Paytables mean NOTHING

[dbldbl scotty]

Baked Layed are good too. I dont care for Fritos though. Fritos are the TDB 7/5 of snacks...

[davidearl]

doritos blow
     Not at Taco Bell         Dave 

[FloridaPhil]

Can't eat Doritos, I'm fat enough already...     If you're a recreational player like me, I agree pay tables really don't mean that much.  You can hit a Royal just as easy on a 7/5 Jacks machine as a 9/6.  I play a lot of Jacks, then switch to DDB $1s when I'm ahead.   It works better for me and I know I'm not going to get rich gambling.  On the other hand, the biggest demon we have is busting before we hit the good hands.   That's where a good pay table helps you because it allows you to play longer before you have to go home.   Of course you could just hit up your debit card until you're totally broke.  If you're into that, I can post the number of a good bankruptcy attorney. 

[royal flush]

even for recreational players the paytables do make a big difference as video poker as in life it is a continous session. and in the short run that extra 5 credits for flush or full house can keep you alive to hit the royal

[player_12858]

Reading this thread with great interest..Do the casinos at thier whim just change the chips to pay more out at certain times of the year and less at other times? The OP mentioned last year they were dead,now in January of the new year machines are hot again? (And maybe be slacked back 3rd quarter of the year?)So at the end of the year every advertised paytable has paid out what it is advertised as or close enough?Who/what is to regulate what a 7-5 machine is supposed to pay out and is this said payout supposed to occur over the course of a given day/month/year? Does any Casino control commission oversee this?   NJ's onsite commission has gone by the wayside..who oversees the payouts? The rooster guarding the coop?  BTW I agree the better paytable could just earn you those extra credits for a few more spins in a given session to possible hit a big hand..but this recreational player still prefers bartops where even with a lousier paytable,accounts for less hands played per hour,TV to watch,bartender interaction etc.than a floor machine where there is nothing to do other than punch the buttons..I think the coin-in evens out.. 

[Lucky Larry]

Welcome player to the forum.

I can only speak for the casino we play frequently. In our 4 years since we began playing there, the pay tables have only changed once (lowered) with a new manager change to increase profits. I've spend lots of time talking to techs and slot directors.
A couple of interesting notations:
1) Every change of pay tables or change of game options is followed up by a certification by the State Gaming Commission before it can be played.
2) The casino we play uses a VP/slot consultant who makes recommendations about which games and which pay tables should be on each machine.
3) Remember, the casino market is competitive unless there is collusion (not that that would ever happen in the "Supply/Demand Free Market" US - i.e.gasoline in the Houston area is 20¢/gallon higher than the small town I-10 gas stations 80 miles away near the La. border - same brand )
4) Pay returns are based on long-time return over millions and millions of hands and if I remember certified by the manufacturer to meet Nevada gaming regulations.

[FloridaPhil]

In a true Vegas style video poker machine, the cards are drawn by a computer chip called a RNG (random number generator). These chips draw supposedly random numbers which are displayed as your cards.  In States that have regulated gambling commissions, these chips are checked regularly to make sure they are not rigged.  It is common for machines and people to go on streaks, both good and bad.  I have seen a couple of casinos that are extremely lucky for me. For example, my wife and I take regular video poker vacations where we play our way across the country.  The Isle of Capri in Bilox has given me a number of Royals. It has nothing to do with their pay tables, I'm just lucky there.  Random is a strange concept that I don't try to explain or understand.  If you're on a winning streak, don't attempt to understand it, just enjoy.  I've been playing video poker for about 10 years and I play at least once a week,  that's a lot of hands for a recreational player.  I don’t pretend to be an expert, but I have learned if the machine odds are less than 100% and if you don't play 100% perfect, you will lose money in the long run.   That's just the way it is.... 
 

[onemoretry]

That's where a good pay table helps you because it allows you to play longer before you have to go home.  

But, five sentences earlier, in the same post, you suggested that pay tables don't really mean that much for recreational players. Isn't that a bit inconsistent?

[FloridaPhil]

It depends upon your definition of "NOTHING" (Sounds like Bill Clinton). 
If you play a 95% pay table machine, does that mean you can't win today, tomorrow or ever?   The cards are drawn by the RNG, so winning is determined at random, just don't expect to win all the time.
 
I've hit lots of Royals and 4AceKickers on machines with terrible pay tables. I even won $13,000 in two days playing 7/5 Jacks.  A real pro like Bob Dancer would never play such a machine, but I'm playing for fun and most times can't find a 100% machine anyway.  Recreational players don't have unlimited budgets, so better pay tables equals longer play which gives you more chances at paying hands.  If I have a choice of playing two machines and one pays better than the other, I'm playing the machine with the better pay table. Unless of course the casino is giving me something that's worth the difference.  It happens... 
 

[EDC1977]

  I have always been a recreational player and yet, have payed close attention to paytables and advantage play. I don't expect to get rich playing VP yet it's always nice to play for hours on a limited bankroll. Hitting a boat for 45 or 50 coins vs. the person sitting next to you getting 30 for their boat is somewhat enjoyable. I'll stick to finding and playing the best games available. I once thought the games could be rigged but read up on it and understood it wouldn't be in the houses best interest to risk their gaming license. Play on and enjoy VP but don't stuff the casinos wallet any more than you have to.