Those nickel machines just won’t pay back in
quarters. . . Damn!
August 7,
2009
Dear Mark: I have a
question regarding multi-denominational
machines. Typically I play nickel video poker
machines, but if I get ahead, I move up in
denomination to quarters. Being that stand alone
machines normally have a higher percentage
payback at higher denominations, does that also
hold true when I switch denominations on
multi-denominational machines? Larry B.
The reason nickel machines have poorer payouts
than quarters, and quarters less than dollars,
is because the cost to maintain any machine .—
slot personnel, floor space, maintenance, etc.—
is exactly the same. Each slot has to yield a
targeted number of dollars for the casino; a
larger percentage is kept from the lower
denomination machines so as to meet those goals.
This isn’t necessarily the case on a
multi-denominational machine. Most
multi-denominational machines will actually have
better paytables, in full view for you to
compare, as you move up the ladder from nickels
to quarters, and quarters to dollars.
As for changing denominations, don’t forget,
Larry, when you bet more, you can lose more
money at a much faster rate. Certainly, you may
find a paytable that returns 98% to the player
playing quarters versus a 95% payback for
nickels, so effectively you've cut the house
advantage by more than half, from 5% to 2%, but
don’t forget, you’re putting into play five
times more per hand ($0.25 versus $1.25).
Dear Mark: As you recommend, I always insert my
player’s club card when I play slots, but I’m
curious about something. By using the card, does
it tell the casino exactly how much I’ve
gambled, so that if I’m winning, they can change
the payback of the machine so that I will
eventually give back all the money I won? Manny
P.
When you insert that card, Manny, yes, they
(i.e. computers in undisclosed locations), know
exactly how much money you have inserted into
the machine.
The casino can't give you your deserved goodies
if they don't know how much you’ve played.
The ability to “comp yourself” by using one of
their player’s club slot cards is based on the
value of coins you cycle through a machine, so
you might as well get credit for all those
nickels, quarters or dollars you're inserting.
As to the second part of your question, the
answer is no, using a player’s club card has no
effect whatsoever on the payback.
Actually, the reasons you’re giving all the
money back are 1) you’re not getting up and
walking out when ahead -- quit wearing Velcro
pants while playing -- and 2) the longer you
stay glued to the stool gambling with the
house's money, the more exposure you have to the
casino’s inescapable house edge.
You better learn to walk away a winner, Manny,
because THAT IS your only advantage against the
house.
Dear Mark: If the RNG is constantly at work in
slots, would that also be true with video poker?
It seems I’m not getting as many four-of-a-kinds
as I have in the past. Lois D.
The random number generator’s (RNG) main
function at video poker is to continually
reshuffle the electronic deck of cards, so the
answer is yes, it’s perpetually shuffling away.
As for your lack of four-of-a-kinds, keep in
mind, Lois, with streaks, one way or the other,
you are experiencing randomness.
That “or the other,” happened to me recently
while killing time awaiting a dinner
reservation. I experienced the happy end of
randomness when, with just a ten dollar bill
inserted, I received three four-of-a-kinds
before my table was ready.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “Short-term
fluctuations in the fortunes of each player mean
that even the clueless have occasional winning
sessions.” -- Gambling For Dummies
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