FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions - Answered by either Jim Wolf, the creator of the game, or "Mr. X", a professional video poker player for over 10 years, who contributed significantly to the game)

Features/ Ordering
Q: So what's new since Frugal VP?
A: Glad you asked... What's New?

Q: I never purchased Frugal VP. What's so special about Wolf Video Poker?
A: Other features...

Q: What games are included with Wolf Video Poker?
A: See Games for a listing of the stock games. Please remember, you can change these payoff tables to simulate games available in your area.

Q: Is there a free demo available?
A: Get the FREE demo version!

Q: Ok, I'm sold. How do I order Wolf Video Poker?
A: Order here!

Why Wolf Video Poker?
Q: Why use strategies?
Q: How do these strategies compare to other software?
Q: Why upgrade from Frugal Video Poker?

Miscellaneous...
Q: Where's the option to select how many decimal points you want in the stats?
Q: How do I report a bug?
Q: What happened to the N-play option in Frugal?

Software Protection
Q: I'm going to Las Vegas and I want to take the game off my home PC and put it on my laptop. Can I do this?
Q: What if my computer crashes - will I be out of a game?
Q: When should I 'park' (remove) my license?

Why Wolf Video Poker?

Q: Why use strategies?

A: (JW) I was the first to introduce strategies to video poker software that could be analyzed for a return. As far as I'm aware, I am still the only one that can do this. This is important because before you had to go by "Argument by Authority" - hoping that the VP pro guessed correctly in arranging the plays in the strategy chart.

Many other video poker programs do not offer strategies. They offer what is known as 'Perfect Play', where all hand analysis is based upon the best return for the specific hand. The problem with this method is that for most games there are too many 'exception to the rules' plays, also called 'penalty plays', to properly master the fundamentals of play. Wolf Video Poker, by merit of analyzing the return of strategy charts, shows that it is not necessary to go to learn at this level because of very insignificant contribution to your return. It also introduces more confusion and subsequent errors during play. Also, it slows down play, which most experts agree reduces the amount that can be won in a short time in video poker.

Wolf Video Poker offers a simplified chart that you can print and take to  the casino to get you up to speed quickly on the video poker game. It also offers perfect (penalty) play if you so desire to extract every possible penny of return, but again, it is rarely necessary.
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Q: How do these strategies compare to other software?
Another well-known video poker software program claims that "for the games included with the program, the strategies have been tweaked by (VP Luminary) and represent the most accurate strategy available without penalty cards. Furthermore, these strategies are more accurate than other penalty-free strategies being sold today." So how does Wolf Video Poker compare?

A: (Mr. X) Wolf Video Poker gives you the option of playing with a chart that plays perfect with penalty cards, while also giving you the option of one and sometimes two strategy charts that are penalty-free. Over the years I have seen a lot of strategy charts and most of them gave me a headache just trying to read them for the first time. The beauty of Wolf Video Poker's penalty-free strategies is that you can make them as complex or as simple as you want to suit whatever is best for you, not what is best for the person who made the strategy chart.

With Wolf Video Poker you can make any number of changes to the chart you like and make it as simple as you like, and Wolf Video Poker will tell you exactly how much return you are giving up for making the change. If it's not worth it to you, simply don't save the new chart. If it is, then you have an easier to understand chart to start out a new game with according to what is best for you. Plus, as time goes by, and you learn the game better, you can go back and "tweak" your chart to now learn those hands you thought you were too much to learn before.

With the "Print Chart Wizard" you can print them out color-coded any way you want with a variety of fonts and printing options. I frankly don't understand why everyone doesn't use Wolf Video Poker to learn how to play video poker. Why wouldn't you take the easiest and most logical approach especially when you are gambling with your money? In addition, I have yet to find any errors in any of Wolf Video Poker's penalty-free strategies, unlike "some other software" where I found three errors in the first strategy chart I looked at with hands being repeated in different places on the chart. So seriously, would you trust your money playing with a strategy chart where hands are repeated in different places on the chart? I know I wouldn't.
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Q: Why upgrade from Frugal Video Poker?
I have Frugal Video Poker and I'm very happy with it. Doesn't it do the same thing? Why should I bother buying Wolf Video Poker?

