Denomination Dilemma

[FAA]

I am getting about $40 FP at a casino. I prefer their 9/6 JOB, solely available at dollar. But I usually end up giving back my winnings and $100+. Should I simply switch to 8/5 quarter? Worse odds, but a smaller overall loss. I’m ready to throw in the dollar towel.

[Eduardo]

Wait... I thought you threw that towel in a long time ago.

It depends on what you're looking for. There is a big difference between 9/6 and 8/5. (2 differences actually).

Your money will probably last longer on 8/5 quarters if you bring the same bankroll. So if you want more play on a daily budget, that's your bet.

But if you still have that goal of a handpay, you'll never see it on single line quarters.

As far as which one will leave you ahead on more occasions, I'm not really sure. It depends on what session goals you set for yourself.

If you are going to play the same number of hands no matter what, then you'll probably lose less on quarters despite the pay table difference. I don't know if that's true long term, but it will probably be true just because you will bust your daily budget more quickly on dollars when things don't go well.

[FAA]

Great breakdown, as I recover from mine. I’d like to play upwards of a thousand hands at the place. That’s not happening with dollar. So, quarters it is. I’ll just eat the lower odds. Switch to fifty if they get hot.

[Eduardo]

I made a graph because I was curious how the denom and lower pay table would work out... and over time your average bankroll will ALWAYS be better off on the better pay table with the same number of hands played. (It is a linear relationship)

But that assumes you have the bankroll to handle the swings of dollar play. If a low bankroll ends your play, you won't be able to play as many hands at dollar because you may not get to the big hands that are needed to sustain play.

In other words, I believe you will actually lose money faster playing the quarter game here, with unlimited funds, despite both pay tables being negative. The good dollar days make up for the rapid loss on the bad ones.

That doesn't mean it's the best move for you personally. You want to be sure you get a fair amount of play in on a visit. Smaller denom will accomplish that (for a price).

[Tedlark]

But if you still have that goal of a handpay, you'll never see it on single line quarters.

Unless of course, it's a progressive.

[FAA]

Yes, but IRL, that Caesars JOB Progressive rarely even breaks $1,100, much less $1,200.

[FAA]

I’m actually over the HL room. That SF felt like ages ago; now it feels like a mine field. What a short term loan that was! Time to actually go out among the unwashed masses for some grinding quarter play. Hopefully one day I’ll switch to dollar and recoup the swift 8/5 losses.

[Eduardo]

I looked at some more numbers...

If you had 8/6 JB available in quarters, that would actually be a better bet than dollar 9/6 as far as loss per hand.

But at 8/5 quarters, the better bet technically is 9/6 dollars as I said, with the previously stated bankroll considerations.

[Waiting4RF]

Or play the 9/6 JOB quarters at Caesars. It is $50 per Tier Credit if that is important to you.

[FAA]

Sure. Dilemma only arose due to Ocean FP. It’s a Trojan horse of a gift, as is most FP. But especially frustrating at OCR.