Shocking Numbers

[FloridaPhil]

I've been moving up in denomination lately.  Instead of playing quarters and yearning for a bigger jackpot , I've moved to fifty cents.  To you high rollers, it's no big deal.  For me, it's mentally significant.  So far, it hasn't affected my results, but I haven't hit a really bad day yet. My free play has increased significantly.   My bonus free play offers are now well over $120.  This got me thinking about how much money I'm running through the machines in a three day outing.  I play about 700 hands an hour and in three days I play at least 15 hours.  Most trips I may play 20 hours or more.  700 x  $2.50 = $1,750 an hour.  15 x $1,750 = $26,250.  If someone asked me how much I gambled last week and I told them $26,000, I think it would raise more than a few eyebrows!  My game is 98.9% deuces wild, so the house edge is already a little more than 1%.  1% of $26,250 is $262.50.   Without a royal I believe my average loss on one of these three day trips over a year's time could be about 1-2% more.  I'm mentally prepared to take a bankroll bath on one of these VP trips, but I'm confident I'll catch back up in time.  If a few $2K royals show up, I could be ahead.  We'll see.  Factoring in free rooms in one of the nicest resorts in South Florida, free drinks and food makes playing VP not such a bad deal after all. We've been making these trips about one every six weeks and it's much cheaper than our retired friends taking a European River Cruise or gawking at the Panama Canal.  I guess you can tell we both love VP.I can already see it's not all about the amount you run through the machines that matters, it's the game odds, your accuracy and a little luck.  Interesting...

[Chicagoan]

Accuracy issues in addition to the lack of royals on schedule could push your average loss to well more than an additional 1 to 2%. 1 to 2% in addition to the house edge is optimistic for a non-professional VP player.

[FloridaPhil]

I agree.   My track record with 98.9% deuces wild has been better than expected.  I hit more royals last year than I was due, one for $4K.Deuces works well for me.  It's a relatively mild game and by keeping my cash out limit low, I can limit my loses on a day trip.  What hurts is a marathon trip without a royal or a quad deuce. Ouch!!  

[ukaserex]

I think - and opinions vary - that it's worth just playing free play until they stop sending it to you - to catch up on those percentages.

But that's just me.

Real life example:
About 2 years ago, I started playing VP again after taking a lengthy hiatus. The last time I’d played, I’d been in Vegas. But, because I’d learned The Palace was smoke free, the primary thing that kept me from gaming was removed.

I heard they had been smoke free for a while, but it was news to me.

The one thing The Palace doesn’t have is $5 video poker. So, I still had my player’s card from 10 years ago at Harrah’s in New Orleans, so I went to Harrah’s. I had to get a new card, but they still had my name in the system.

I spent 1800 dollars on $5 VP. Lost it all. Quickly. I was pretty angry with myself for risking it in that smoke-filled den of iniquity. (Yeah, I get on a moral high horse when I lose, so sue me)

Later that week, I got some mailers from Harrah’s. $90 free play – and 50 in free play. The $90 could only be used on the weekend, and the 50 could be used at any time during the 7 day week. So, I went back the next weekend with $140 in free play.

I could play quarters, 50 cent, $1, or $5.

Statistically, it makes more cents to play the quarters. More hands, more opportunities for a royal - and no tax consequences. But, my little notebook says I’m down $1800. I want more than a quad or two on quarters.

I played the $5 machine. It was smokey, and if I lost – I only lost the opportunity to win without losing more cash. Fine.

I hit a quad on the second hand. Minus $25 the first hand, Minus $25 the second hand, but add the quad – I’m at $715. But – I still have $90 more free play to play before it will let me get all cash. So, I play 4 more hands. The next 3 are zip. The 4th is a full house for another 200 bucks. I cash out with $815.

I still have 3 more weeks of this with $140 in free play, plus free buffets – which are the worst on the coast. But, it is free, sort of.

I repeated using nothing but free play for two more months – and then they cut me off. They’d mailed me the free play, but when I got there, it wouldn’t work.

