Would You Ever Pay Someone To Take Over Their Slot Machine?

Can you think of any circumstances where you would actually pay someone to take over the slot machine they were currently playing?

Any potential legal/casino ramifications in doing so for either the buyer or seller?

sure. If there was a must-hit-by jackpot that was about to hit, I might try to buy a machine off of someone.

Or an accumulator bonus within 1 or 2 of hitting. Almost impossible to find these days, but it was a big deal in the late 1990s.

Quote: MathExtremist

Or an accumulator bonus within 1 or 2 of hitting. Almost impossible to find these days, but it was a big deal in the late 1990s.

Good point! kind of making a comeback, too, with games like Aruze's Rich Life. That's on the floor of most places in the non-coastal south (as of September 2013).

In this instance -

Great Tutankhamun's Mysteries - WMS " Must Hit By"

Minor - must hit by $50 - currently in the mid $30 range (resets at $25)
Major - must hit by $500 - currently at $495.67 (resets at $350)

that's definitely +EV. I guess that means it has value & could be bought. But I'm not sure I'd sell it for less than fair value (i.e. I'd value my time and cost variance at $0)

I never have and never asked anyone. There used to be people I knew who would make conditional deals based on winning within certain thresholds, but I tried not being involved. I got more than I gave and That.'s why. It's really sketchy territory where the asker risks a lot to sell. I'd probably be a maybe depending on the circumstances.

Quote: Puckerbutt

Can you think of any circumstances where you would actually pay someone to take over the slot machine they were currently playing?

Any potential legal/casino ramifications in doing so for either the buyer or seller?

Are you trying to buy or sell?

Quote: AxelWolf

Are you trying to buy or sell?

In the above instance - I was the buyer.

Details below:

Quote: rdw4potus

Good point! kind of making a comeback, too, with games like Aruze's Rich Life. That's on the floor of most places in the non-coastal south (as of September 2013).

Just saw that for the first time yesterday. Interesting game. Didn't realize progress was saved when you quit.

Quote: Puckerbutt

In the above instance - I was the buyer.

Details below:

Show Spoiler

$180.00 - amount paid to other player.
$360.00 - additional amount put into machine
$575.xx - final value of ticket (Major hit at 498.56)
$35.xx profit

You overpaid. If those people are selling, they probably have no money and little value if they can't hit it themselves. You should have countered with a 50/50 split if it hits on $50, maybe a little more. If they wind up taking your $180 and putting it in the machine what the hell would you have been able to do. Funny those people won more than you very possibly.

I've never been able to look at these deals as not soliciting or begging when done with strangers. Someone ruthless might have those people kicked out and getting the machine free. I can't get over how to get around those problems so would never solicit. If I found myself there, I'd just kick myself and make sure I was prepared for those opps.

Quote: tringlomane

Just saw that for the first time yesterday. Interesting game. Didn't realize progress was saved when you quit.

It sure is saved. But that's not too apparent from the interface (at a glance, it's hard to tell how far into the map the game is). It's sort of a boring game, and not many people play for any period of time. So, my short experience with the game is that there's a lot of opportunity there.

Quote: onenickelmiracle

You overpaid. If those people are selling, they probably have no money and little value if they can't hit it themselves. You should have countered with a 50/50 split if it hits on $50, maybe a little more. If they wind up taking your $180 and putting it in the machine what the hell would you have been able to do. Funny those people won more than you very possibly.

From the final result - it looks like it was a pretty fair price for both parties, but my motivation to get the deal done wasn't entirely confined to the profit/loss of this singular event. I wanted to foster a relationship that might facilitate future possibilities.

He approached me with the proposal and I was quite comfortable with the risk vs. potential return ratio. I considered that he may have been low on money, but I wanted the machine to be relinquished to me and not someone else. Plus - I wasn't going to embarrass the guy by asking him to turn his pockets inside-out.

By the way - my strategy has since paid additional dividends.

Quote: Puckerbutt

From the final result - it looks like it was a pretty fair price for both parties, but my motivation to get the deal done wasn't entirely confined to the profit/loss of this singular event. I wanted to foster a relationship that might facilitate future possibilities.

