This happened to me recently.

[olds442jetaway]

Not long ago I was done playing for the session and about ready to turn in for the night. I think I was almost even, but it was late and I was pretty tired. I decided to play 9/6 job just so I would have a few extra singles to have for tips the next morning if I got ahead right away.
The first 37 hands produced either dud hands or just a high pair, but I never even got 2 pair or higher. Finally out of the blue I hit a quad and a full house back to back. I was even or a little better and decided to get the hell out of Dodge for the evening. I was playing a quarter game just betting 5 at a time. How likely is it that I would go 37 hands and not even get 2 pair or higher? It hasn't happened since and I don't ever recall having that many dud or money back hands right from the start before on job.

[FloridaPhil]

Over the years I have noticed these games can do most anything.  I used to think you could take advantage of swings.  I tried, but the game made a fool out of me most of the time.   I could fill this forum with weird stories like that and I'm sure others could to.  I've hit $2,000 quads on the first hand and gone all day without a quad.   Four royals in a day and one year where I lost $10K playing quarters.  Sometimes when I play deuces wild I have to look at the screen because I think I'm on the wrong game.The funniest story I remember was playing VP about 10 years ago.  I lost all morning and was completely busted except for one lonely $5 bill I had saved for a sandwich on the way home.  It was very depressing.   As I walked out of the casino one lonesome video poker machine called out to me.  I am ashamed to say I put that $5 bill in the machine.  I hit the dollar DDB button.  One shot.  Up pops four aces for $800!   I looked up in the sky and said, "Lord, I know you are sending me a message and I got it."   Changed my outlook.There is nothing that can happen that is out of the realm of possibility on these machines. 

[Gronbog]

How likely is it that I would go 37 hands and not even get 2 pair or higher? It hasn't happened since and I don't ever recall having that many dud or money back hands right from the start before on job.According to VPW, for 9/6 Jack or Better with perfect play, the odds of No Win on a given hand are 54.543% and the odds of a high pair (Jacks or Better) are 21.459%. So the odds of getting one of these two results on a given hand is 76.002%. The odds of doing this 37 times in a row are 76.002% ^ 37 = 0.0038952% or 1 in ~25,673.To put this in perspective, you will begin a streak like this more often than you hit a royal, so it's rare but not completely improbable.

[FloridaPhil]

A few months ago someone posted that neither him or his wife had hit a royal in 10 years of play.  We don't know how many hands they have actually played, so any calculations would be a guess.  I'm just glad it wasn't me.

[FAA]

Depressing math indeed. I've had a twenties streak like this. I'd take a baseball bat to the machine, but I fear damaging the bat.

[billryan]

In a game where you play hundreds of hands an hour, trying to keep track of subsets of winning or losing streaks simply distracts from playing your hands properly. I'd worry more about playing the hands right than worrying about "streaks" that even themselves out in the long run.

[FAA]

OP was 0-37 off the bat, thus making the run particularly memorable.

[billryan]

OP was 0-37 off the bat, thus making the run particularly memorable.

No, he wasn't. He says he went 37 hands without two pair or better. For all we know he might have have a dozen or more pairs.

[OTABILL]

A few months ago someone posted that neither him or his wife had hit a royal in 10 years of play.  We don't know how many hands they have actually played, so any calculations would be a guess.  I'm just glad it wasn't me.



I was the one who posted about neither my wife nor I getting a single line in Vegas or Laughlin during multiple trips over ten (actually 11) years. During that time frame we did hit royals here in AZ. As recreational players neither of us count how many hands we play though I am confident we played well over 100,000 between us in Nevada from 2006-2017. As far as I am concerned just bad luck. If someone our results might even out during future trips, remember that the long term is not guaranteed. Hopefully, we will overcome current health issues and casinos will maximize non-smoking can visit Vegas, etc. again and enjoy VP without exacerbating our health issues.

[olds442jetaway]

Yep 0 for 37 like posted. There were a dozen or so foul tips in there meaning job hits, but no 2 pair. At least I didn't get slammed with a fastball like in the Yankees and Redsox game yesterday. I was having a nice pot roast dinner in the casino lounge and watching the game when that happened. If I had a buck for every time that replay and the resulting brawl was shown, I would have paid for all of my losing sessions last year and then some.

    Thanks Gronhog for the calculation. I thought it might have been a larger number than not hitting a Royal, but I guess not.