Dear John: My husband and I are avid 25-cent video pokerplayers. From time to time, we've read that there are 25-cent videopoker machines in Las Vegas that have a 100 percent return. We'veheard that the Desert Inn has some of these and we also have playedthem at Vegas World (which is now closed). We're students of LennyFrome's Winning Strategies for Video Poker.
Could you please inform me of any Las Vegas casinos that havethe 100 percent payback machines?
Anne Margosian, Palatine
Answer: Since you specifically mention Vegas World, I assume youmean the 10-6 and 9-7 Jacks or Better machines that were a highlightin that casino. These offered the full pay tables usually found on9-6 machines that return 99.5 percent with optimal play, except thaton the 10-6 version the full house payoff was elevated from 9-for-1to 10-for-1, and on the 9-7 version flush payoffs were elevated from6-for-1 to 7-for-1. That pushed the long-term payback with expertplay to more than 100 percent on both versions.
I know of none of these currently operating. If any readershave run across them recently, I'd like to hear about it.
There are other machines that pay in excess of 100 percent withperfect play. Several versions of Deuces Wild - none of themavailable in Illinois - are better-than-even machines to experts, asis 10-7 Double Bonus Poker. You'll have to look around a little; ona recent trip I found the original full-pay Deuces Wild in abundanceat the quarter level at the Frontier and the Tropicana, and atseveral downtown casinos. Be sure to check the multiple-gamemachines; most 25-cent Double Bonus Poker at the Stardust was the 9-6version, but 10-7 Double Bonus was available on some Bally's GameMakers.
Expert strategy is trickier for Deuces Wild and Double Bonusthan for Jacks or Better. Those who don't play those games at expertlevel are better off finding a casino that has 9-6 Jacks or Betteralong with good slot club benefits.
Dear John: I have been told that the first coin in will produceyour first five cards when playing video poker. It does not matterif this is the only coin you play, or if you play the limit of coins.
What no one can tell me is, what determines what card, or cardsyou will get on your draw. Can you help me?
Anthony Sulsieski, Chicago
Answer: The random number generator in the machines' programmingsets the card order for your entire hand when you drop in your firstcoin, when you hit the "Bet 1 Coin" button or when you hit the "MaxBet" button. It does not matter how many coins you play; the shufflefor that hand stops when the machine receives one of those threesignals.
Many video poker machines, including all older ones, deal a"shadow hand" behind the five cards you see. It is as if there arefive stacks, each with two cards. Let's say your hand, from left toright, consists of 10-10-Jack-Queen-King, and you decide to draw forthe straight. If you discard the first 10, you will draw the cardthat was stacked behind it; if you discard the second 10, you willreceive a different card, the one that was stacked in position 2.
Some newer machines do not deal shadow hands. Instead, drawscome off the top of the remaining electronic deck. If the cards aredealt this way, our player who discards one 10 will receive the samecard regardless of which 10 he discards.
Both methods are as random as possible; the probabilities andlong-term payback percentages are the same either way.
Dear John: Could you please fax me copies of earlier columns?
Linda North, Chicago
Answer: After 2 1/2 years of Gaming every Friday in WeekendPlusand nearly a year of Casinos every Sunday in Showcase, I'm afraid Ican't keep up with requests for back columns.
However, 65 columns from this series along with two othergaming-related pieces have been collected in a new book, Gaming:Cruising the Casinos With John Grochowski. The book, to be publishedin late August by Running Count Press, includes forewords by twogambling experts I frequently use as sources for this column, AnthonyCurtis of the Las Vegas Adviser and video poker guru Lenny Frome.
Advance orders are being taken by Running Count Press, Box 1488,Elmhurst, Ill. 60126. The price is $11.95, plus $2.50 for tax,shipping and handling, for a total of $14.45.
In Sunday Showcase: casino updates.
If you have any questions about gambling, write: Casinos,WeekendPlus, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago 60611. Or fax: (312)321-3679.
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий