VP Machine VS. "The Novice Player"

[Lucky Larry]

rolanddude,
Look at your 9/6 JOB. 55% of the time the machine deals you nothing. Imagine a Dart Board Wheel with 100 segments - 55 of the segments pay nothing and 45 segments pay from 5-4000. Spin that wheel at 10000 RPM and throw a dart, where the dart hits is what you get.

I look at playing VP the same as I do investing in the Stock Market. Play the Highest Return Pay Return Games with the Least Volatility (Total Stock Market Index and Total Bond Index funds) with the highest effectiveness I can (lowest cost fund from Vanguard, Fidelity, etc. ) to increase my chances of wins (earnings). Helped me retire at 56 on an educator's salary.

Regulated casinos purchasing regulated Class III machines from companies like IGT, Bally, don't have the option to change the RNG to an unregulated chip. Second, they wouldn't risk losing their license. Besides, like mentioned many of the people who play VP have little knowledge of the correct way to play the hands. The house edge for those people my be not 1-2% but 5-10-15%. And, there are a lot of those players.

I played a machine at the Isle Lake Charles for years that gave me multiple dealt multi-hand Royals. It happened to be the only machine that had not had its 99.73% NSUD and full pay JOB/Bonus downgraded to lower pay tables. I coveted that machine like a mistress. I recorded her Serial # and followed her around the casino from location to location as she and her sisters were moved. I played her for 4-5 years until the last time they downgraded the pay tables and included her this time. Gosh darn I miss my mistress machine, we had thousands of intimate hours together and dozens of Royals hit and dealt. I'm now waiting to see how long my current single high pay machine remains undiscovered. I only know of 3 people besides my wife and I who know which machine and which games to play. I discovered it when I was playing next to it and realized the man playing it was a different version with an incredibly high return. Its now our secret.

BTW: there are some games where you hold a pair, even a low pair over 4/flush. In Double Bonus DW you hold a pair over the flush unless its 4/Straight Flush.

[Sea Lion]

Here in LV, I would say that around 85% of the time you'll get a crappy hand dealt (anything other than a paying pair or better) playing JoB or any of the JoB bonus games. The draw might knock that percentage down to 80% and that goes for the 100%+ games too. I have read that with the newer VP machines, the RNG can be manipulated and nothing was said beyond that. A few things to trip on. Would a casino eat a huge fine if they got caught manipulating a RNG chip if there was no chance of losing their license? Maybe. Will a casino risk losing their license? Probably not. Can a NGC agent be paid off to turn a blind eye to this? Generally not, but you never know. I know that at Sam's Town LV if you ask to have a VP machine checked out for any possible malfunction, they will call the Nevada Gaming Commission to pull the RNG chip and give you a written report about 45 days later. The casino staff will not touch them.

[FAA]

Sam's Town LV if you ask to have a VP machine checked out for any
possible malfunction, they will call the Nevada Gaming Commission to
pull the RNG chip and give you a written report about 45 days later. The
casino staff will not touch them.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Very impressive. I would love that in AC just to get the malfunctioning JOB progressives out of commission. You bet one coin, but suddenly see the column venture into two and even three coin territory! Has this particular glitch ever happened to anyone? New wrench in the works for me. Nobody is actually monitoring machines. They just place them and service on an ad hoc basis!

[Sea Lion]

Sam's Town LV if you ask to have a VP machine checked out for any
possible malfunction, they will call the Nevada Gaming Commission to
pull the RNG chip and give you a written report about 45 days later. The
casino staff will not touch them.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Very impressive. I would love that in AC just to get the malfunctioning JOB progressives out of commission. You bet one coin, but suddenly see the column venture into two and even three coin territory! Has this particular glitch ever happened to anyone? New wrench in the works for me. Nobody is actually monitoring machines. They just place them and service on an ad hoc basis!

I found that out when I was playing 10-play quick quads, and after playing 1200 hands with no quads, quick or otherwise, hitting on any draw, let alone on the deal,  I had enough and became angry and frustrated, so I went through the chain of command there until the floor manager came over and explained how this worked. I thought that someone there could pull the chip and check it out, but that was not the case. Everyone in that chain of employees was very polite and professional in helping me address this frustration with that particular machine.  I had two choices. I could come back and beat the sh*t out of that machine with a baseball bat, or just move to another machine. After carefully thinking through my options, and any immediate consequences that are sure to follow, I chose the latter.

[Lucky Larry]

Sam's Town LV if you ask to have a VP machine checked out for any
possible malfunction, they will call the Nevada Gaming Commission to
pull the RNG chip and give you a written report about 45 days later. The
casino staff will not touch them.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Very impressive. I would love that in AC just to get the malfunctioning JOB progressives out of commission. You bet one coin, but suddenly see the column venture into two and even three coin territory! Has this particular glitch ever happened to anyone? New wrench in the works for me. Nobody is actually monitoring machines. They just place them and service on an ad hoc basis!



FAA,
Often slot machine screens/monitors will need to be recalibrated to manufacturer specifications. This is especially crucial for VP machines where touch screen accuracy is critical.

When our favorite 50/100 play were updated back in February the six machines included a new STP option. As a result the monitors needed to show 2 page screens-one for STP options and one for regular Draw Poker options. We had to have the screens recalibrated (the secondary screen-Draw Poker options) were moved to the left margin resulting in not being able to see the full left margin hands.

Additional calibration issues have occurred. The trip before last one machine monitor was not calibrated and hitting the screen to change "Turbo" on/off or the number of hands from 1-100 would often trigger the "Max Play" button or other non requested option like out of the game back to the game option screen.   The issue came to a head when I was playing 10 hand 25¢ DW and switched to DWB and began tapping the "Hands" from 1 to 10.   My finger must have made a slight amount to the right and the hand immediately dealt a $125/100 hand.   I pushed the "Service" button and the explained the issue and demonstrated the off calibration. After having a slot tech, Slot Supervisor, and Gaming Officer arrive and review the previous hands played i was refunded my $125. The tech who reset the monitor explained the internal fan was not set on the highest speed allowing too much heat to build up thus impacting the calibration. A common problem with computer monitors.

The solution is whenever a machine has a issue - sticky buttons, poor calibration, etc. I refuse to play the machine but also hit the "Service" button. I then explain what the issue is and why it needs to be corrected "so I can play faster... more hands.... more $$$ for the casino" The same goes for other issues. Unfortunately, our favorite VP machines are placed next to the 1) Bar area; 2) the gaming tables or very loud machines. This past week a new slot machine would go into its bonus round with the most incredible distracting sounds. As soon as it was empty I asked the slot tech to lower the sound and explained why. Of course by now, most of the techs know me and some always stop by to check to make sure everything is working. (The result of taking time to contact their Supervisor and the Casino GM via cc: thanking them for their extra effort and professionalism.) Like all of us, recognition of efforts is always appreciated. One tech even told me my letter of thanks got him rewarded as employee of the month and a bonus.

[FAA]

1200 hands with no quads, quick or otherwise, hitting on any draw, let
alone on the deal,  I had enough and became angry and frustrated, so I
went through the chain of command there until the floor manager came
over and explained how this worked. I thought that someone there could
pull the chip and check it out; not the case. Everyone in
that chain of employees was very polite and professional in helping me
address this frustration with that particular machine.  I had two
choices. I could come back and beat the sh*t out of that machine with a
baseball bat, or just move. After carefully thinking
through my options, and any immediate consequences that are sure to
follow, I chose the latter.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Yeah, you're absolutely right. Just capitulate to fate and move. It's just not worth the confrontations, the agitation, the wasted breath. Nobody beyond the waitresses where I play is particularly friendly or sympathetic. Just accept that it's FUBAR and get the hell away. I think that I will even set a new Progressive min for myself. If I don't see $1,050, I am choosing dollar 9/6. I'm probably not hitting a RF right after the last lucky patron, despite the RNG process. And full pay quarter play means poor comp accrual. 

[FAA]

The trip before last one machine monitor was not calibrated and hitting
the screen to change "Turbo" on/off or the number of hands from 1-100
would often trigger the "Max Play" button or other non requested option
like out of the game back to the game option screen.   The issue came to
a head when I was playing 10 hand 25¢ DW and switched to DWB and began
tapping the "Hands" from 1 to 10.   My finger must have made a slight
amount to the right and the hand immediately dealt a $125/100 hand. I
pushed the "Service" button and the explained the issue and demonstrated
the off calibration. After having a slot tech, Slot Supervisor, and
Gaming Officer arrive and review the previous hands played i was
refunded my $125. The tech who reset the monitor explained the internal
fan was not set on the highest speed allowing too much heat to build up
thus impacting the calibration. A common problem with computer
monitors.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------You are very patient and have incredible faith in the powers that be. I guess that's why you're Lucky Larry. It takes a lot of nerve to preside over a meeting with that huge crew. I could never pull it off, nor could most players. You're the squeaky wheel that got the grease. So, congratulations. It takes a certain hard core personality to achieve your result. BTW, I have little ability to grasp your example as all I play is single line JOB!