From: Linda in Eagan, Minnesota
Question: What game(s) have the best odds of winning? Are there some casinos that are "easier" than others?
Answer: Without getting into a major mathematical discussion, games that involve a certain amount of skill, like blackjack, craps, and baccarat, offer the best odds in a casino. Those that rely strictly on chance, such as bingo, keno, or the wheel of fortune, offer the worst.
Of course it depends on how well and how wisely you play the games. In craps there are dozens of possible bets with any given roll of the dice. Some, like the "Hard Eight," offer terrible odds for the player, while others give you a little bit of an edge.
Video poker offers better odds (if played well) than slot machines (generally speaking).
As far as which casinos are "easier" there is no guaranteed answer to that. I've found that I do better in the casinos located away from the heavily populated tourist areas like The Strip. On my last visit with my parents, we went to virtually every off-Strip hotel (for example Arizona Charlie's, Sunset Station, Gold Coast, etc.) and we all had pretty good luck.
Of course it's all hit and miss and depends on what games you play, what limits you use, and even what day and time you go.
I guess that's why it's called gambling.
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Question: How does a slot machine work?
Answer: Every slot machine has a computer chip in it that is constantly generating random numbers (hence the name). These numbers correspond to a payout schedule and determine if you win or lose.
The RNG runs constantly and picks a number only when you insert a coin in the machine (or press "spin" if you're playing off credits). In other words, as soon as you've dropped a quarter in a machine, it has already determined whether you've won or lost. Everything else - the reels, the handle, the bells, the neon - that's all just for show.
Each slot manufacturer is different, but on most machines the RNG keeps going and you will get a different number for every coin you put in. In other words, when you drop in your 1st quarter a number and a payout is determined but the RNG keeps going. If you drop in another quarter, another number is chosen and probably represents a different payout. Each coin you drop in changes the outcome of the game.
Therefore, if you put in one coin instead of the maximum three and get three 7's on the payline (for example), don't beat yourself up thinking you would've gotten more money if you'd put in all three coins. Your result would've been different.
This same theory applies to credit play. If you press "Bet Max" you'll get one number off the RNG but if you press "Bet One Credit" three times you'll get three different results.
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Question: How does a video poker machine work?
Answer: A video poker machine is a lot like a slot machine in that it uses what's known as a Random-Number Generator to determine if you've won or lost. This little computer chip cycles constantly - think of it as shuffling a deck of cards constantly - until you put a coin in. At that moment, the RNG stops and whatever number it picks determines what kind of hand you're going to get.
Video poker machines use a standard 52-card deck, but it starts out "fresh" with every hand. On most machines, the computer selects 10 cards and shows you the first five. That's when you pick and choose which to hold and which to throw away.
If you keep 2 of your 5 cards - lets say a pair of jacks - and opt not to hold the other 3, the next 3 cards in the que will be displayed when you hit the draw button. These 3 cards would be the ones you get no matter whether you kept the jacks or two other cards that you had in your original hand. The machine does not make a determination on what cards to deal you based upon what you are holding.
There are some slight variations in this theory between manufacturers, but those are the basics. It's all luck of the draw.
Sorry - couldn't resist. Good luck!
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Question: Is the result of the bonus round on slot machines pre-determined by the original spin of the reels?
Answer: It really depends upon the type of machine and the format of the bonus game. If the game requires any kind of action from you to launch the bonus game or any kind of interactivity during it, then there is a second pull from the random number generator to determine your bonus winnings.
For instance, the very popular "Wheel of Fortune" machines require you to hit a button to launch the bonus wheel. You'll note that this is the same button that will spin the reels during normal play. When you hit that button during the bonus round, it determines how much you have won by the random number selected at the millisecond when you hit it.
Video based slot machines that have bonus screens where you have to touch to reveal award amounts are as simple and straightforward as they seem. Predetermined amounts are "hidden" under the symbols and you get whatever you reveal. Therefore your actions determine the outcome and it's a little less random.
However, there are some machines that are just fooling you into thinking you are getting some sort of bonus. If the machine launches the bonus game automatically without any input from you (for instance those "mystery reel" machines), your winnings were determined at the moment you pushed the button for the first spin of the reels.
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Question: Does playing from credits change the outcome on a slot?
Answer: These days you don't have much of a choice since most modern slot machines don't accept coins anymore. But despite that option being taken away from you, it never really mattered in the first place.
When you insert a bill into a machine and play off of the credits on a meter, the only difference between that and feeding it quarters is how often you will be able to spin the reels. Therefore, you may be stopping that Random Number Generator at a different time than you would've if you had spent an extra 3 seconds putting in quarters, but that doesn't change your odds of winning.
This is kind of difficult concept to envision so think of it like this: In front of you is a hat with a standard deck of 52 cards mixed up in it. Your mission, should you accept it, is to reach in without looking and pick out an Ace. If you get an Ace you win, but if you draw out any other card you lose. In this example your odds are 1 in 13 that you'll draw an Ace.
After you draw once, put the card back in the hat and try again. No matter how many times you repeat this procedure, or how fast you do it, your odds are always the same since there are always 52 cards and only 4 aces.
The same concept applies to the Random Number Generator. It doesn't matter how fast you go or how many times in a row you win or lose, your odds of winning are always the same.
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Question: Do quarter or dollar machines pay off better?
Answer: When talking about this kind of thing we want to stress that we're talking generalities. There are no guarantees on this stuff, which is probably why they call it gambling.
