Gambling Forums

[LBoyd]

Good questions, Vegas Vic. The VLTs in New York are just like scratch tickets and the ER is impossible to determine.

Here's how they work. Let's say you hold the "wrong" cards after the deal; say you hold a four-flush instead of a paying pair. If there are trips to have made the pair a full house after the deal, then a "genie" appears changing the final hand to a full house. By the way, the definition of "right" hold is not the computer-perfect hold either. Instead, it's the hold that would have paid for that scratch ticket. Mostly, the tickets include fewer than the statistical probability indicates for royal flushes (that's 1 in 40,390.55 for correctly played 9/6 JOB), but more for 4OAKs (statistically 1 in 423.27 for correctly played 9/6 JOB). A programmer at a G2E several years ago provided this information. And the ER? No way of knowing for sure, but somewhere within the legislative maximum/minimum range for New York.

By the way, there are devices other than a genie to change hands after the final holds. I have much written on this topic in my book, "The Video Poker Edge". Also, I've written detailed explanations for vpFREE--in their archives. Linda

[Vegas Vic]

I have never played a VLT but might be in New York this summer. An opportunity to play (time permitting as it's a trip for a wedding) might be there.

Just a few questions about the machines to help me understand more, and I hope my questions don't seem too stupid.

Answerman says "strategy doesn't really make any difference". Is this to say that upon receiving a dealt hand, the machine will auto hold the correct cards for you? Exactly how does strategy "get removed" from how you play?

Linda says "pay schedules on the glass are irrelevant". If the schedule indicates, for example, 8/5 JOB (I assume there won't be any full pay offered), do you get paid 8/5 when you hit one?

[LBoyd]

Thanks, answerman!

Also, there's extensive information in my book, "The Video Poker Edge", on VLTs. As you said, there's no skill whatsoever on some whereas other VLTs do have RNGs (random number generators). If you go to vpFREE's web site you'll see lengthy articles I wrote on the topic.

In New York the VLTs are just as you described and the pay schedules on the glass are irrelevant. Linda

[Answerman]

I'm working on a story on video lottery terminals, and regulations are different in every state that has them.

In the process, I spoke with a slot director in New York who mentioned that they had games that look like poker, but really are more like lottery scratch-off winners. You're going to get the result determined by the electronic "scratch-off card" drawn when you hit the button. If you make what would be a strategy mistake on a regular video poker machine, the game will award you what you should have gotten anyway, whether through a genie correcting your draw or magically changing the cards or whatever the programmers devise.

Anyway, I mention this because similar things are done on Class II bingo-type video poker machines at some Native American casinos.

If you ever see a genie or leprechaun or anything else changing your draw or improving your hand, understand you're playing a game where your strategy doesn't really make any difference.