Help! Wrong Hold Cost Me A Jackpot!
I have the highest card at this casino and have played there 2-4 nights a week for about three years. Anyone have experience with something like this? Any thoughts on the best way to handle it? Any thoughts on the probability that I will get paid the $800, or perhaps something less?
Video poker operators count on these mistakes all of the time to raise the house edge.
Quote: bigfoot66I was playing $1 DDB at my normal local tribal (not affiliated with a national chain) casino tonight and was dealt a pair of threes. I naturally held the threes and pushed deal—-except one of the threes unheld! Of course the next 3 cards were 3 3 4, which should have been an $800 payout but was instead $15. I point out what happened to the night slot manager, he confirmed what had happened in the machine’s hand history and took pictures but told me the slot director had to make the call, and invited me to call the director the following morning.
I have the highest card at this casino and have played there 2-4 nights a week for about three years. Anyone have experience with something like this? Any thoughts on the best way to handle it? Any thoughts on the probability that I will get paid the $800, or perhaps something less?
I asked this question about a year ago after something similar but much less costly. Many people were in the "You are screwed" camp, but others thought I'd have been paid if I complained. In my case I think I missed out on a Wild royal on Deuces. The guy next to me saw what happened and told me to call the bartender but for about ten dollars I didn't bother.
Best of luck to you, being the highest card level certainly shouldn't hurt your chances. Obviously, you didn't intend to hold a single three.
So what? They don't want to establish any precedent that people can quibble and frustrate what the machine did to them. If you hit deal too soon and did not allow the machine to process your commands to hold certain cards, that is your fault. Tribe will want to make money, not lose it. You have any "loyalty points" in their slot club you will find "loyalty" is a slogan word, that is all.Quote: bigfoot66I have the highest card at this casino and have played there 2-4 nights a week for about three years.
I can't even imagine their reaction had I been arguing for an 160 for 1 payout.
Quote: FleaStiffIf you hit deal too soon and did not allow the machine to process your commands to hold certain cards, that is your fault.
Don't automatically assume user error. When this happened to me I was playing fairly slowly with one hand since I had a beer in the other. I hit the hold button for card 2, then card 4, then deal. Both holds clearly registered. The millisecond that I hit deal the 2nd card unheld. This was on a newish IGT. Couldn't reproduce it on that machine. I've never had it happen before, and never again. But I'm positive that it wasn't my error.
Quote: bigfoot66I was playing $1 DDB at my normal local tribal (not affiliated with a national chain) casino tonight and was dealt a pair of threes. I naturally held the threes and pushed deal—-except one of the threes unheld! Of course the next 3 cards were 3 3 4, which should have been an $800 payout but was instead $15. I point out what happened to the night slot manager, he confirmed what had happened in the machine’s hand history and took pictures but told me the slot director had to make the call, and invited me to call the director the following morning.
I have the highest card at this casino and have played there 2-4 nights a week for about three years. Anyone have experience with something like this? Any thoughts on the best way to handle it? Any thoughts on the probability that I will get paid the $800, or perhaps something less?
Totally depends on the casino. Some will say “tough luck, eat s***, get lost”. Others will try not to pay you, but if you put up at least a bit of a fight and not be an a**hole, they’ll pay you....especially if you’re one of their bigger players.
I think I shared this story before, but I was playing double STP and got dealt a 2-pair on BP, got something like an 8x or 10x multiplier. I ended up holding TT96 instead of TT99, or whatever it was, and ended up losing something like $500-600 IIRC. I called a slot attendant over, he wasn’t all that thrilled and thought I was taking a shot. I asked for a supervisor, he didn’t seem likely to pay me, so I told him check the history on the machine, I’m not lying, I play here a lot, etc. He checked it, still didn’t wanna pay, I think I figured a way to say I’m 7* without sounding like a snob or whatever (this was at a CET property). Idk if it was him seeing my 7* card or he suddenly had a change of heart, but it went from, “Sorry, you have to be more careful about the buttons you push” to “Oh it’s just a simple mistake, of course we can pay you for this, but don’t do it again.” And I got paid and all was good.
This is easier said than done, but I’d let them damn well know you’re not going to be playing there anymore if they don’t pay you the extra $785, assuming of course, you’d be willing to not play there anymore.
I was a top level card holder.
I think your final result will be dependent on what your 'theo' is at that casino. If the expect you to lose more than a few thousand each year, I expect they will pay you.
If there is a way to prove it was a machine malfunction, then you might have a better case. If it is just "I would never hold just a single 3, I swear it!" then it is really just up to someone to decide how valuable you are to the casino.
