Angst's Nomenclature and Methodology

Angst coined the term "wongable slots" on bj21.com and he was active posting on these "wongable" or bonus or banking slots. Unfortunately, he was in the wrong place when the Golden Age of bonus hustling was taking place. He builted his methodology on a few principles, which I want to share after reading the many posts on the slots forum.

1. Slots are wongable because they have "EQUITY", an amount that is easily discerned by looking at the slots (this includes video poker, keno, etc), this EQUITY changes such that it can overwhelm the built in house edge, and we can discern how the EQUITY changes (such as meter movements, based on number of spins, etc.). The point is YOU did not pay for this EQUITY, but you want to "sweep" or withdraw the EQUITY or bonus or banked amount. The EQUITY could be a small progressive or a large progressive such as $10K RF for $1 8/5 JOB game. The EQUITY is to encourage the Yahoo's to play more, but players have finite (trip or session) bankrolls including trips to ATMs or the Yahoo's don't understand how the bonus works -- such as the need to bet max coins to hit the progressive RF. If the Yahoo's are playing short coins then they are simply building EQUITY for someone to withdraw. Lastly, you know how to win the EQUITY as some are milestone-based (EQUITY is triggered on the last milestone), some are based on a rare combination or hand (such as a RF), or is triggerred randomly. This EQUITY is independent from cash back, comps, mailers, promos, etc. or other exogenous factors. To be clear the EQUITY could be credits or money or even free spins, etc.

2. While there are many ways to solve these game, the simpliest approach is to calculate the BEP or break-even point. In the old days of slots, the slot manufacturers weren't very sophisticated so they tend to use general principles such as a hit once in 8+ spins, a bonus round occurs 100 to 120 spins, the average bonus round paid 20X to 30X, etc. Angst knew this to be true based on the demographic studies of a typical slot player: A 50+ woman who is under- or un-appreciated and wants more excitement in her life. The other tool was knowledge of the Law of Large numbers -- assuming the slot manufacturer or casino doesn't change the game, anyone can solve for the base game return, and other important elements of EQUITY via data collection. So Angst used a sum of its parts approach and solved backwards -- sometimes it was brute force. Using BEP, one can discern the minimum EQUITY needed to play the slot. The Angst standard was finding a game with EQUITY in a no-lose situation; an example was at least 48 Firecrackers on Boom! -- it was impossible to lose money finding a game with that much EQUITY.

3. Angst then tackled the problem of Monkey See, Monkey Poo. The problem was slot VULTURES aka those annoying fleas or the supposedly low-life AP's who want the current slot player to quit or bust out when the EQUITY got fat! When Angst had cracked a new game, these VULTURES would follow Angst and see when he played, how he played, and most importantly how much Angst would win. These monkeys would see and then proceed to poo on Angst's hard work. There was no barriers to entry, these VULTURES had teams, practically lived in the casino 24/7, so Angst was at a disadvantage, but he had an MBA from NYU so he put that to work. He developed a milk run or something (I think he won a POM) and swept the EQUITY based on how the games were being played and number of machines using market survey techniques. He focused on higher denimination games where the Yahoo's tend to play short-coin and feed the EQUITY and after he withdrew the EQUITY, he played one more spin at 1 coin to cover his tracks. He also focused on design mistakes and math errors. By the way, Angst also played tricks on the VULTURES by suckering them in wongable slots from Hell (hitting the EQUITY took a long time and one is forced to keep shoving in money akin to a White Elephant).

Funny story -- Spielo had a slot called Crank's Bash that was mile-stoned based, complete the jackpot meter and you get 15,000 coins for each of the Fruit or Monster Jackpot. Like clockwork, Angst will show up just before or as the slots got past BEP and was collecting the $750 jackpots (it was nickels) until the casino changed the chip and then decided to get rid of the machines.

So Angst's principles were: (a) EQUITY, (b) BEP, and (c) Timing. Angst hated going to a casino and not know what games were ripe to be swept or running into the VULTURES so he built a database of wongable games, and based on their play frequency, he knew when was the best time to show up, hit the machines, make the withdrawls, cover his tracks and leave like a ghost.

Here are my recommendations:
(A) buy used booked on bonus hustling by Charles Lund to understand how slot manufacturers design all sorts of bonus games; I believe the publisher was RGE.
(B) when you make post, identify the equity, and not the jackpot amount. For example, the BEP for $1 8/5 JOB is about $8,800 (ths is a rounded number) so a $10,000 RF represents $1,200 in EQUITY.
(C) try to solve for the BEP because it will help discern the market price, i.e. the point a slot VULTURE or Annoying Parasite would show up to take out the EQUITY. For a must hit jackpot at $500, if you don't know the EQUITY because you haven't solved the BEP, then that tempting $460 jackpot with flashing led lights is just going to hook you right in and make you lose hundreds of dollars assuming you have enough funds o finish or lose the EQUITY to the VULTURE behind you waiting for you to tap out.

