How to take advantage of Free Slot Plays?

I bought the American Casino Guide and Las Vegas Advisor Subscription, and I got lots of Free Slot Plays in both book.
I wonder what's the best way to take advantage of those coupons in order to generate the highest EV?
What I do for now is use them all at "9/6 Jacks or better" video poker. Since I'm a blackjack player, and I'm not willing to master video poker, I can't remember all the correct decisions in video poker. Thus, I have a video poker simulation App on my IPhone, I'll use the App while I play on machines in casino to get the optimal decision. By the way, is it legal to use App on cell phone while playing video poker in a casino?

Am I using the best way to play "Slot Machine coupons"? How do you guys play those Free Slot coupons?
I really appreciate any reply~

If you want to maximize EV, you're doing pretty much the right thing. If you want to learn a bonus poker variant or deuces wild, you might be able to do slightly better (100.xx% return instead of 99.xx% return) but with higher variance as well. I usually play JoB when I work through freeplay.

There should be no issue with using your phone while playing - just look at all those folks on their phones while playing slots.

Yea, but I use the JoB calculator on my phone. I thought using a machine while playing on the machine would be considered cheating, but I was not so sure.I wonder if one day I hit the royal match, and the casino employ check the camera, then see I work on my phone before hold my cards, they will refuse to pay me. This would dramatically lower my EV...

Now I'm more certain that using Free Plays on slot machines is a bad decision. I'm glad that I've been doing the right thing.
The problem of Deuces Wild is that there are not so many casinos provide 100.xx% return games, and JoB is a much common game that is almost in every casinos. Moreover, I only use free money to play video poker. 99.54% return is not bad, and is easier to play than deuces wild.

Every time I use a coupon, I'll bet the highest denomination to save more time for card counting. I remember the last time I got two 25 dollars free play. I bet 5 minimum JoB with max bet(5 row, 25 dollars total), and lost all this two hands. Is this correct to bet the highest denomination? The standard deviation has to be huge on Video poker because there is a Royal Match pay out.


Is this possible that the machine will identify if I play real money or coupon? then lower the return when I use coupon? I think they might want to draw customer this way. Is it legal to lower the return when people use coupons?

1) The machine has no clue on the origination of the money, whether it be freeplay, whether it came from your wallet or if you picked it up off the floor
2) Depends what your goals are. If you don't care whether you lose the money and want an opportunity at some quick cash by hitting a payout on 1-2 hand then pay higher denominations.
3) What I personally would do, is to play to where I could go through the free play in 10-20 hands rather than 1-2, knowing full well some of them will hit and I will at least get something back for my free play.

If the casino caught me on the camera that I used the simulation in my phone to play JoB, is it legal?
What kind of game do you play with free play? how about match play?

Quote: WangSanJose

If the casino caught me on the camera that I used the simulation in my phone to play JoB, is it legal?

It's illegal. Will they actually enforce the law? That's more questionable. They might review the tape if you hit a taxable Royal though.

If you can count cards, you can learn the strategy to 9/6 JoB at least. Learning the "Illustrious 18" is probably harder than learning 9/6 JoB strategy.

Yea, just in the case I hit the Royal Match, I'm afraid they will refuse to pay me.
I don't want to learn Job strategy because I rarely get coupons, but I always play blackjack.

My recollection is it is only illegal to use an electronic device while playing table games. If you are overly paranoid, you could always use the simplified strategy on wizardofodds printed out on a piece of paper.