Hope you wrote down the machine number and as exact a time as you could that it happened. If you get a "no", I suggest you continue up the food chain with written letters until you get a "yes" . Always include your player number.
Her husband was just livid about it and appealed up and down the slot department but all they got was a comp to nice dinner.
Once I was dealt two deuces and trash in Deuces Wild and in playing too fast didn't make enough contact on one of the buttons and held only once deuce. I'm still angry at myself over it and this was years ago. However, I can at least say I didn't cry and beg to slot management -- It was my mistake and I owned it.
Quote: HunterhillI've had it happen a few times over the years and I was paid .They just said to be more careful.
I was a top level card holder.
I have had this scenario happen three times and I have always been paid within 30 minutes. My only concern for you is that you left the property without being paid. My hunch says that you will be paid.
Quote: GreasyjohnThe OP mentioned that he held two threes and pushed deal, but that only one three held. He also mentioned that the slot department confirmed this. In other words, they viewed the machine history and saw that he held both threes, and that only one of them appeared in the "held" position in the final hand. This would be an obvious machine malfunction, and he should be paid. It's not like he "meant" to hold two threes but did not successfully press "hold" on both of them. I don't get where some forum members do not think that this is a clear example of machine malfunction resulting in an incorrect payout.
I should have been more clear...they did not confirm that the button held and unheld, I’m not sure if they even can confirm this. They just confirmed the hand history.
Quote: SOOPOOIts not so easy. What would you have done if by holding one 3 you drew a straight flush? Would you be calling over a supervisor to return the money you didn't earn?
That’s a good point, but luckily it’s less relevant in this case. If I meant to hold AK suited, only held the ace, and the 3 royal cards came out, I would be in a much worse position because a lot of people go for the Aces. 3’s with (or without) a kicker is a much bigger payout and far easier to make than a straight flush, there is really no chance that someone with the least bit of card sense would intentionally hold one 3. But to answer your question, no, I’m sure that if holding one 3 got me a straight flush I would have shut up and taken the money.
Quote: GreasyjohnThe OP mentioned that he held two threes and pushed deal, but that only one three held. He also mentioned that the slot department confirmed this. In other words, they viewed the machine history and saw that he held both threes, and that only one of them appeared in the "held" position in the final hand. This would be an obvious machine malfunction, and he should be paid. It's not like he "meant" to hold two threes but did not successfully press "hold" on both of them. I don't get where some forum members do not think that this is a clear example of machine malfunction resulting in an incorrect payout.
I agree but casinos are scum
Doesn't the game say malfunction voids all pay and plays? Could the casino hide behind that if you proved malfunction?
It's obvious casinos have disincentive to properly maintain video poker machines unfortunately. Also unfortunate, doesn't seem to matter, doesn't appear to cause liability. Seems at some casinos over half the machines have buttons that stick if not a higher rate while most slots work just fine.Quote: darkozI agree but casinos are scum
Doesn't the game say malfunction voids all pay and plays? Could the casino hide behind that if you proved malfunction?
So if you're going to speak up, do it as soon as possible.
Quote: bigfoot66I should have been more clear...they did not confirm that the button held and unheld, I’m not sure if they even can confirm this. They just confirmed the hand history.
They can not tell this from the machine.
Quote: smoothgrhHopefully this point isn't relevant to you: as far as I know, most IGT video poker machines keep a hand history of only the last 25 hands.
So if you're going to speak up, do it as soon as possible.
I spoke up while the final hand was displayed. The manager took a picture of the hand history showing what I was originally dealt and the final hand. Based on my experience with these folks they are decent people, hopefully they will do something for me. I called the slot director this morning and left a voicemail, no return call yet.
Quote: WizardI maintain what happened here is the player meant to press the button but just didn't press it hard enough to register. Sorry, but if this is the case, I would have to say the player has no legal leg to stand on. I think the best strategy is to ask very nicely and maybe play the sympathy card. Most slot managers would base their decision mostly on the value of the player. If the player has a net lifetime profit, I don't see them doing anything.
I agree that I don't have a LEGAL leg to stand on. And even if I did, it is pretty clear to me that my EV is much higher if I can make them like me and allow me to keep playing rather than filing a complaint etc over $800. My hope is that they will pay it because I have consistently been a good customer. That said, I have been on a particularly hot streak over the past few months so they probably will show me being substantially up, although I lost more than $2k last night.
I had my 4 aces paid from a sticky button at the VP bar at the Suncoast.
Quote: VegasriderI had my 4 aces paid from a sticky button at the VP bar at the Suncoast.
Ha! The buttons seem to be usually sticky at the bar there. The sports bar or the one by Dupars?
