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To: TADSLOS

Hmmm....are you saying the games are rigged? I guess they have to be...random numbers are chosen by computer algorithm, and if that algorithm is possible to calculate in your head, then you could come out ahead....otherwise I don't see how it's possible.


55 posted on 01/17/2007 10:16:00 PM PST by scrabblehack
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To: scrabblehack
I think you may have video poker confused with slot machines. The random number generator software in a slot machine can be adjusted to certain levels of theoretical payout percentages by the casino (minimum allowable by law in Nevada is 75%). Most in Las Vegas are set in the mid 80 to 90% range.

Video poker machine payouts are determined by the specific paytable that is displayed on the machine based on the hand dealt when the player bets and/or redraws from cards held by the player at the end of that particular bet. The RNG on a video poker machine is strictly tied to the shuffle of the cards and is not set to a payout percentage (there is no switch on a true video poker machine that the casino can manipulate to alter the outcome of what is dealt). The card shuffle is as random as a computer can get and ends when you hit the deal button (or play max coin- usually 5 coins). The software then deals 5 cards from the deck for the player to either hold or discard. Discarded cards are replaced with unplayed cards from the top of the same deck.

The key to playing video poker is picking a game with a pay table that provides a high payout percentage and playing that particular game at a high level of optimal strategy (skill). In this respect, video poker is similar to some table poker games in that each hand dealt is a combination of luck (drawn cards) and skill (determining what to keep and what to discard). Placing a bet in a slot machine, on the other hand, is purely a gamble. The only decision made by the player is when to hit the button or handle. Even then, the RNG software embedded in the slot machine has already determined the outcome. It's really all bells and whistles at that point to entertain the player.

56 posted on 01/18/2007 5:17:28 PM PST by TADSLOS (Iran is in the IED exporting business. Time to shut them down.)
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