How exactly are video poker machines rigged?
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:44 am
Hi, I'm new to the forum but I've been playing video poker for quite a while and one thing that's obvious to me is that these machines are not "random." That is, the cards you get are not simple mathematical probabilities. Machines can be loosened, but most times they're tightened to an extreme degree, and that doesn't mean that the pay tables are 99.4% instead of 100.76%, it means that a given machine, if the casino wants, can be rigged to not let you hit any big hands, to give you virtually no deuces on Deuces Wild, or any number of other things that make the actual real-life pay table 0% for the duration that the machine is rigged. These 0% machines appear to be the majority now at most casinos.
I'm not really interested in debating whether or not this is true, because I realize it's controversial and none of us have long-term statistical data to prove our claims, so we just rely on some regulatory agency to do it for us, because as we know from other facets of American life, regulatory agencies are totally never in the pockets of the companies they regulate.
What I am curious about is how the machines are actually modified by the casino, because as far as I can tell, a machine can be good one day and terrible the next day. It's not like they're shipped out with tight or loose settings, so that means there's some kind of setting within the program itself (which is likely manufactured by IGT) that can be tweaked. But wouldn't that mean a slot mechanic or somebody has to come over and change the setting manually? Are these machines even connected to the internet? Maybe it's naive to think, but the design looks so old that it gives off the appearance that there's no modern technology going on here.
However, I was looking at IGT's website the other day and came across this: https://www.igt.com/products-and-servic ... management
They talk about a management software that lets the casino manage...something. You need some kind of account in order to look at more information but I think we can probably all guess. Probably some kind of centralized command center where they can change how a machine is acting remotly. I personally think there's at least some automated settings that trigger certain changes in response to the hands you get. Like if a machine is very tight and you hit a deuces royal or something, then often on the next ten hands you get literally nothing, like not even a pair. That has to be programmed in. If it's a looser machine then it will just play normally even after you hit something big, and you have a real chance to keep doing well. It doesn't require that you give back whatever you just won like the tight machines do.
And just to be absolutely clear, I'm not looking for any information that can help me cheat or anything like that. It's actually the casino that's cheating according to the letter of the law, I'm just trying to figure out how. I'd love to hear any insight that anyone can offer and I'm open to any opinions.
I'm not really interested in debating whether or not this is true, because I realize it's controversial and none of us have long-term statistical data to prove our claims, so we just rely on some regulatory agency to do it for us, because as we know from other facets of American life, regulatory agencies are totally never in the pockets of the companies they regulate.
What I am curious about is how the machines are actually modified by the casino, because as far as I can tell, a machine can be good one day and terrible the next day. It's not like they're shipped out with tight or loose settings, so that means there's some kind of setting within the program itself (which is likely manufactured by IGT) that can be tweaked. But wouldn't that mean a slot mechanic or somebody has to come over and change the setting manually? Are these machines even connected to the internet? Maybe it's naive to think, but the design looks so old that it gives off the appearance that there's no modern technology going on here.
However, I was looking at IGT's website the other day and came across this: https://www.igt.com/products-and-servic ... management
They talk about a management software that lets the casino manage...something. You need some kind of account in order to look at more information but I think we can probably all guess. Probably some kind of centralized command center where they can change how a machine is acting remotly. I personally think there's at least some automated settings that trigger certain changes in response to the hands you get. Like if a machine is very tight and you hit a deuces royal or something, then often on the next ten hands you get literally nothing, like not even a pair. That has to be programmed in. If it's a looser machine then it will just play normally even after you hit something big, and you have a real chance to keep doing well. It doesn't require that you give back whatever you just won like the tight machines do.
And just to be absolutely clear, I'm not looking for any information that can help me cheat or anything like that. It's actually the casino that's cheating according to the letter of the law, I'm just trying to figure out how. I'd love to hear any insight that anyone can offer and I'm open to any opinions.