Player Stories
The story after the royal-flush story
A follow-up creates room for questions that a single jackpot anecdote leaves open.
THE DRAW JOURNAL
130 STORIESThe complete archive.
Every story, every perspective. Explore the full collection.
Strategy
Putting video poker bonus features in order
Not all add-ons ask for the same extra wager or deliver their effects at the same frequency.
Casino Floor
The real cost behind a free-cruise points target
A reader compares Jacks or Better pay tables and denominations while aiming for a cruise reward.
Strategy
What a session can teach—and what it cannot
Experience can reveal a confusing button, a missed hold or an unfamiliar rule.
Industry
IGT takes Wheel of Fortune beyond the slot reel
The 2024 product announcement set out a move into video poker, electronic table games and video lottery terminals.
Player Stories
How a royal becomes a personal story
A rare hand can give a session an enduring place in memory.
Strategy
Triple Double Bonus and the bankroll question
A reader describes long, fast quarter-denomination sessions and asks how much money is needed to sustain them.
Player Stories
A reader asks about a difficult run
This archived player question concerns the frustration of not winning at video poker.
Strategy
A closer look at Good Times Pay multipliers
This follow-up considers whether a multiplier calculation carries across different Good Times Pay games.
Player Stories
Returning to the question of fairness
A follow-up on fairness gives readers another entry into a complicated discussion.
Player Stories
The royal that has not arrived
Waiting for a particular rare hand can overshadow every other outcome in a session.
Strategy
NSU goes multi-hand
Multi-hand Deuces Wild combines a shared opening decision with several subsequent draws.