Match Wheel Poker

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I believe that is the follow up game to Match Card poker that I did for SDG on the Alpha platform. Bally owns it now. From what I remember it was in New York and Washington. It is a lottery game and not a traditional video poker game. The math is fixed and not correlated to the paytable.

According to the description in the link below, it looks to be a Class II video poker machine, which means these payouts are misleading and worthless. In Class II video poker, the standard probabilities of a poker deck do not apply. I found an image of this game connected to a NY racino, which often has Class II video poker. The link below discusses Washington, which is entirely Class II video poker. What state/country are you playing this in?

http://www.advantageplayer.com/videopoker/forums/vp-main/webbbs.cgi?noframes;read=1527

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(I apologize in advance for the heavy use of quotation marks. I'm using them to indicate terms that have a different meaning in Washington than in Nevada.)

Washington "slot machines" (which include "video poker") come in two flavors: video lottery terminals, and bingo machines. Most of the indian casinos that I've been to (Nisqually, Yakama, Snoqualmie, Spokane, Tulalip, Snohomish, Squaxin, Chehalis) use VLT. Skagit's casino has a mix of both.

As the linked article states, when you hit the DEAL or SPIN button on a VLT, you're drawing a virtual ticket off of the top of the electronic stack (which the state gambling commission calls a 'game-set'). The payout of that ticket is pre-determined. Any cards you keep or drop on a "video poker" game or any selections you make in a "slot machine" bonus round make no difference to your final payout.

Different wagers (e.g., 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x) pull from different electronic stacks of tickets. Different stacks can (and I assume always do) have different odds.

Source: Washington State Gambling Commission Tribal Lottery Systems

Several years ago, at a Washington non-indian minicasino, I saw a pull-tab dispenser with a screen and barcode scanner built in. You bought the pull tab, scanned its barcode, and "reels" on the screen would spin to show you the result. Alternatively, you could just open the pull tab and see the same result. I've thought of Washington VLTs as the same thing, just without the physical pull tab.

The best results, therefore, would come from playing in a bank of identical machines (or machines that obviously have different skins for the same underlying game), and if someone betting the same amount as you has a big win, you can expect that until that electronic stack is depleted, you've got a lesser chance at a big win. Conversely, if the set of games playing from that stack hasn't hit in a while, you really are due to win. (I hate using the word 'due' here, but it's shorthand to mean that your odds of getting a big win increase as the number of possible results drop, if the big win hasn't been drawn yet.)

The tough part, however, is that there's no way to know how far through the electronic stack you are, and whether big wins have hit recently. Unlike traditional pull-tabs in Washington, there's no requirement that the tribe display what big prizes are available or have been won.

I'd guess that 99% of the people who play "slots" in Washington casinos have no idea that their post-spin bonus round decisions have no impact. I never correct them when I hear them gripe about picking the wrong box, because 1) they probably don't care, 2) it would take too long, and 3) in the long run, playing either Washington VLTs or Vegas' reel's RNGs will trend the player towards the -EV of the house edge.

Travis, excellent post of really clear info. It does look like you get up and down that I-5 corridor.....Chehalis to Skagit and Squaxin to Snoqualmie....you got the WA tribal territory covered!

Quote: Paradigm

Travis, excellent post of really clear info.

Yes, much appreciated. Do you ever try to inform players playing video poker? Because playing in Vegas makes a BIG difference then.

Quote: tringlomane

Do you ever try to inform players playing video poker?

Never, but mainly because I'd have to be near the video poker machines to do it, and knowing the way they work, it's the most boring game in the casino.

Quote: travisl

Never, but mainly because I'd have to be near the video poker machines to do it, and knowing the way they work, it's the most boring game in the casino.

Fair enough, but when I used to go to Alabama racinos (now shut down) I would often play a few hands of video poker just so I could see a "genie" change my cards. I found it amusing.

VLTs are weird for sure Travis and I have never known how big the replenished stacks are or how often they occur.

Quote: onenickelmiracle

VLTs are weird for sure Travis and I have never known how big the replenished stacks are or how often they occur.

I worked on a system for Washington casino's in the late 1990's. At the time either 10,000 or 100,000 "tickets" were put in the virtual drum. Once 50% of the tickets had been drawn, the drum was replenished with all of the tickets. The tickets contained the win amount of a game outcome. The average ticket amount was regulated by the state.

^^^^Thanks Drich^^^^

You may also be interested in Bally Technologies - Washington State Games, which lists the overall hit frequency (volatility?) for each of Bally's 200+ games. It looks like if you can convince them you're in the industry, they'll release PAR sheets as well. I'm not that well connected.

Quote: travisl

You may also be interested in Bally Technologies - Washington State Games, which lists the overall hit frequency (volatility?) for each of Bally's 200+ games. It looks like if you can convince them you're in the industry, they'll release PAR sheets as well. I'm not that well connected.

I think the only way that would work would be to become romantically involved with one of their employees. I think unless you're in the right position at a licensed gaming company or have a court order, you can't possibly be successful getting the PAR sheets.