Toying with the slots
9 September 2005
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark,
Since I'm not considered an expert video poker
player, would you suggest that I stay away from
Triple and Five Play quarter machines, and
instead continue playing singlehand, five coin
machines? Marty C.
Most video poker players cut their teeth on
singlehand, 5coin machines. Today, there is an
assortment of quarter video poker machines (as
there are of dime and nickel machines) and many
players are gravitating toward the increasingly
popular Triple Play, Five Play, even Ten Play
machines.
But these machines can be budget busters. For
example, on a quarter Triple Play, if you play
the maximum number of coins on each hand, you
are putting 15 coins, or $3.75 in peril. On
quarter Five Play machines, your bait amounts to
25 coins or $6.25, and on the quarter Ten Play
machine, we're talking 50 coins or $12.50.
That's a whole lot of hardearned moolah for the
most pennypinching gamblers who read this
column. If you hit any sort of dry spell, your
bankroll will dissolve like cotton candy in the
rain, moderated only by the speed of your play.
My take on Triple and Five Play quarter machines
is this: Even though multihand video poker
machines can amplify your earning potential on
decent hands, they can also magnify your losing
potential on lousy ones. If you're playing 5coin
singlehand video poker and are dealt garbage,
you have but $1.25 overboard. On a Ten Play
machine you have a whole lot more dough at stake
for those same junk hands. Granted, Marty,
though there are some acceptable paytables
available in most gaming markets, a tightwad
like me still tends to stay clear of them.
Here are a couple suggestions for those who
enjoy multiplay video poker. First, seek out the
best paytables. Paytables, or pay schedules, are
posted somewhere on the front of a video poker
machine, or on the screen itself, and they tell
you what each winning hand will pay for the
number of coins put at risk.
Also, always choose the slowest playing speed
available when the casino allows you this
option. Some casinos have this machine feature
blocked out, forcing you to play at the highest
speed. Bear in mind, Marty, the more hands you
play per hour, the more you subject your
bankroll to a quick shave by the house edge.
Dear Mark,
On average, what do slots return back to the
player? Henry P.
The average slot machine payout can range
anywhere from 85% to 99% of all coins bet.
Because the casino wants to make a certain
amount of money per hour with its slots, the
lower the denomination of the machine, the lower
the payout. With a onedollar slot, the casino
payback can be perhaps 98%, whereas with a
machine at a lower denomination, such as dimes
or nickels, the payout must be much lower to
achieve the same hourly return for the casino.
A payout percentage of 98% means that 98%, on
average, of all money that is inserted into the
machine is being paid back to the player. In
other words, the casino makes a 2% profit.
On average, you ask. Well, it varies with the
geography, Hank, and you didn't mention where
you play. But, to keep my rep as a nice guy,
here are ballpark averages you will typically
find across the U.S.of A.
For nickel machines, paybacks are generally 91%;
for quarter machines, 93%; fiftycenters, 94%;
for dollar machines, 95%; and for $5 slots,
payback approaches 97%.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Casino: A gaudy smokefilled den presided over by men with no
necks and patronized by busloads of genital
optimists." Rick Bayan, "The Cynic's Dictionary"
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