Can't improve dealt hand

[stephmo]

I have a better one on STP, a few weeks ago, I was dealt AQJK of hearts, and a 10X multiplier on .25 STP,on a ten play machine, I thought this was going to be the big one-and nothing!! I think I got a few jacks or better-I had visions of myself in the back of "Strictly Slots"-oh well, I'll have to try another day-

[bgsmooke]

Your Arkansas casino is a Native American casino.  Even though the machines are allegedly tested to make certain they have the same payback overall as stated on the machine, there is frequent debate - or perhaps that is more accurately phrased as skepticism - over whether the machines play randomly (since they are not tested for that; that is, the overall payback must be achieved but it need not be done in a true random manner) in the manner the regulated VP machines in Nevada and Mississippi do.    I can tell you that I have had my doubts in the past about the randomness of Native American video poker machines.  In a visit to a California Native American casino several years ago I had more than 15 4-card draws for a flush without hitting one.   At first it was frustrating, then it shifted to amusing - as in how long can this possibly go on - and later a sinister suspicion that something less than random was occurring.    Though I don't major in probability, it doesn't take a lot of math skills to figure that this was a statistical anomaly.   Possible, yes?  Likely, no?  I am talking about a person - myself - who has played over 1,000,000 hands of video poker during my lifetime at casinos.   I had not, and have not since,  witnessed any kind of a flush drought of that magnitude on a single line machine.  I just add this distasteful recollection to let you know that, without knowing more about how often you've played, your concerns should not be dismissed out of hand. 

[rascal]

In all the time Pokerguy posted about the Arkansas casino, I never realized it was an Indian casino. They are unregulated, other than "self regulation" by an Indian Gaming Association. It has federal protection from state regulation. People who play VP at Indian casinos do so at their own risk.

[shadowman]

I've gone over 20 attempts at flushes with no hits. Your talking 4-5 cycles which is unusual but not overly so. This happened to me in Las Vegas.
 
Indian casinos do not have federal protection from state regulation if they signed a compact agreeing to such regulation. I believe this is the arrangement in most states. The degree of actual regulation varies significantly. However, I don't think the promotions are nearly as regulated. WYSIWYG.
 
I believe the vast majority of Indian casinos are legit. In fact, I've never been in one I thought was crooked. Besides, it's so easy to make money with a completely legal set-up. What is the motive to spend extra resources to gaff their games? It really makes no sense.
 

[knagl]

stephmo, ouch.  One (dealt) card away from $100,000.  Ten chances at $10,000.  That sucks more than I can even imagine. 

[stephmo]

Very ouch-my heart was racing for an hour after that-

[MikeA]

Missouri Casino visit today, May 26:
 
Isle of Capri(KC) DB 9/6 with some strange paytables: 4000,400,1000,400,250,45,30,25,15,5,5.  I've never seen Aces on this game at 1,000 (5-coin) nor St Flush at 400.  I hit Aces twice.  Left up.
 
Terribles, St Joeseph: DB 9/6 with normal paytables:
Aces once, several 250 quads and one 400 quad.  Left up.
 
Ameristar (KC): DB 8/5:  Okay, one of the worst I've ever seen!  AmeriStar is a VP Wasteland!  I walked in, sat down at a machine and plugged it with 100 credits.  On the first hand, I was dealt a pair of Aces and drew three cards and hit QUADS....On The FIRST SPIN!  I played for a couple of hours and never hit quads again.  I'm still ahead a little because of the Quad Aces but got pretty frustrated with the poor pay tables and slow winning hands.  Debating on whether to just enjoy the computer and the comped room and $35 meal voucher and forget the video poker!  Checkout early and head for Isle Of Capri on my way home tomorrow maybe?  Depends on how good or bad my wife is doing.
 
Right now, I'm up overall about 800 credits (played a little Blackjack but don't recall what I did there.  It was a short session and I only played it because it is the only real BJ game I've encountered at $5 on a 6-deck shoe game.  I lost a bit, but it was insignificant.

[shadowman]

Isle of Capri(KC) DB 9/6 with some strange paytables: 4000,400,1000,400,250,45,30,25,15,5,5.  I've never seen Aces on this game at 1,000 (5-coin) nor St Flush at 400.  I hit Aces twice.  Left up.
 
I've seen this paytable at Sam'sTown in LV. I think it was a Bally's machine. The payback is right around 99%.

[MikeA]

I finally hit a hot cycle (tongue in cheek).  I first got on a machine with that damned 8/5 paytable and hit quads a couple of times and got out with a nice 600 credit profit.  I was wandering around the casino (AmeriStar is huge!) and found another section of machines.  I checked the paytables and found that at a higher coin value, the paytables went up to 9/6.  Still not full pay, but playable.  After a few spins, I was dealt a straight flush.  That turned it around.  I think I hit 4 quads after that in less than 10 minutes!  I cashed out "up" a bit over 1,000 coins.  That's a HUGE WIN at AmeriStar!  You are really fighting the paytables here.
 
But, I want you to know, I didn't yield to temptation!  They had a $15 double-deck BJ game and the dealer was givingalmost 90% pen!  But at that table min I couldn't ramp my 5-unit step.  With the count at +4, I would have had $75 per bet and often, that would have been doubled!  I just didn't bring that sort of bankroll with me!  But man, I sure wanted to do it.  It is very seldom that you get that kind of pen in a double deck game!

[shadowman]

How fast were the games, Mike? At 60 hands/hour you're looking at a base rate of $900/hour ... not too different from the quarter VP you were playing ... and certainly a higher payback with less volatility. I've never done much counting. How deep in the deck could you wait before raising your bet on a positive count? 1/2 the deck? More?
 
In addition, you really wouldn't need to go 5x the base bet. Although that would lower your payback, you could still get in +EV territory with less risk.
 
OTOH, sounds like you've been doing fine playing VP.