Video Poker Myths
Video poker machines breed their own brand of myths based mostly
on the feeling that the machine is toying with the player. How else
does one explain drawing a four card royal and finishing with a
regular flush, then on the next hand receiving another four card
royal and drawing to trash. It is the work of the sadistic programmer
or just average luck? Most people forget they're ahead four coins.
Myth: Some machines are loose and hit royals more often
The more a machine is played, the more chances it receives to hit
a royal. That's simple mathematics. The machine isn't hitting more
because it's loose. There is no such thing asa loose video poker
machine. The pay table alone determines how much a machine will
pay back.
Myth: Maximum bets bring more trash hands
The RNG is not aware of how many credits have been wagered. It
spits out thousands or numbers in the time it will take you to push
in a $5 bill. whatever is on the RNG at the moment you press deal
is the only factor that decides the hand.
Myth: A machine that just paid a royal should be avoided
This falls into the slot machine myth category of "due"
to hit or "played out." A video poker machine has an equal
chance of hitting a royal on every hand. The last royal has no effect
on the next one.
Myth: Playing quickly makes a machine pay more
Yes, and it will cost more too. One hand every six second or one
every sixty seconds doesn't change the per hand chances of winning.
Playing faster simply increases the speed at which the house edge
or player edge (on a positive machine) takes effect. On a negative
machine, the more you play, the more you pay. It's the same on a
positive machine until you hit a royal.
Myth: A nearby machine paid a royal so this machine won't
work.
A progressive pot is the only situation when one machine's win
can affect another machine. If that happens you're out of luck,
but regular five-coin jackpots aren't affected by other machine.
When someone at the next machine hits a royal you may feel the luck
has been sucked out of the area along with the money, but take comfort
in the fact that your chances haven't changed one bit.
Myth: Someone stole my royal flush!
We covered this in chapter 3, but it's good to repeat here. This
issue comes up when one player leaves a machine and a second player
wins on that machine. The first player didn't lose a royal or leave
before a royal was due to hit. The second player just happened to
press the deal button at the same instant a royal was in the RNG.
The first player probably missed ninety royals in the hour she was
playing the machine. Think about it. The RNG produces 1000 numbers
per second. That's a royal every 40 seconds!
The rest of the combinations of the common slot myths are also
invalid for video poker. Pushing the buttons or dropping the coins
a certain way has no effect. Cold or hot coins out of the machine
means nothing. Casinos have no control over when a machine hits.
And most importantly the machine is not toying with you.
|