I didn’t care. I’d gotten back all of that $1800 plus 415 bucks. Silly goofs. At least I was up instead of them. I was a bit miffed about making the trip, though.

I’m not suggesting that everyone do this – I wouldn’t do it again. But, this is money. Free play is free play. If they give it, they have to expect people will use just that free play and not their own resources. They’ve the right to rescind the offer, I suppose, but in my case, no harm done to me.

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=ukaserx]I was pretty angry with myself for risking it in that smoke-filled den
of iniquity. (Yeah, I get on a moral high horse when I lose, so sue me)[/quote]Funny!   

[Carcounter]

Next Tuesday the 21st is a 10x slot dollar day at Borgata. Good on VP also. Thinking of playing the 9/6 dollar triple play JOB, but know I can easily lose $2,000 in a 2-3 hr session. May settle for single line 9/6 Jacks, or dollar 9/5 Super Double Bonus (99.69%)

[Lucky Larry]

I've been moving up in denomination lately.  Instead of playing quarters and yearning for a bigger jackpot , I've moved to fifty cents.  To you high rollers, it's no big deal.  For me, it's mentally significant.  So far, it hasn't affected my results, but I haven't hit a really bad day yet. My free play has increased significantly.   My bonus free play offers are now well over $120.  This got me thinking about how much money I'm running through the machines in a three day outing.  I play about 700 hands an hour and in three days I play at least 15 hours.  Most trips I may play 20 hours or more.  700 x  $2.50 = $1,750 an hour.  15 x $1,750 = $26,250.  If someone asked me how much I gambled last week and I told them $26,000, I think it would raise more than a few eyebrows!  My game is 98.9% deuces wild, so the house edge is already a little more than 1%.  1% of $26,250 is $262.50.   Without a royal I believe my average loss on one of these three day trips over a year's time could be about 1-2% more.  I'm mentally prepared to take a bankroll bath on one of these VP trips, but I'm confident I'll catch back up in time.  If a few $2K royals show up, I could be ahead.  We'll see.  Factoring in free rooms in one of the nicest resorts in South Florida, free drinks and food makes playing VP not such a bad deal after all. We've been making these trips about one every six weeks and it's much cheaper than our retired friends taking a European River Cruise or gawking at the Panama Canal.  I guess you can tell we both love VP.I can already see it's not all about the amount you run through the machines that matters, it's the game odds, your accuracy and a little luck.  Interesting...


Phil,
The first year I asked the casino to give me a print out of our Coin-In/Coin-out which some will do, I almost went into cardiac arrest. For the year Sweet C and I had combined to $900+K and then next year (a good year with lots of hits) it was almost $1.3M CI-CO.   Now I just take the Tier Points and multiply by the CI for VP. So to make 125K VIP status every six months @ $4/point we put in $500,000K CI. My best year (with huge VP hits) my tier points were over 500K and all playing 5¢-25¢ 50/100 play VP. Alas, no hits less points. Our biggest cash benefit is the 10¢/point cash back at the VIP level versus 1¢ and 2¢ lower tiers.

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=Lucky Larry] For the year Sweet C and I had combined to $900+K and then next year (a
good year with lots of hits) it was almost $1.3M CI-CO.[/quote]Truly amazing numbers.  I remember a few years ago the media basted Michael Jordan for gambling.  As I remember he was once reported to have played rock, paper, scissors for 100K a pop.  Wonder if he ever plays video poker? 

[paco13]

Gold is the "rock" that allegedly back our money.
$Bill's are the "paper" to represent our gold worth.
VP machines are the virtual scissors we use to cut it all up into confetti.

[asteroid]

Unfortunately President Nixon eliminated the gold standard back in 1971 Paco. Now we just have to hope that when we hand someone a piece of paper with printing on it, that they will break their back for us (and we for them in the reverse situation).Gold is the "rock" that allegedly back our money.
$Bill's are the "paper" to represent our gold worth.
VP machines are the virtual scissors we use to cut it all up into confetti.