AC seems to have picked up some.

[FLASH1296]

The tighter the pursestrings, the more people are motivated to eat "fast food"

During this economic meltdown that we are in the midst of, have you bothered to see what the effect has been on the stock of companies that deal "cut-rate"

If all of your money was invested in Walmart, you'd be smiling while others are upset about losing 1/2 of their net worth. Check out the stock history of that "dollar store" corporation. Sorry, but I cannot recall the name, no less ticker symbol.

[Tarzan]

The point of reference I ran into was Canadian "video lottery terminals" which pay out 74% and found no specifics on payouts of PA. I don't know what the exact payout is for PA "video lottery terminals" and only know that the payouts on these devices on the whole is considerably less than a standard slot machine according to the information I ran across.

[pieinthesky]

In NY, the VLTs pay about 92%. The big ripoff is that the video poker games (some sporting 9/6 pay tables for Jacks or Better) pay the same 92% regardless of how they are played, and no one is told that they are not real video poker machines. Here's the scoop: http://www.albanylaw.edu/media/user/...ideo_poker.pdf
For regular slot players, I'm not sure the 92% represents a bad deal, when travel time and other factors are taken into account. For video poker players, having your money disappear 16 times faster than it would on a properly-played "real" full-pay machine represents a terrible deal by any standard.

[FLASH1296]

It is a severely horrible deal - 92% return.
Real Video Poker, depending on the pay table, etc. is typically between 97.5% and 99.5%

I am the person responsible for getting the info' about the FAKE Video Poker to the
Albany Times Union, when they used it for a Front Page Sunday spread.

The public looks up Video Poker on the net and follow the advice by experts
to create an almost even game. They are being "suckered" big time.

[kewljason]

Originally Posted by FLASH1296

If all of your money was invested in Walmart, you'd be smiling while others are upset about losing 1/2 of their net worth. Check out the stock history of that "dollar store" corporation. Sorry, but I cannot recall the name, no less ticker symbol.

I own walmart! I'm not smiling. lol Walmart (wmt) closed at 49.24 today down 22% from september 08 close of 63.85. Dollartree (dltr) is only down about 9% from september. Both better than the dow or s&p granted, but again, losing less doesn't make me smile.

[Kasi]

Originally Posted by callipygian

I actually got into a quasi-argument with one of my friends who really thought that all pat hands were the same, that the dealer gains nothing by hitting soft 17 and drawing 4, since his hand is "pat anyway" and that hitting soft 17 gives the dealer a "second chance to bust".

Maybe you both were right lol - the dealer will bust more often with H17 lol.

[shadroch]

It's not Video Poker. It's a video lottery machine. 92% is a heck of a lot better than the games people play in their local taverns. Broadway Poker, which is the only other video/slot machine that is readily available in NY has a top payout of 85%. Most bars keep the payouts at 75% or less. Unlike slot machines, Broadway poker machines can be reset at will. You can set it at 80% all week, but on Friday, when the Rubes come in flush with cash,flip a switch and its 55%.
The other thing with the VLMs is that an uneducated player with actually have a better chance on these than on the much more complicated Bonus poker games. I'm been learning Double Double Bonus and even after a month I'm still making many mistakes. A newbie would get killed playing this in a casino. Play a fake VP machine at Yonkers and you can't make a mistake. The machine corrects them for you.

[Blue Efficacy]

Can't you throw away quads and draw another set of quads?

[shadroch]

Originally Posted by Blue Efficacy

Can't you throw away quads and draw another set of quads?

Exactly. The game is mistake proof.
My last trip out west, I'm playing 100 play Jacks or Better, the guy next to me is playing Double Double Bonus. He is frequently drawing two pair- a hi pair and a lo pair and keeping them. In this game two pair pays the same as a hi pair so you break them up and go for the 4OAK bonus. At $25 a pop, I figure he was blowing about $5 every time this hand came up.
Many, many newbies will bust a pair of Jacks to chase a flush, even a straight. These VLMs fix all those dumb moves.

[FLASH1296]

UH OH.

Careful here guys.

Mistake Proof is what they want you to believe.

If you have 2 pair and you want to promote your hand to 'trips' or 'quads' you CANNOT draw to it. If you discard a pair, it will be replaced by another pair.

Remember that under certain pay tables 2 pair is next to worthless.