I have played Crank's Bash for years. Easy game, love it. It is tough being copied and the problem with all easy opportunities is someone else always lowers the bar and the longer the game has been on the floor, the less chance to play when they are playable. Most machines these days are so disguised and diversified in bonus pots, it really tough to even be sure where the good points are to play. I like to see some smart posts even if it is not smart to talk about them.

Quote: onenickelmiracle

I have played Crank's Bash for years. Easy game, love it. It is tough being copied and the problem with all easy opportunities is someone else always lowers the bar and the longer the game has been on the floor, the less chance to play when they are playable. Most machines these days are so disguised and diversified in bonus pots, it really tough to even be sure where the good points are to play. I like to see some smart posts even if it is not smart to talk about them.

Bally Technologies' Quick Hits machines have been discussed here, at-length, so you could use the search function and find a good many of those posts. I'm afraid that I don't remember ever seeing Crank's Bash, would you be so kind as to describe the game and how one knows when one is at an advantage point?

The version I played had max values for the fruit side bonus pot and the monster side bonus pot of 5,000 credits(nickels), but rarely ever saw them hit this way. Each fruit win and monster win increased the respective bonus pot according to the pay table multiplied by the bet per line with 4 or 5 OAK increasing it more. If either bonus pot reached 5,000 credits, the bonus pot was awarded and reset back to 0. If 3 scattered hammers stopped on the reels with any bet, both bonus pots were won. The advantage point to be honest was probably $40 for both pots combined if playing the proper betting strategy. They're still around in casinos, but where I play them in WV, they are in low real estate areas now. So, they are rarely lucrative and there is still a lot of competition to play them.

My funny story was a guy came to WV from California hoping to play the way you mentioned max betting the bonus pots to the mile stones, but was quite disappointed there were so many people playing one line and none of the 17 machines were ever close to his BEP.

The latter is amusing, it's just something that people should know and keep an eye out for, but not really anything that anyone should expect. If you don't mind me asking, what casino is this in West Virginia. Wheeling Island Racetrack and Casino is my, "Home," casino, though I've been spending more time at Scioto Downs in Columbus recently. I've been to Mountaineer, but don't much care for it, nor do I remember seeing those machines there...but then I wasn't really looking, either.

Quote: Mission146

The latter is amusing, it's just something that people should know and keep an eye out for, but not really anything that anyone should expect. If you don't mind me asking, what casino is this in West Virginia. Wheeling Island Racetrack and Casino is my, "Home," casino, though I've been spending more time at Scioto Downs in Columbus recently. I've been to Mountaineer, but don't much care for it, nor do I remember seeing those machines there...but then I wasn't really looking, either.

Go to Mountaineer near the bar/dance floor upstairs and there are 6 now. Try the other Spielos in the bank if you go, Wealthy Wizard and Chop Suey can be fun slots to win on too. Wheeling used to have 1 machine long ago by the way.
http://www.arcade-history.com/?n=crank%27s-bash&page=detail&id=7906

Cool, thanks ONM, I'll check that out!

If you want me to link you to those QuickHits threads, I will. Like I said, I never really go to Mountaineer, but I do want to check out those machines. The QuickHits Platinum machines at Wheeling Island are pretty sweet because they are all stand-alones, so you don't have to worry about anyone jumping in and grabbing your Progressive. Does Mountaineer have the Game Kings with Frost N' Fire or Lucky Bells Keno with the Progressives? I'm about to work on finding the advantage points on those for use at Wheeling Island as they have a ton of those machines.

If you happen to know, does Mountaineer still have any Big City 5's machines? I have no idea what the advantage point is on those, but I've always really enjoyed those machines. WI had them, but they're gone now. It seems like they are always swapping stuff in and out of there.

Darn big city 5s are gone. Mountaineer never had them. You're going to have to go to Seneca Niagara. I doubt the keno machines go positive normally and never play them.

Quote: onenickelmiracle

You're going to have to go to Seneca Niagara. I doubt the keno machines go positive normally and never play them.

Seneca Niagara! I'm afraid I don't like Big City 5's that much...

Stay tuned for the Video Keno thing. I tend to think Lucky Bells will be an easy one to do, I just need to find the time.