Slot and Video Poker Jackpots

There is No Man Behind the Curtain

Slot and Video Poker Jackpots – No Man Behind the Curtain is a rewrite of an older post. While writing this post in 2014, friends of mine often shared misunderstandings about gambling jackpots, causing me a lot of frustration. I found these musings rather irritating. At the time, I was preparing to direct the middle school production of “The Wizard of Oz.” The week after, I had a brief casino visit. Here’s how it went.

The Story

I sat down at a Video Poker machine, and the person next to me said, “I wouldn’t play that if I were you, the last person left with over $1000 profit. He hit a royal, and it was hot for over an hour!”

I stood up and left, but not because of what he said. I prefer not to play next to obnoxious people who can’t keep their less-than-knowledgeable opinions to themselves.

So I went to play slots. I sit down, and the lady on the next machine says, “that one (slot) is due to hit. I’ve been playing here for over an hour, and at least a dozen people have poured money into that machine. It’s due…”

The Moral of the Story

I like empty casinos. It’s quiet, with plenty of open tables & machines. Besides, there is no unsolicited advice!

Here are the facts. There are no slot machines or video poker machines due to hit it big. That does not include the separate progressive slots that can approach a positive EV. “Slot machine harvesting” is a post for another day.

“Hot” or “Cold” machines are a human perception based on a small time sampling and nothing scientific or mathematical. Remember, every bet is a single entity in time. It’s not based on the previous action.

Related Post – Slot Machines and Bankroll – The House Edge

Back to Broadway. The Great and Powerful Oz was a mistake in human judgment, a perception of what the Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Dorothy WANTED to believe. Thank goodness one of the leads had the common sense to dig deeper for the truth – TOTO SAVES THE DAY!

Gambling myths, hunches, feelings, and misguided “facts” are better kept to oneself. There is no magic. Casinos don’t change the machines’ payback % all the time. They don’t have to. The Random Number Generator (RNG) designed the house advantage from the factory. Every pull of the handle, every push of the button, is an event in life that does not depend on what happened before.

So, there is no man behind the curtain. There is no magic. Slots and video poker are not “due,” “tight,” or “loose.” The RNG dictates the randomness with every push of the button.

Final Thoughts – Slot and Video Poker Jackpots 

As much as you try to stop the reels on the bonus or time that draw button to finish that Royal Flush, it’s an exercise in futility. All of those actions do not affect the result. It just doesn’t matter. 

Yes, that’s right; it doesn’t matter. Once you push the button, whatever you see on the screen or wherever the reels stop, you have no control over it. If you touch the screen for fun, accept the Random Number Generator’s science, then have a great time. Please don’t share your views if you don’t accept the math and prefer the myth. Many don’t care to hear it!

Accept the math, not the myth; that’s the truth!

Thank you, Toto!

Binbin