gary catlin

gary catlin was the author of Panamint Software's "video poker Tutor," which he also maintains. This software was very popular in the early-mid 1990s. It was used to analyze video poker machines and to practice the game of video poker for casino play.

A big advantage of Catlin's program, "Video Poker Tutor," otherwise known as "VPTutor," is that it can be downloaded from the Internet for free. It aims to calculate the optimal play for any hand and the odds of specific plays.

Catlin himself stresses that profits are likely to be seen only in lifetime cumulative play and will not be seen in a short term session in a casino. He says that large bankroll fluctuations must be expected to be seen on any particular trip to a casino.

VPTutor contains very basic graphics and sound effects. The program does not attempt, at all, to represent a poker machine's hold or cancel keys. There is also no serious attempt to reproduce the actual look of the machine as it would be seen in a casino.

The player can play with or without the tutor option on. In other words, they can be guided by the software or they can simply practice the game on their own. If the tutor option is on, then the play stops when there is an incorrect draw. At this stage, the player can choose the "analyze hand" option found in the menu. The program will then show the player the number of possible outcomes for that particular hand.

VPTutor has a unique feature that is not seen in other video poker software, in that it allows the player to set the program to deal the five cards and to analyze the draw without ever actually drawing the cards. The advantage of this feature is that it allows the player to practice more hands per hour than if the cards were drawn. The idea is that the more a player practices, they more skill they will learn and the more they will increase their odds of winning at the real thing.

Catlin's VPTutor software is ideal for players who wish to improve their skill, knowledge and understanding of video poker strategy. It is not designed for people who are simply looking for at-home video poker games. This is part of the reason why Catlin designed his program with such simple graphics and sounds – it was not designed for enjoyment, but for function!

gary catlin was a 2002 charter member of the vpFREE Video Poker Hall of Fame. His contributions to the game of video poker, in the form of his software are seen as extremely advantageous and a large step forward for the game that he helped to promote.