THE SWITCH

[FloridaPhil]

Some years ago, I was playing video poker next to a guy about my age. We struck up a conversation and we were "bench racing" about our casino experiences. He told me the casino had a switch in the master control room that controlled the machines. He believed the casino controls the payouts from this switch. I told him I wanted to know more about this switch. He said when this switch is "ON" everyone wins. Evidentially, the majority of the time the switch is "OFF". He said you should only play when people are winning. I have heard this before. Some people think good luck is contagious. Even today, I have players tell me the casino is "dead". I wish they had told me earlier.

I have seen situations where the casino does things to increase the house edge. Poor machine maintenance is a huge problem. Video poker is declining in popularity. Not so much with the players, with casinos. A video poker machine takes up the same space as a slot machine. When a video poker machine has a 3% house edge, we think it's a terrible game. The casino thinks it's a looser, so they drop the odds further or they remove it entirely.

Even a horrible video poker game is a better game than a modern slot machine. The Tampa Hard Rock is one of the largest casinos in the country in terms of floor space. It's privately owned, so we have no actual figures. Using the money the State receives as part of their agreement, some experts have calculated the house edge to be near 10%. If you were the owners of this casino, would you want a 10% or 3% return on your investment?

Few players play video poker well enough to earn the full return. Some do. Computer software available on this website allows you to train to that level. I suspect the profit on a video poker game is at least 1/2 of what it is on a modern slot machine. Of course we will never know.

Last week I went to the casino like I always do. They moved my favorite machines again and replaced them with some new slots. I asked the attendant where they moved them and she didn't know. I walked the entire casino and finally found them behind the restaurant. Luckily, the odds where the same. I immediately hit a quad deuce with my free play. They must have flipped the switch.

[olds442jetaway]

I have heard this myself over and over again even from some employees and techs. I guess we may never know. One thing I have found that to me is very strange. When you first sit down at a machine, I am almost always ahead after the first few hands. Then, it immediately heads in the other direction. Two years ago in the middle of yhe night when the casino was empty I decided to test this playing CS. If i got ahead a quarter, I would cash out and try another machine. Sometines I would hit a wild Royal or five of a kind on the first hand or a straight flush. At one point in the evening I was up 250 bucks. That is a lot for CS. However, there were so many paper jams and other malfunctions where I had to wait for an attendant I got disgusted and never played that way again. After awhile, I even had a suit follow me around, so I would take frequent bathroom breaks. It was not an enjoyable evening, but it really made me wonder. You know, I’m going up tonight and just might try it again and report back here.

[Eduardo]

If anyone actually believes this "switch" business... why not simply ask around if people are winning and only play when the "switch" is on. I'm sure you'll make a fortune. Ha!

Just more superstition based on limited observation of a random sample (likely a few odd souls they have spoken to nearby).

As others have mentioned before, in a fair game... played perfectly... you will lose more often than you win.

There is zero reason for such a hot/cold switch to exist when a random sample provides the exact same result.

[olds442jetaway]

This is true. That’s why I am willing to try what I posted about until it doesn’t work. I do wonder though. Why do I stay almost even playing wolf vp for fun and lose mamy many many thousands of dollars at the casino playing with identicL paytables

[FloridaPhil]

I believe what happens is we only remember these things when they work. I can walk around all day shoving $20s in the machine without a thing. Then I put one in and hit a quad deuce. I guess they turned on the switch? I believe patterns and streaks exist. Anyone who has ever played wild card games knows this. Unfortunately, I don't believe there is any way to capitalize on them. I think it was Ted who said "You don't know when you are in a streak until it's over."

[billryan]

Why not just cash out, wait thirty seconds and trick the machine into thinking you just sat down? Do you think the seat has a mechanism that alerts the game you just sat down?
If my usual results were bad and I really thought this method worked, I'd certainly keep it going.

[FloridaPhil]

Everything works until it doesn't. I don't believe in switches. It is interesting talking to players and hearing what some believe.

[Chicagoan]

There IS a switch and I have actually seen it in action many times. All casinos have it!!! I can go into the casino when the switch is off, play for a hour, nothing. Then they flip the switch and I hit a quad. Bang...they turn the switch off again and I get nothing for at least 45 minutes. Then, blam! They turn the switch back on and I hit another quad! So exciting! Then they turn it back off for at least 2 hours and my results are horrible. But then -- wow! They flip the switch and I hit another quad! It's so joyful! But then they turn the switch back off and...…..

[FloridaPhil]

[Eduardo]

There IS a switch and I have actually seen it in action many times. All casinos have it!!! I can go into the casino when the switch is off, play for a hour, nothing. Then they flip the switch and I hit a quad. Bang...they turn the switch off again and I get nothing for at least 45 minutes. Then, blam! They turn the switch back on and I hit another quad! So exciting! Then they turn it back off for at least 2 hours and my results are horrible. But then -- wow! They flip the switch and I hit another quad! It's so joyful! But then they turn the switch back off and...…..

I was using the restroom that day. I had to keep waddling out of the stall with my pants down to turn the lights back on, but the manager would rush back in and flip them off. Now I know why. It also explains why the machines always seem to hit when I'm away in the bathroom.