He approached me with the proposal and I was quite comfortable with the risk vs. potential return ratio. I considered that he may have been low on money, but I wanted the machine to be relinquished to me and not someone else. Plus - I wasn't going to embarrass the guy by asking him to turn his pockets inside-out.

By the way - my strategy has since paid additional dividends.

Paying $180 for that? I'm not sure what the meter rate is, however I would have someone do the math. that seems high even if its still a win. Its surprising you are finding must hits left behind that high often.

I have paid people for machines/time on machines often. I have sold them as well.

I have also bought 1 card VP RF draws from people. The first one I bought was at LVC the guy had a .50 Joker wild flush dealt with 4 to the natural royal. He held all 5 cards while looking at it. I said you shouldn't do that. He said, he just wanted the money from the flush. I offered him the cash for the flush and his few credits.

I sat down and drew the hand. I only got a flush right back.

I sold my share on a $5 VP progressive for for thousands.

Quote: AxelWolf

Paying $180 for that? I'm not sure what the meter rate is, however I would have someone do the math. that seems high even if its still a win. Its surprising you are finding must hits left behind that high often.

A little background - I'm primarily a poker player. As such, I've always preached the gospel against slot machines until June of last year when a lady I know called and asked if I could bring her $500 for a slot machine she was playing. I obliged and drove the 30 minutes to this particular casino to find her sitting in front of a "must hit by $500" machine. She had worked the major progressive up to about $496. The seeds for my slot experimentation were planted that day.

Initially, it started solely for the purpose of increasing my profile with the various local casinos. Poker players aren't highly valued and are comped likewise. It has worked beautifully and I'm now sent a continuous stream of mailings with free hotel rooms, buffets, etc.

Back to the present. I have observed this player before and when he offered - I wanted to make sure our first deal was consummated because if I screwed up the first offer - he may never feel comfortable enough to offer again. As I mentioned before, I wanted an ongoing relationship. He is part of a larger group of guys (all of Mexican descent) that start playing the must-hit-by machines too early and I want them to think of me as a "closer" if need be.

Yesterday morning I got a call at 5:30 am on a Treasures of Machu Picchu machine at $37.10 - $490.17. Price $20. (Different player than person mentioned above.) I was at the casino in 20 minutes.

I've never seen machines in the $490 range and usually the tops I have seen are in the $460 range. I don't go where they exist too often though. I'm not entirely convinced the pots aren't tied to the payback settings.

Quote: Puckerbutt

A little background - I'm primarily a poker player. As such, I've always preached the gospel against slot machines until June of last year when a lady I know called and asked if I could bring her $500 for a slot machine she was playing. I obliged and drove the 30 minutes to this particular casino to find her sitting in front of a "must hit by $500" machine. She had worked the major progressive up to about $496. The seeds for my slot experimentation were planted that day.

Initially, it started solely for the purpose of increasing my profile with the various local casinos. Poker players aren't highly valued and are comped likewise. It has worked beautifully and I'm now sent a continuous stream of mailings with free hotel rooms, buffets, etc.

Back to the present. I have observed this player before and when he offered - I wanted to make sure our first deal was consummated because if I screwed up the first offer - he may never feel comfortable enough to offer again. As I mentioned before, I wanted an ongoing relationship. He is part of a larger group of guys (all of Mexican descent) that start playing the must-hit-by machines too early and I want them to think of me as a "closer" if need be.

Yesterday morning I got a call at 5:30 am on a Treasures of Machu Picchu machine at $37.10 - $490.17. Price $20. (Different player than person mentioned above.) I was at the casino in 20 minutes.

$20 sounds like a better price then $180 However, You need to know what the meter movement is on the machines you are playing.

I don't keep up on the exact numbers because I don't play the new must hits often, because I never see them at playable numbers, hustlers often jump on them at losing numbers because they look juicy. They might win over all because they find real good ones mixed in with bad ones. Then they tighten up after some experience. A new guy comes along and its the same story. I guess if you spend the entire day looking for them it could be profitable, especially if people are calling you and camping out on them till you arrive.

Quote: onenickelmiracle

I've never seen machines in the $490 range and usually the tops I have seen are in the $460 range

When I do pay attention to these things, that's about the best I've seen too. And considering some of the math mission has done, it looks like it needs to be roughly $490 to be positive anyway.

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