A: (Mr. X) I'm sure Jim Wolf is very happy that you liked Frugal VP, after all, he was the one who created it! We all know how great Frugal was and what a revolutionary product it was at the time. But what Jim has been able to do with the latest version of Wolf Video Poker is amazing, and I am confident that Wolf Video Poker has something for everybody and is a must have upgrade from Frugal.

From its new perfect penalty card charts for those who want to squeeze that last penny out of every hour and who need to play as close to perfect as possible, to its exceptional long term computer simulations with dynamically updated graphs you can watch as it plays, (with no less than five random number generators you can try with a reseeding option between sessions), to its all new expanded bankroll section with a great new standard deviation line graph that will track up to a billion hands so you will know just what to expect in the future when playing with that ever diminishing microscopic edge the casino sees fit to let us have.

Add to that the ability to play with your keyboard configured just the way you want, the ability to resize your window any way you want (perfect for those times you want to minimize your side-to-side field of vision of the cards), new customizable "Speed Buttons" you can add to the front of the game so those commands you use the most are right there at the press of a button, a handy small "Shuttle Chart" that can pop up on the screen reminding you of the correct play, and did I mention the greatest video poker long term hand computer simulator in the world that just got better, which gives you loads of stats you can easily print out, showing you all the highs and lows of each session, and that enables you to play up to 100 separate sessions of up to 100 million hands each with just one button click? Try to do that with the competition.

I could go on and on and on, and Jim isn't even done adding stuff to it with his free upgrades!

Being a professional video poker player for over 10 years, I have seen them all, from way back in the day when "Video Poker Tutor" was the best there was. I loved all that Frugal did when it came out, but I think you are just being plain dumb if you don't get Wolf Video Poker in my opinion. Frugal is not going to upgraded, and Jim Wolf, on the other hand, has shown a genuine commitment to try and make his product the best that it can possibly be and his effort and hard work shows. There are things Wolf Video Poker does that no other video poker software program can touch or even come close to. And no, I'm not getting paid one dime to say any of this. It's just the truth.

(Note from JW - I've been extremely fortunate to have had Mr. X's help in making the game great)
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Miscellaneous...

Q: Where's the option to select how many decimal points you want in the stats?
It used to be in Options->Tutor Options. Now I can't find it!

A: You can find this option now under Strategy Charts->Add Stats.
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Q: How do I report a bug?

A: (JW) If you find what you believe to be a bug in the latest update of the program, I certainly want to hear from you. When you report a bug, you must be very specific. You must try to relate all the events that led up to the malfunction. It would be absolutely wonderful if you could consistently recreate the problem. It is very difficult for me to fix something I cannot recreate, but this is not to say to not report it, because I might have an idea of the origin of the problem. 
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Q: What happened to N-play option in Frugal?

A: (JW) I would have been pleased to include these games in Wolf Video Poker, but I could not secure licensing from the company that owns these rights to these games.  The company made a business decision going forward to only allow their own VP software to carry these games.

Be aware, however, that the strategy you use for any of the games in Wolf Video Poker applies to any of the N-play games. There is no difference in strategy between a single hand game and a N-play game. You can go to the casino with confidence that what you have learned from Wolf Video Poker will apply to any of the N-play games.
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Software Protection

Q: I'm going to Las Vegas and I want to take the game off my home PC and put it on my laptop. Can I do this?

A: Yes, you can! Go to the help menu and you'll see 'Activation Center->Transferring the  License to Another Machine'. Follow the instructions. Basically, what you are doing is removing the license on one machine and 'parking' it in the Activation Center (on the Internet),  and then reactivating it on your laptop, like a first time installation.
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Q: What if my computer crashes - will I be out of a game?

A: You should replace all parts, format, or do whatever you need to fix your machine, and install the demo. Then you should follow the instructions in the help file 'Activation Center->Reactivating the License After a catastrophe'. This should recover your license to the system.
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Q: When should I 'park' (remove) my license?

A: Parking or Removing your license is the process in which you free the license through the Internet Activation Center. What this does is disable the software on the current machine and frees up the license for transfer. You can then install the demo on another PC and activate it like it was a first time activation.

Everyone who purchases a license has access to the Internet Activation Center with their own User ID and Password.

You should Park or Remove your license if you are transfering the license to another machine, if you are upgrading your OS software (especially Mac users), and when you attempt a hardware upgrade.
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