Random? I don't think so.

[markinca]

If Phil wrote a book it would have 20 chapters. He would write the first chapter and then repeat it 19 times

[markinca]

I have only seen the coin button blocked two times.  The first was on a group of three $5 machines.  Just before that, I hit those machines for three consecutive single coin $1,000 quad deuces a week apart.  I am positive this was pure coincidence and had nothing to do with the casino's decision.   I believe they blocked the coin button to keep single coin players from monopolizing the $5 machines.  This idea must have backfired on them as they unblocked the buttons a month later.  The second was when I tried to play single coin 9/6 dollar Jacks in Hollywood to gain better odds.  They since changed the dollar odds to 8/5 taking that option away.



Why go to the trouble of blocking buttons when they can just deal back discards? Thankfully this practice has gone undetected for years, except for a close call when you almost exposed it.

[FloridaPhil]

The greatest factor contributing to player's losses is not odds or errors, it's playing above your financial or psychological bankroll.   Since this is the Stories Forum, here's a story.About six years ago I decided to check out a free bus trip that the Tampa Hard Rock was offering at the time.  The bus picked us up about five miles from my home and brought us back.  Round trip cost $20 and the casino gave you $50 a free play.  This seemed like a good deal to me, so I tried it.  The bus picked us up around 8:30 AM and came back about 5:30 PM.  This meant you had to gamble from 10 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon, 5 hours in all.  The first time I went I realized this was going to be a very costly trip.  Five hours of VP playing 97% odds costs a lot of money.   The next time, I played single coin quarters all day.  This was the first time I did this. What I discovered was amazing.   Back then I was playing about 1,000 hands an hour.  With 5,000 hands to play and NO concern about my losses, jackpots fell out of the sky.  I think I hit more quad aces that day than I ever had before or since.  At the end of the day, I broke even.  I would have had the same result if I had played dollars, OR WOULD I?   The same quads would have happened, but the casino would have busted me in between them.   The fact is the casino never runs out of money.  APs don't either.  Regular people do.  When you play video poker BELOW your pain threshold good things happen.  When you play above it, the casino wins practically every time.People that gambling with money they don't care anything about win more.  People that fret over losses lose more.   I could go into long paragraphs explaining why this is so.  I will spare you the explanation.  This is the reason why I don't like talking about playing $5 games on this forum.  It leads some players to think playing bigger is better.  This is only true if you can handle $5 games financially and mentally.   If you can't, drop down to where you don't care and you will do much better.If a Vegas professional player drops $20K in an afternoon, it's business as usual.  If a working father with three kids does it, it's a disaster.   We should think about who is reading our posts before we make our statements.  Now if some of you think I keep repeating myself, ask yourself this.  Is this issue worth talking about?  The person who started this post thinks the machines are rigged.  Lots of people do.  They do because the casino keeps beating them.   The truth is they are beating themselves.

[paco13]

Don't know who first said it but "Scared money never wins."

[stevel96a1]

What Phil said about VP being a fantasy i have to agree 100% its how i felt about blackjack. Losing 1/10 of my roll or 2k is unacceptable to me right now with or without an edge. You can go on other forums going back 2 decades into the past and read how many people with bigger banks and bigger brains than me lost to the casinos. With that being said i have access as you all to simulate casino conditions in Blackjack or video poker

Bj can be beaten but under conditions unlimited money unlimited time no back offs. Plenty of different casinos to hit up. So basically if your a playboy mansion guy this maybe right up your alley

Video poker on the other hand i only have access to atlantic city gsmes and wolf / win poker predict the outcome for me. I dont need to take down 1000$ to see the future no the 99.54 says it all

[FloridaPhil]

Lots of people on this forum think I keep beating a dead horse.   Actually, I think this issue is more important than game odds or perfect play will ever be.   Of all the things the casino does to increase their bottom line, busting players is at the top of the list.   Playing single coin quarters for so long showed me this.  All those quad aces and royals are just around the corner, but you are walking back to your car broke.   Even when you hit the ATM, your brain is telling you to take big chances to recover your losses.  That's when the real damage is done.Playing negative games comes with a cost.  That cost doesn't have to be stressful.  When it's all said and done, playing quarters is the same game as playing $5 a coin.  It's all entertainment.    If you must take huge risks to enjoy your games, maybe you should try jumping a motorcycle over the fountain at Caesars?This can happen when playing positive games as well.  If you are going to mimic a computer, play like one.  Pick a denomination where losses are a joke, stick with it and you will do fine.    Play at a denomination where losses hurt and you will live out your worst fears.

[FAA]

I kept right on playing above BR yesterday. Two buck ATM fee be damned. I was in revenge mode. Pleased to emerge net -$10. I was doing more poses than a yogi. So much for $100 coin in on quarter.

[onemoretry]

The single coin vs. max coin controversy needs a chapter on it's own.  
I assume you mean its, and not it's. That being said, I do not believe there is any controversy at all, except that which you try to create.

[FloridaPhil]

I am not trying to create controversy.  I am saying this subject should be discussed, not dismissed offhand.  Playing 97% games with single coin quarters makes a lot of sense.  You get better odds than nickles, you can play longer with the same money and you lose less long term.   We can sit on this forum and pretend everyone plays positive VP.  We can write books on how to beat the casinos by playing with an edge that only exists on a few rare machines.    We can talk about free cruises, cash back and casinos making mistakes in our favor.  All of this is worthless to the majority of players across America. I want this forum to address real video poker as it exists outside of the Vegas City limits.  Does anyone else care? 

[markinca]

I am not trying to create controversy. 


Stop it. That's literally your entire M.O.