Video Poker Forum

I remember reading this story about a guy who was making some big hits.

"To my great surprise, though, they found something they didn’t like and told me they were going to have to shut it down and change the chip. Apparently it had been set looser than they had intended. They were going to tighten it up, which would take them about an hour."
 
So about 3 months ago I was playing where I always play and the slot tech was next to me tickering with the machine.  I know the tech but just from the casino so I asked what he was doing.  He told me he was changing the chip and that he had to change the chip on all these machines.  Pointing at a bank of $1 progressives. 
 
I didn't think much of it but then on my last visit I saw a player I had not seen in a while and we got to talking and he says you know they changed the chips in all these machines and I was like yea so what.
 
He continued to say they changed the chips which in effect the machine now deals less paying hands.  He says the big hands are still there but there will no be less lower paying hands such as high pairs, two pair and trips which results in less chances to the big hands.  I was like ok yea but still know what I know.
 
Then I got to thinking about it and it all started to make weird sense.
 
I normally keep up with my play through my players card but I noticed that for several months (probally since they changed the chips would make perfect sense) that I used to be able on average about 70-75 hands out of a $100 bill with no hits over a FH.  Now I have been averageing only about 40-50 hands out of $100. 
 
Also I have been getting less play for my money, I used to be able to play for many hours getting quads, playing more quads just kind of floating.  But now in this same time period my poker has been loose big then win big.  No more floating around for hours, and maybe hitting something good now it is all or nothing.
 
It all makes sense in the "real world" but its confusing from a technical standpoint.  Not sure what to make of it but it just all adds up so what are you suppose to think?  I can't explain it maybe somebody else can.
 
What is the point in changing a chip anyways?  I thought it was all random and they could only control the payback % with the paytable.   But all of this just adds up to support what I have read, seen, been told and now expierenced through play. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I may be mistaken but if the chip was changed to lower pay returns, the pay tables should have also been visibly changed reflecting the lower pay tables.

Had an interesting discussion with the Night Slot Director at a Biloxi casino around 5 am two weeks ago. He was replacing ticket paper in my machine and we began talking about VP.   The guy spent 20 minutes talking about chips, different machines, knew the pay tables, and percentages to the letter. According to him you can use a simple method to determine if the same chip is used for a multiple denominations VP machine. Ex; we went to a bank of machines that he said had the same chip for multiple denominations and he clicked on 25¢ JOB; told me to remember the cards; he then switched to 50¢ JOB and the same hand appeared. He then took me to another bank of machines and said the chips in these were different for each denomination. Same thing 25¢ JOB but a different hand on 50¢ JOB. I'm sure Shadowman or others can confirm if this is true.

Found the conversation to be very interesting.

Could be that the chip didn't change the paytables. I witnessed a tech with the door open and a menu screen that had a selection for "frequency of hands" option. Obviously, this wasn't a totally random deal. I'm thinking it changed the frequency of how often, for instance, a 4oak hand could be attained.But I didn't see a chip involved.

  If they lower the payouts, the paytable has to be changed. If the frequency of hits were allowed to be fiddled with without changing the paytable, the casino and the licensee would stand to lose everything. A high price to pay to nab a few extra bucks don't you think? I used to think along the same lines but was convinced by several people who know better. View the reg's at the gaming control boards website if in doubt. NGC wouldn't allow it

Forgot to add that this wasn't in Nevada. It was a regular VP machine, though, not one of those bingo-type ones.

First, the "frequency number" is a historic value. That is, what has the frequency been of all the hands played during a previous time period. It's a way of verifying the machine is operating within expected norms.Second, as Ed indicated, all class III machines are required to be random. However, there are VLTs where this requirement is not required. So, we would need to understand what type of machine is being discussed whenever we have questions. Finally, I suspect the difference in machines displaying the last hand played would be comparing older machines to newer ones. IGT probably changed it when they came out with a new software (EPROM) release. It may not have anything to do with the physical chips.

spx...
 
Not to rehash an old topic here, but aren't you the guy that holds low pairs over holding dealt two pairs and dealt 4 to the flush on bonus games? Could that be impacting your staying power? My guess is more of that type of negative expected value play rather than corrupt/gaffed chips would have more to do with your recent results.

Finally, I suspect the difference in machines displaying the last hand played would be comparing older machines to newer ones. IGT probably changed it when they came out with a new software (EPROM) release. It may not have anything to do with the physical chips.

shadowman,
Thanks for the input on the same hand multi-denomination machines. So it was possibly software and not chip. These were older Game Kings if I recall.

LL

Damule, yes but no I don't do that day in day out.
 
What I would like to know is why the chip is changed to begin with?  It's not like it wears out or get dirty.

 That is the question.
If it doesn't change anything, why would you replace the chip? Just doesn't make sense.