Give those machines a more thorough physical
October 3, 2008
Dear Mark: As a video poker player, if finding a
9/6 machine is not too tough, finding one that
pays 2 coins (for each coin bet) on two pair is
even tougher. Most machines look like 9/6 but 1
coin returned for two pairs. When the "best"
machine in the casino is a 9/6/1, is there a
better advantage to playing the 8/5/2 version?
Dan R.
First, Dan, do you mind if I ask you question?
Are you sure the machines you speak of didn't
pay a bonus on some of the four-of-a-kinds? I
have to ask because your question omits vital
information, notably the rest of the pay-table.
A standard Jacks-or-better full-pay machine
typically returns 9-for-1 on a Full House, and
6-for-1 for a Flush. The full-versus-partial
equation changes when the machine only pays
1-for-1 for two pairs. Most likely, you were
playing on some hybrid Bonus Poker machine,
where the payoff bonus for Four-of-a-Kind is
reduced to 1-for-1.
But even if the paytable states four Aces pay
80-for-1; four 2s, 3s or 4s 40-for-1; four 5s
through Kings 25-for-1, you could be giving the
house an extra 5-plus percent on your play.
Reducing the return on two-Pair hands penalizes
the player too far, even with the increased
payoffs on Four-of-a Kinds.
Now it’s time to scare the bejesus out of you.
Let’s say there is no bonus for four-of-a-kinds.
Assuming that the other paybacks on this machine
are the same as 9/6 Jacks, these machines
dribble back only a bankroll-busting 86.7%.
My recommendation is to keep looking for that
Full Pay 9/6 machine where you are paid 2-for-1
for two Pair. If you can find it, you’re getting
a return of approximately 99.5%. Otherwise, your
next best choice is to play the 8/5 machines
that do pay 2 for two pair. They pay back about
97%.
Dear Mark: An interesting situation happened on
a blackjack game that I hope you can help me out
with. I’m playing two hands of blackjack at $20
a hand and I receive a 13 on one (6 and a 7) and
a Jack and Queen for a 20 on the other. I toss
$10 in front of both of my bets for insurance.
Because it wasn’t directly in front of either,
the dealer asks me which bet I wanted to insure.
Am I wrong in believing that obviously it was
the 20 and the dealer should have known that, or
did he know something I don’t know? Ron L.
He may or may not have known, that it really
doesn’t make any difference whether you insure
the 13 or the 20. Insuring a 13 is every bit as
poor a wager as is insuring a 20. Both, Ron, are
sucker bets.
But if you want to get really technical,
insuring the 20 is actually the worse play,
since you are holding at least two of the cards
the dealer needs to make blackjack. Insuring a
hand composed of two 10 cards, even on the most
liberal single deck game, gives the house a
14.3% edge, making this one of the worst bets in
the casino.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week:
“One thing that a loser has that a winner
doesn’t have: lots of room for improvement.”
--VP Pappy
