, a game that returns 99.73 percent. With South Point's strong slot club, these games are break-even for skilled players without point multipliers or other considerations such mailers.

But many players want the opportunity to beat the casino on a cash basis by playing games with a 100-plus percent return. Numerous casinos have such games, which include full pay versions of deuces wild, double bonus, double double bonus and joker poker. I think the best casino for video poker would have at least some "positive" games, at quarter, 50 cent and dollar denominations. To the best of my knowledge, South Point no longer has any positive video poker.

Another consideration for me and many other video poker players is the availability of progressives with decent pay tables. A progressive is a video poker (or slot) machine or group of machines from which a percentage of the players' coin in goes to fund one or more jackpots. You've probably seen groups of machines with a sign above them with a dollar amount, or a sign above a bar with a dollar amount, representing a progressive jackpot.

My wife and I did a sweep of South Point for progessives a few months ago and while we found a fair number of progressives, all the games we checked had pay tables that we consider unplayable (anything much below 99 percent return). This is common with progressives; because part of the money going into the machines is siphoned off to fund the jackpot, the casino makes it up with a bad pay table. The best casinos for progressives put them on games that give players a chance to hold on to enough of their money to survive between royals.

The Palms is famous for its progressives on positive games, including full pay deuces wild. Unfortunately, the jackpot on this group of machines near the main entrance to the casino now accrues quite slowly, and the amount rarely reaches $1,100 and is often just a few dollars above the standard $1,000 for a quarters-game royal. Still, it's a highly positive game and you get full slot club points for playing it, making it one of the best deals in town. The Palms also has a progessive on $1 10/7 double bonus with jackpots not just on the royal, but also on the straight flush and "quads." Another fabulous opportunity. Downtown, the Four Queens has a $1 10/7 double bonus progressive. I'm sure there are more.

In judging which casino has the "best" video poker, other players might take into account which has the latest or most exotic games. This isn't my thing so I can't be of much help here. And, as with blackjack, a place that offers good games for high rollers ($1 and up video poker players) might not be so good to to the little guys. And those who play a particular game of family of games may find better tables and a wider choice of denominations at some casinos rather than others.

So it's hard to say which one casino is best for all video poker players. South Point certainly is good for many, but not for those who want to play a positive game or a progressive with a decent pay table.