Video Poker Machine with a Mind of Its Own

I started to post this in the "Mulligan" thread but figured it deserved a small separate thread of its own. This is a weird one, and it only happened to me once. I was in a bar in Northwest Vegas playing on a regular IGT bartop. I guess I turned my head to look at television or something and out of the corner of my eye I noticed movement from the machine. What the heck? It was playing without me. I'm not kidding. It was like it was being played remotely, but by someone who sucked at strategy because it wasn't holding any pairs, it was just playing. "HEY BARTENDER! Quick, come look at this!"

The bartender told me to cash out immediately and then he made a phone call. I was tired anyway so left, kinda scratching my head. That was a new one. Now I seen it all.

Anyone else ever seen that?

probably just some loose wirings on the buttons or the humidity.

Quote: bobbartop

I started to post this in the "Mulligan" thread but figured it deserved a small separate thread of its own. This is a weird one, and it only happened to me once. I was in a bar in Northwest Vegas playing on a regular IGT bartop. I guess I turned my head to look at television or something and out of the corner of my eye I noticed movement from the machine. What the heck? It was playing without me. I'm not kidding. It was like it was being played remotely, but by someone who sucked at strategy because it wasn't holding any pairs, it was just playing. "HEY BARTENDER! Quick, come look at this!"

The bartender told me to cash out immediately and then he made a phone call. I was tired anyway so left, kinda scratching my head. That was a new one. Now I seen it all.

Anyone else ever seen that?

I've seen that a couple times. The machine wouldn't make holds but kept drawing on its own. It would also freeze up often.

I've had that happen to me once before on a slant-top at the Palms. It was as if the deal/draw button was stuck in the "always on" position -- the machine would immediately discard the dealt cards as soon as they showed up, and after the hand resolved, immediately start the next hand. It took me 2 hands to realize what had happened and then I cashed out before the machine could start hand #3.

Or hold a card next to the one you selected. Had this happen at the Palms and flagged-down an attendant. After showing her the issue, she switched the machine to a repair mode and futzed with the screen. It was pretty interesting. Eventually she declared it fixed (it was). Of course, I didn't get any money back for the mis-holds.