Those Due Slots, Soft
17s, and Plugs
25 May 2005
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark,
Are slot machines programmed to pay off a
particular percentage of money bet? What I’m
trying to say is that after a jackpot is hit,
will the machine tighten up to get back into
balance, and when a jackpot has not been hit for
a long period of time it is overdue and more
likely to hit? Dan H.
I get the gist of what you're asking, Dan, but
they are two separate questions. You get one Aye
and one Nay. The one holding water is that of
all wagers bet, slot machines are designed to
pay off, over time, a specified percentage of
the wagered money to the players.
As to a jackpot's "due" factor, a jackpot is
equally as likely to be hit on every spin,
regardless of past outcomes, because every spin
is random and independent of all past trials.
Dear Mark,
Can you please tell me if the odds are better
for me when the dealer must stay on all 17's or
if the dealer must hit soft 17? David H.
It is slightly better, David, to play on a game
where house rules let the dealer stand on a soft
17 rather than hit on a soft 17. On a game where
the dealer hits a soft 17, you give the house an
additional two-tenths of 1% advantage, because
when a soft 17 is showing, an Ace, 2, 3, or 4
improves the dealer's hand and a 10, Jack, Queen
or King leaves it of equivalent value. Thus,
eight of every 13 cards either improves the
dealer's hand or keeps it the same. If any of
the other five cards are drawn, the dealer still
has a chance to enhance his hand with another
draw.
Dear Mark,
I have always been fascinated with the shuffling
techniques employed by casino dealers. I am
curious as to one technique used by the casino
where I normally play. When the cut-card is
reached, why are the remaining un-dealt cards
inserted into the middle of the cards that have
already been stacked up in the discard rack? Why
not on just on top? Jason C.
Card shuffling procedures used by a dealer to
prepare a deck or a shoe on a blackjack game
generally employ a combination of mixing
techniques that may differ from casino to
casino. These may include "washing" or
"stripping" the cards, as well as "plugging",
"boxing ", "riffling" and other sundry
techniques with much sexier names. The objective
of such shuffling procedures is to achieve a
high level of randomization of the cards.
What you described in your question is called
"plugging" the deck. This shuffling technique is
employed in card games like blackjack where the
game is often dealt from a multi-deck shoe.
Once the dealer reaches the cut-card (the cut
card marks the place where play will be stopped
and the cards reshuffled) the game is stopped,
and the remaining un-dealt cards are inserted
somewhere into the middle of the cards that have
already been stacked up in the discard tray. The
cards so inserted are referred to as a "plug",
and the action is called "plugging" the deck.
Gambling quote of the week: "Poker is good for
you. It enriches the soul, sharpens the
intellect, heals the spirit, and -- when played
well -- nourishes the wallet." --Lou Krieger,
author.
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