Lottery scandal

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=Chicagoan]Exactly my experience! Definitely I am seeing much, much more of the bunching up.
[/quote]I think the result of this is that it busts more players and sends them home early or to the ATM.  The biggest advantage the casinos have over us is time and bankroll.  They never close and they never run out of money.   A professional player may be able to play long enough to even this out, a recreational player sees feast or extended famines.  In years past this wasn't the case or at least it wasn't that noticeable.   Another thing that has changed is we have more quirky bonus games these days.  They increase the variance making dry spells even longer.   Video poker is getting a lot like slots.  Sit in the right seat at the right time and you are a winner.  At all other times, you lose.  

[markinca]

You guys do realize that just because the probability of a royal is 1 in ~40k hands that royals aren't necessarily going to come with any set number of hands between them?

Each poker hand is an independent event, so just like when you flip a coin, sometimes you'll flip heads like, 6 times in a row. Likewise, sometimes video poker jackpots will happen all in an hour and then you'll get nothing for days and days and weeks.

Jackpots bunching up as you guys are claiming are in no way any indication that something fishy or strange is going on.

[Tedlark]

Tying into markinca I will also offer this: why is it when some people are losing they complain about a machine(s) being rigged or crooked but when these same people do pull multiple winners (royals, AWAKS, etc.) in a session they don't complain that a machine is rigged or crooked?

Just like markinca said: 1:40000 doesn't always mean 1:40,000.

[Tedlark]

As for the lottery, you know how to avoid a scandal? Don't play it.

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=Tedlark]As for the lottery, you know how to avoid a scandal? Don't play it.[/quote]I agree 100%.  I don't know if any video poker games are rigged and it doesn't matter to me if they are.  What I said was the new games seem to play differently.  I didn't say they were rigged so that the overall returns are affected.  The only thing I have to go on is my own personal observations and that's what it looks like to me which doesn't prove or disprove anything.I intentionally play small for a reason.  This eliminates all my concerns about rigged machines, odds differences and if I should play one game or another.  I play video poker to get out of the house once a week and to have an enjoyable time with my wife on our VP trips.   I play just big enough and long enough to earn comps that are valuable to me.  Currently, the only comps that matter are free play and free rooms.  If you factor in these comps my return is within a few percent of the game odds.  If I hit a royal my return goes higher until an extended down turn causes me to fall behind.   Royals are the determining factor in my results and there is nothing I can do to make them come any faster or more frequent, rigged machines or not.If your goal in playing VP is profit, the integrity of the games is paramount.  The games you play and the strategy you use relies on the odds being as displayed coupled with a completely fair and random RNG.  That's not my motivation, but if it were and I had any suspicions the games were not completely random and legitimate I would choose not to play.

[DaBurglar]

Ive said this many times already....Nevada I believe things are exactly the way they should with all casino games, their regulatory body is the largest, most experienced, most comprehensive and most competent in the world.   The STATE's entire existence pretty much revolves around gaming so it behooves that state to ensure there is never any real, sustained questioning of its integrity,New Jersey on the other hand is a joke, a mess, a perfect example of how NOT to run a gaming segment/market in a state where gaming is only a desperation source of revenue for an overdrawn government.   Circa late 2009/2010, in the imaginary world of republican "government-is-bad" theory, they de-regulated the casino business in NJ, which meant closing all in house Gaming agent Offices (which for 31 years had been a fixture in all NJ casinos), laying off 80% of the Gaming Agency's staff and agents and "folding" the remaining enforcement assets into the NJ State Police!   Someone tell me just what exactly happened in 2010 that suddenly ensured integrity in NJ to allow such reductions in oversight?While you chew on that, add in to the mix the fact that gaming in NJ is on a downward precipitous slope (until very recently that is, since the closing of 5 of 12 casinos meant that ultimately things would HAVE to stabilize eventually)....as others have pointed out, when things reach a point where you are going down anyway, what's to really stop desperate people from screwing with things that previously were not "screwable"??   Whats more, the remaining oversight and regulatory forces in NJ are sure as hell NOT going to be very tough on the remaining casinos, and even if they somehow did find some evidence of nonconformance or even malfesance (i.e. unfairness or outright cheating), do you really honestly think (1) we'd even hear about it, or (2) they'd do anything other than a slap on a wrist, a small fine and a "don't do it again or we'll really get mad next time" admonishment??   C'mon!!!!

[FloridaPhil]

Florida does not have a State Gaming Commission.  The VP machines are described as being "Vegas Slots" but there is no verification or regulatory control.   The gambling at the Florida Hard Rocks is controlled and policed solely by the tribes and the laws they create.  As far as I know there has never been a public outcry or questioning of the fairness of their games.   In other words  "Caveat Emptor".   I have never noticed any evidence that these games have been tampered with.  Frankly, I don't believe I could tell even if they have.  My defense is to play small and let happen what happens.  It's the same strategy I use in Vegas or anywhere else I play.  

[Tedlark]

DaBurglar please explain how THEY "de-regulated the casino business in Atlantic City ?"

And your thinking about Nevada casinos is flawed.Just because you believe all is right with Nevada gaming doesn't mean cheating can't or isn't going on. Look at it this way: how many people think the New England Patriots are so good a team that they don't have to cheat?

[spxChrome]

I have never noticed any evidence that these games have been tampered with.  Frankly, I don't believe I could tell even if they have. 


That's just it I don't think anyone could tell other than the programmers, even the testers have no clue. All they do is run a simulation program... you think anyone verifies the code. This code will never see the light of day that's why you can't be 100% on what is going on inside the RNG. Now way is it as simple as just picking a number between 1-52 that has not already been picked. You can bet that little piece of code is wrapped up along many other conditions.

They show off these new machines and say look you buy these your profits go up x% and they still fall inside the 80% payback or whatever. Who cares where the x% comes from long as it passes regulation tests.

And I can 3rd the behavior of "dead hands" just so many. It truly is like playing the slots now. It use to be you put a $100 in you could play for a few minutes now it just eats it unless, no flush, full house, straight. Its not that uncommon nowadays.

I remember days when I would have several tickets in a tray because of the $1200 credit limit. I would hit an $800 and a $400, $250 whatever... have a good run so to speak. That just does not happened anymore. Now if you get lucky and get an $800 it eats it like it was never suppose to give it you! Angry style.

[DaBurglar]

DaBurglar please explain how THEY "de-regulated the casino business in Atlantic City ?"

I already did.....besides, its a matter of record in NJ.   That was one of Christie's first moves as Gov in 2010......
And your thinking about Nevada casinos is flawed.Just because you believe all is right with Nevada gaming doesn't mean cheating can't or isn't going on. Look at it this way: how many people think the New England Patriots are so good a team that they don't have to cheat? Nonsense statement.....football has zip to do with this, and your question is just a petulant  potshot from someone who dislikes the Patriots almost as much as he dislikes.....ME.And I am 100% correct about Nevada.   Unless you take the time and effort to show me where and HOW Nevada is NOT doing things correctly, your statement is bunk.....per usual.Word Namaste Have a Nice Day Peace Out Yo'