Sadly, Lenny Frome, who did a lot of writing on video poker and other casino games, passed away on March 15, 1998. But he left a huge legacy of gaming information, not the least of which is this program.

This CD-ROM is available from Conjelco's website for $36.95 and it should be in the library of every serious (or not-so-serious) video poker player. It has the payouts, returns and strategies for about 60 of the most common VP games out there and, while that's of obvious value, I like it most of all for its simulation capabilities. On my little 486/66, this thing can play VP at a rate of 1000 hands a second! Want to know how long a $1000 bankroll will last at a 25-cent All American game? Run a few hundred simulations on this and you'll have a good idea of your chances of success. It'll take about an hour.

When I was involved in a slot club points tournament recently, I needed to know how many hands I could expect from a $5 9/6 Jacks game with a bankroll of $3500. At $25 a hand, I knew I'd lose all my $$$, but was willing to do so to get the tournament prize money. As I recall, the simulations showed I could expect a minimum of about 550 hands and an average of about 3200 hands. From that, I was able to calculate the points I could make in the last few hours of the contest. I ran 200 sims and it was a very interesting exercise. If nothing else, the Video Poker Strategy Pro will show you how important adequate financing is to suceeding at the game of VP. Want to take an under-funded shot like I did? At least with this program, you'll go into it with your eyes wide open.

Another interesting simulation was done to determine the 'Long Run' which we all speak of. For All American and 9/6 Jacks, it appears that about 4 million hands is the point where expectation converges with reality. That's a lot of video poker, yet I was able to do those sims in an evening's time.

The program also features a practice mode so that you can get up to speed on the proper playing strategy for the game of your choice. If Lenny were alive, I'd argue with him over some of his recommended plays, particularly in the 10/7 Double Bonus game, but all-in-all, this is a valuable tool.

Take my word for it; you won't be disappointed by this investment. Go get one.