Generally speaking, dollar machines have a higher payback (or payout) percentage than quarter machines, which in turn do better than nickel machines. A payback percentage, for any of you who are not aware, is the amount of money that a machine is guaranteed to return. By law the machine must be set at no less than 75%, meaning that over time (hours or days) for every $100 it takes in it will return $75.
It varies from casino to casino, but you'll usually find dollar video-poker machines have payback percentages in the mid-90 percent range, quarter machines are in the high-80's to low-90's, and nickel machines are in the low to mid-80's. Off-Strip casinos often have better payback percentages overall than those you'll find on The Strip.
The reason for this is that a nickel machine takes up the same amount of floor space as a dollar machine. Therefore the lower the denomination of money going in, the less they want to give back to make it profitable to have that machine in their casino.
This theory applies to slot machines and video poker.
So, if you're looking for the absolutely best payback percentage go with the dollar machines, but just be aware that while your odds of winning may be a tiny bit better, chances are you'll lose your money a lot faster than you would on a quarter machine.
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Question: What part of town has the best slot payoffs?
Answer: Generally speaking, The Strip offers the worst slot payouts with Downtown doing a little bit better and the outlying areas like Boulder Highway doing the best. However, it's all about luck and being in the right place at the right time.
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Question: Which casinos have the best players' clubs?
Answer: All casinos have some version of a slot or players club that offers you rewards the more you gamble. Deciding which is best is sort of a matter of personal taste.
The most generous so far in my personal experience has been the club that used to be offered by the former Caesars Entertainment hotels, specifically Bally's, Paris, and the Las Vegas Hilton. Now that Paris and Bally's are owned by Harrah's and the Hilton is owned by another company, I don't see as much return on my investment.
The Station Casinos group players club (known as the Boarding Pass) is quite effective since it is valid at so many different hotels. You can use it at all of their casinos and its pretty easy to build up points toward their terrific buffet and other treats.
Harrah's Total Rewards program covers Harrah's, The Rio, Bally's, Paris, Caesars Palace, and The Flamingo; the creatively named MGM MIRAGE Players Club covers Mirage, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Treasure Island, and Bellagio and will eventually cover the hotels under the former Mandalay Resorts banner which include Luxor, Mandalay Bay, Excalibur, Monte Carlo, and Circus Circus.
Generally speaking, the smaller hotels seem to have the best programs with the biggest rewards, which makes sense owing to the fact that they have to work a bit harder to get people to visit.
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Question: Where are the cheap blackjack tables?
Answer: Cheap blackjack tables are becoming increasingly rare on The Strip, with $1 tables almost non-existent and $5 tables harder and harder to find.
The Sahara is famous (or infamous - you decide) for its $1 blackjack tables, which are up and running 24 hours a day. Good luck getting a seat at one during peak periods though.
You could also go to the neighborhood casinos and downtown. Places like Arizona Charlie's, some of the Station properties, Lady Luck, El Cortez, and The Plaza are just a few examples of where you might be able to find a $2 table. Stay away from the high-end places like The Golden Nugget because the chances of you finding a low-limit table there are almost none.
Back on The Strip, check out the small, independent casinos like Casino Royale and O'Sheas (both near The Flamingo). They often have $1 blackjack tables, although just as at The Sahara getting to them is often a challenge. They are very popular.
Keep in mind that your best bet is to go during a weekday. Weekends and evenings are when more people come out gamble and the prices at the tables go up. And if it's a holiday weekend, forget it. You'll have a hard time finding $10 tables!
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Question: What is the payout percentage?
Answer: The payout percentage is the setting in the machine that specifies how often it will win. By law all slot machines (including video poker) must have at least a 75% payout percentage, meaning that over time it will pay 75% of what it takes it.
Different slot and video poker machines have different payout percentages, which you may sometimes see advertised (98% return!) but for the most part you have no way of knowing what the payout on a certain machine is set at.
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From: James in Pasadena, California
Question: I have a question regarding how the jackpots on the progressive slots
(Blondie, Megabucks, etc.) are paid out. When a person wins the jackpot on a progressive slot when do they receive their money? In addition, do the winners have an option of receiving their money in a single lump-sum payment or via annual payments over a period of time?
Answer: Terrific question, James. Thanks for sending it in.
I’m going to use this opportunity to talk about all jackpot payouts, if you are lucky enough to hit one.
Jackpots up to $1199.99 are paid in cash on the spot. So if you hit those individual progressive slots (like the Blazing 7’s) or one of the smaller jackpots worth several hundred dollars, flag down a casino attendant and they will hand you the cash (or print out on a ticket, more likely these days).
Non-progressive jackpots above $1,200 are also paid in cash (or check if you prefer for larger amounts) but you have to fill out an IRS form first – that’s right, the government gets its cut on anything above that amount. Make sure you have a valid ID on you just in case because you’ll have to show it to collect your dough.
The payout on progressive jackpots depends on who is managing the jackpot (the casino or a slot machine operator) and how much it is. Many hotels have their own banks of progressive slots where the jackpots are worth thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. Most of the time these will paid just like the non-progressive jackpots listed above, usually with a check or a combination of cash and check.
The progressives that are managed by slot machine companies are different story. This applies to the progressive jackpots that are accumulated through play in a multiple casinos such as the Megabucks, Wheel of Fortune, Elvis, and others. In most instances, the casino in which you won will take care of all of the forms but you’ll actually receive your check from the slot operator. Most of the big jackpots (above $1 million) are paid in installments over 20 years and but a lump-sum payment option can usually be worked out.
Good luck!
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