Video Poker Machine malfunctions mid-play.

I have been playing video poker for well over 10 years and have never experienced this problem until recently in a PA casino. My brother was playing a $0.25 progressive Video Poker bank and his wife was standing behind watching. He was dealt a straight flush ($125 win). Of coure he and his wife reacted accordingly, the player next to him also saw the win and remarked. Each card was carefully held (there is no doubt about this, the other player and my sister-in-law both saw the hold cards) but when the draw button was pushed, one of the cards changed into a different one and there was no win. He was understandably upset! He continued to play for a while but it bothered his too much so he found a slot technician. They were able to take retrace each hand played right up to the draw hand with the changed card, but the technician told him they could only go back "71 hands" and the hold cards were on the 72nd hand. ???? They gave my brother and his wife each $40 in free play since the dealt straight flush win could not be proven. OK, isolated incident one may say. Afer all, why would the casino go to such ends to avoid a $125 payout?

EXCEPT....I was playing the same bank of machines last weekend on a different machine and was dealt three jacks and a joker. The Progressive Jackpot pays any five-of-a-kind so I needed one more jack for the win ($1,000 +). My boyfriend was sitting beside me so I showed him the cards, then carefully held each one, pushed the draw button and watched the third card from the left change from a jack to a deuce of diamonds..right before my eyes! The last card was not a jack so I only lost the pay for four-of-a-kind which would have been $20. Also the third card was no longer showing as "held". It was a crowded Saturday and we had already hit one jackpot for over $1,000 so it wasn't worth the trouble of trying to find a casino employee and waiting for them to research the hands. I had noticed other cards changing on the draw but attributed it to a sticky button and since I play very fast I assumed I had not hit the "hold" button sufficiently. Now I realize it was the machine not holding the cards. I read in another article that video poker machine malfunctions mid-play are literally unheard of...not any longer! It ruins the game if we need to worry about the cards changing.

I feel it's a mechanical malfunction but my brother is convinced the casino has written a program to change wins into losses. He had the same experience with a slot machines where the "big win" combination appeared on the play line, then a second later one of the reels changed to make it a loss. Have any other players had this experience, specifically on a video poker machine?

If you feel a mistake was made, call a mananger and slot tech immediately.

Quote: Ajsgram

He continued to play for a while but it bothered his too much so he found a slot technician. They were able to take retrace each hand played right up to the draw hand with the changed card, but the technician told him they could only go back "71 hands" and the hold cards were on the 72nd hand. ????

That's hooey. Game recall memories do not contain precisely 71 past plays. Usually regulations specify the minimum - you should look into it.

What 25c game pays 500 credits for a straight flush?

Who wouldn't call a floor person over immediately when something like this occurred?

I've seen held cards change to unheld cards when the draw button is pushed, but only on insignificant holds and I moved to a different machine right afterwards. Why does it seem that this is discussed on forums only on big winning hands?

Quote: JL2

What 25c game pays 500 credits for a straight flush?

Triple Bonus pays 100 on a straight flush. That'd be 500 on a 5 credit bet. Other games may also have that payment for the SF.

I don't know what casino this was, but its quite obvious the slot tech was lying to you so I would expect that the manager would also lie to you.

Now as to a programming routine? I don't know. I think it more likely a button malfunction or a refresh rate error which would be a programming defect rather than a malfunction. By refresh rate, I am referring to a time interval between the hold button being pressed and the Deal button being pressed.

Let me guess: Indian casino?

Quote: rdw4potus

Triple Bonus pays 100 on a straight flush. That'd be 500 on a 5 credit bet. Other games may also have that payment for the SF.

Ahh, thanks, you're right! But I got the impression somehow they were playing some kind of 5 of a kind joker machine. I'm still perplexed as to why he didn't call a tech over immediately.

.....

Well never fear... In the space of half an hour I missed two royals. Was dealt four cards, held them and punched draw. To my horror both times the button held and unheld when it came back up and I play so fast that there was no correcting the malfunction. This was on a 25c Coyote Poker multigame machine... Was playing bonus poker deluxe...

Quote: MathExtremist

That's hooey. Game recall memories do not contain precisely 71 past plays. Usually regulations specify the minimum - you should look into it.

Most state regulations require at least 10. Most manufacturers I've seen hold 25 to 50 to satisfy many jurisdictions, but never 71.