Random is Random
6 October 2006
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark,
You have stated that depending on the maker of
the video poker machine, the draw cards are
either behind the first five dealt cards, or
they are dealt right from the top of a deck.
Okay then, I'm playing in Michigan, and the
video poker machine is made by IGT. So, where do
those draw cards come from, right behind, or
from the top of a deck? Does it make a
difference? Frank D.
The majority of video poker machines in the past
operated using parallel dealing. That is where
all 10 cards are dealt simultaneously, the point
being that your display cards and any draw
replacements that may be called for are
selected, dealt, and held in a single movement.
Today, most machines employ serial dealing.
Here, replacement cards are dealt right from the
top of the deck -- as in a live poker game.
Someone working for IGT in Reno who reads this
column in the Reno Gazette Journal will correct
me if I'm wrong, but to the best of my knowledge
IGT's machines continuously shuffle the
remaining 47 cards, and it is not until you
press the draw button that you get whatever
cards are on top of the deck at that precise
moment.
Either/or, Frank, the cards are shuffled and
displayed randomly, and neither way would have
any effect on the outcome.
Dear Mark,
Who pays the jackpots for progressive machines
like Megabucks, the casinos or the slot maker?
Those gigantonormous progressive jackpots on
machines like Megabucks, Quartermania, the Wheel
of Fortune, Jeopardy, The Price is Right, etc.,
are paid by the manufacturer of the slot, in
this case, IGT. If ever someone's stars do truly
align, IGT (the games vendor) would send a
representative to authenticate the win, and then
pay off the winner. To date, IGT MegaJackpots
have created hundreds of millionaires, and they
have awarded over $3 billion in major jackpots.
Casinos also have their own proprietary
progressive machines, typically with their name
and logo on the facing. Although the casino sets
the percentage they want returned to them when
placing an order with a slot manufacturer, the
casino would be responsible for the payout.
By the way, Susie, to grow the progressive, a
portion of each bet made funds the winning
jackpot.
Dear Mark,
Isn't 9-10-J-Q-K the second highest straight in
Pai-Gow poker and not an Ace, 2, 3, 4, and 5?
You mentioned it before in a column but I can't
remember which one you stated was the higher of
these two straights. David D.
When I dipped into the archives, David, I found
I had said this then and say it again now.
In Pai-Gow Poker each player is dealt seven
cards that he is required to make into a
five-card hand (the "high hand") and a two-card
hand (the "low hand"). The five-card hand is
ranked like traditional poker hands (royal
flush, four of a kind, straight flush, three of
a kind, flush, straight, two pair, pair and high
card) but the game does have a couple of
exceptions. Your question happens to call
attention to one of them. Only a straight
consisting of 10, J, Q, K, Ace beats an Ace, 2,
3, 4, and 5. A straight of 9, 10, J, Q, K
doesn't.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Last night I
stayed up late playing poker with Tarot cards. I
got a full house and four people died. -- Steven
Wright
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