A closer look...

[FloridaPhil]

I had another decent day yesterday with a small $200 win for the day. I've been looking at my records and have decided to delve more seriously into why the cheap system is working for me.  The difference since I switched is so dramatic that I think a good review and discussion is called for.  
 
Before implementing the cheap strategy, I played max coin Deuces or DDB all the time.   With a session bankroll of $300, I would frequently bust before I hit a jackpot decent enough to satisfy me enough so I could walk away.  Most of the time, I was all done within 2-3 hours of play.   By starting with single coin quarters and working up, I can play a minimum of 5-6 hours with money left over.   The huge increase in the number of hands played is giving me more chances to hit quad aces or deuces and is allowing me to occationally take shots at higher denominations.   I also had a tendency to go on tilt if I got behind or was itching for a "Big Win".  Playing single coin high denomination machines satisfies the last urge without betting the farm.
 
Also, I move machines almost every $20.  My theory is that if a quad deuce is happening on every machine on average every 5,000 hands and all the machines in the casino are on different schedules, it's better to move around.  If the deals are truly random this shouldn't matter, but it does seem to as I hit a lot of quad deuces within the first few hands of play.  It would be interesting to see what would happen if I had a $1,000 session budget and played max coins on the same machine, would the results be the same?   There is some real reason this is working in my situation.  I went from losing $400 to $600 a month to making a profit or breaking even the majority of the time. Luck can't be all there is to it.  Seriously, what's happening here?
 

[alpax]

I took a rough estimate that If you play 80% of the time 1 credit and 20% of the time at max 5 credit. You are playing .80 * 1 + .20 * 5 = 1.8 credits per average bet with the system. That is compared to betting 5 credits per hand. So 36% of the average size bet you made before, it could enable you to play at least 3 times longer before. If there is no royal flush hit conditionally, the paytable return percentage will be the same for 1 credit and max credit, if royal flush hits on max credits, that will provide a huge boost to the bankroll.

On casino city times, http://grochowski.casinocitytimes.com/a ... ines-61089

On the bottom it mentions you can play 1000 hands of max credit JoB at $165 on quarter denomination 95% of the time. For 5000 hands, it needs $450 (less than triple).

So when variance comes into play where you can give yourself a chance to play to play more. I do not have video poker for winners to use the bankroll calculator but playing longer gives you a shot at the bigger prizes.

[olds442jetaway]

Hi Phil. You may have seen my recent posts about playing deuces limiting my stay at a machine to 4 net losses to get tip money for the day when we first get to the casino. So far, this has not failed. I haven't hit deuces quads yet, but have hit about everything else except the Royal. So far, we have ended up with plenty of singles to cover our tips for the evening and then some. I usually spend about half hour doing this. I agree with you that there is something to all of this and the trick is to avoid a machine that is in a horrible cycle and have that one take all of your budget for the day. I have had that happen to me more times than I can count. I just posted about tonight's plans a few minutes ago on another thread. Will let the gang know how it works out. Best of luck on your end too and Hi to Mrs. Phil.

[shadowman]

Good and bad luck spells can run for a long time. Just hope the good luck continues.

[FloridaPhil]

If it's luck and not something else, my current lucky streak has lasted for one full year.  I think it has more to do with the increased number of hands I can play with the same money.   Also, this method fits my playing style so perfectly that I enjoy the game a lot more.  I know it doesn't make any sense, but my records tell me quad deuces come up a lot more when playing single coin.  There comes a time when the results are so obvious you need to look for more than luck. I'm not a conspiracy guy, but there's something going on here. It's not that way in any of my software play, but put me in a real casino and it happens even at all denominations.  

[shadowman]

One year is not a real long time. It would be nice if you found some kind of machine error but I wouldn't count on it. I never ran into anything back when I played short coin, but that was a different technology.

[wildman49]

   There is some real reason this is working in my situation.  I went from losing $400 to $600 a month to making a profit or breaking even the majority of the time. Luck can't be all there is to it.  Seriously, what's happening here?
 My buddy and I played  the one coin system the last 2 Fridays. 2 guys played 9 hours and no  4 deuces in 2 trips bad luck? I think Phil has a casino with machines that are programed fair. As I remember  Phil you went to CT and played the 1 coin system. Did you see much in the way the machines payed there to the FL machines?

[FloridaPhil]

The system didn't seem to work in CT, but I only played for a day so it's not much of a test.  I think my success has more to do with money management than hitting more quads.  Before I switched, it was very hard for me to walk out of the casino.  I didn't have a clear exit strategy so I usually played until my money was gone or I won over $500 which didn't happen very often. I think this problem is very common and I'm not alone in this.
With my current strategy, I pocket every win over $50, so I gather a lot of tickets and it's easier for me to see where I'm at and determine if it's time to call it a day.  Also, taking a shot at a high denomination machine once in a while has proven to be a real winner for me.  About once an hour, I'll throw $20 into a one coin $5 deuces game.  I cash out and leave if I hit $100 or more.  It's amazing how many times I can take a few hundred out of a machine like that and sometimes I hit a really good one and it makes my day.  I highly recommend this for recreational players, just don't get greedy or you will give it back.

[rascal]

I agree with Shadow. The average player has no earthly idea of how many decisions are made per year in the average casino. A very long run of good or bad luck may seem significant to the player but in terms of being a percentage of the total decisions made in the casino during a year it is a very tiny fraction of one percent.

It's what your return is over the long run, many years, that finally evens out the peaks and valleys of luck.

As far as extending your playing time by shorting yourself, if you enjoy sitting in front of a machine for hours then go for it. Me --- I want the maximum cost efficiency, so the less time I play for the largest return the better. i.e., my total return per hour and per investment.

[FloridaPhil]

I enjoy playing for the longest time possible and coming home with money left in my pockets.   I tried the other way and it didn't work for me.   To each his own...