The GREAT WHAMEROONEY, but it still slices
like baloney?
May 8, 2009
Dear Mark: Do the
large progressive slot machines offer the
most potential with the least risk? Dan O.
Not a bit, Dan, because for the life-altering
big score that a machine like Megabucks offers,
you are looking at beating the odds of
30,000,000 to one.
Sure, area progressives are usually the only
machines that pay the really big bucks, but the
long-term paybacks on these machines are usually
the lowest in the casino, and at 30 million to
one odds against, your chances of hitting the
big one are a teensy weensy bit better than
zilch.
If you’re looking to maximize potential and
minimize risk, your best bet is to play one coin
at a time on what’s called a “straight
multiplier.” By popping in just one coin on
these machines, you're playing at the maximum
payback and hit frequency with the lowest risk
per spin.
A “straight multiplier” or “equal distribution”
machine, usually has one pay line and pays
according to the number of coins you play. For
instance, if you hit the jackpot having played
one coin, the machine will pay 250 coins, but if
you were to play two coins, you'll win 500
coins, three coins, 750, four 1,000 and five
coins, 1,250.
Playing the full coin amount on machines of
this type is an unnecessary expenditure, because
the average return never changes, based on the
number of coins played. Progressives, Dan, shake
you down on the smaller payoffs, whereas playing
a straight multiplier keeps you in play longer
by doling out more low-end jackpots.
Although your question requests an answer
regarding maximize potential/minimize risk,
don’t get confused with a “bonus multiplier”
machine. A bonus multiplier simply tacks on an
additional amount of money (a bonus) to the
jackpot if you've played the maximum number of
coins. Using the example above, let's say the
maximum number of coins is three. If you can win
250 coins with one coin, 500 coins with 2 coins,
the bonus jackpot — if you play with the maximum
3 coins — would be 4,000 coins, a much larger
amount than a straight multiple. The bonus, Dan,
is in the bonus.
Dear Mark: Are the odds any different
when the casino uses continuous shuffle, machine
shuffle that is not continuous, or hand shuffle?
Tom H.
Although automatic shufflers do not affect the
odds of the game for the typical player,
continuous shufflers do hurt you and all other
players because of the increased number of hands
dealt per hour, yielding a richer opportunity
for the built-in house edge to gnaw away at all
your wallets. Losing is bad enough, Tom, but
losing at a quicker pace, set by a giddy-yap
machine, is far worse.
Allow me, Tom, to put you down as a strong basic
strategy player where the house holds a 0.05%
edge on your play. On a $25 minimum blackjack
table, the difference between 70 dealer-shuffled
hands per hour and the 90 hands per hour that
you would see with an automatic shuffler, is in
your expected hourly loss, which would go
from $8.75 to $11.25.
My suggestion here, Tom, is to slow the assault
on your bankroll by seeking out only
hand-shuffled games. Don’t let your "seat time"
cost you more money than it should.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “My
heart goes out for these Senior Citizens who
take a handful of quarters, a roll of dimes, a
five dollar bill, two singles, and eight stamps
to the slot machines and live or die by every
pull of the handle.” --John Patrick, So You Want
to be a Gambler
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