Page 6 - May 2010 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Page 6
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE May 2010
Bill Burton: About Gambling
DAoes Payback Matter?
few issues ago I wrote that many players felt they were winning fewer jackpots and they blamed casinos for changing the payback of the slot machines. In that column I wrote that while I do believe some casinos may be ordering new machines with lower payout
percentages, I did not believe that this was the main reason why players may not be winning as much as they used to.
Many players believe they will win more on a machine that pays out 99 percent compared to a machine that pays out 94 percent, but this is not necessarily true. e payback percentage is the pro t that the casinos can expect to earn over the lifetime of the machine. e average player will never play long enough to see the overall return. Just because a machine has a payback of 99 percent does not mean you will win back $98 for every $100 you play through the machine.
You might play $100 through a slot machine with a 94 percent payback and win $5,000, and then sit down and play $100 through a machine with a 99 percent return and lose it all in a few hours. ere is no way of gauging the overall return if you only play a machine for a few hours or even a few days a year.
ere are 24 hours a day, and multiplied by 365 days, this makes a total of 8,760 hours a year. Jamie B. plays the slots about 24 hours a year so his slot play is very little and he will probably never see the average payback return. e best advice I can give him and everyone else is to play the games you enjoy most at a denomination that you can a ord. As a recreational player your rst goal is to have fun. If you only visit the casino occasionally, the overall payback of a slot machine will not be of much concern to you as you will probably never play long enough to see the long-term e ects of payback percentages.
Until next time, remember: “Luck comes and goes.. Knowledge Stays Forever.”
Bill Burton is the author of 1000 Best Casino Gambling Secrets and Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em available online at www.billburton.com. Burton is also an instructor for Golden Touch Craps: www.thecrapsclub.com.
One reason why some players feel that they may not be winning as often is the fact that players are making fewer trips to the casino, so they are not playing as many sessions. Because they are playing fewer sessions, they will see fewer big jackpots and fewer winning sessions overall. It is all proportional.
In all of the years that I have been writing for the Southern California Gaming GuideTM, I have never received more feedback from readers than I received from that column. I appreciate all of the comments that I get from readers, even when they strongly disagree with my opinions. (And many of you did on this one.) I still stand by my original position, but I also respect your opinions. e purpose of this month’s column is not to continue to debate the issue, but to address two questions that I received in an e-mail from a reader concerning payback. My answers follow his questions.
Jamie B. wrote me the following:
I read your column when you wrote that you did not believe that the casinos were reducing the payback on the slot machines. I have two questions.
1. Is there any way to tell the payback of a slot machine? My friend says there is a way to do it by counting the symbols and comparing it with the pay table.
2. I go to the casino about six times a year. My actual playing time is 3–4 hours. Does the payback of the machine really matter? Everyone says that payback is based on the long run so I’m not sure if I play long enough.
Slot Machine Returns
On the original mechanical slot machines, you could determine the return because they were based on the number of reels and the number of symbols on each reel. For example, the rst slot machine invented by Charles Fey had three reels with 10 symbols, one on each reel. ere were 1,000 combinations that could be made. 10 x 10 x 10= 1,000. e total payout for all winning combinations was 750 coins so the machine had a 75 percent return.
New video slots have video reels and with this technology and design, they are not limited to the number of physical stops on a reel. Game designers can incorporate any number of video symbols on each reel. Most of the new games have ve reels but can pay numerous pay lines.
ere are millions of combinations that can be lined up on the reels to determine a winning or losing spin. ere is no way to determine the return of a slot machine based on the number of symbols on the reel.
The Long Run
Payback is the overall percentage that a machine will return to the player in the long run. ese gures are programmed into the machine’s computer chip and are set by the manufacturer to the speci cations that the casino wishes to use for that machine. e return is based on billions of spins. It takes into account every winning and losing combination of the reels.
May 2010 Table Game & Slot Tournaments
BARONA RESORT & CASINO
Barona’s Three Card Poker Progressive Jackpot
Barona’s Three Card Poker Progressive Jackpot keeps growing. When you place a small side bet of $1–$5 on each hand, you are automatically quali ed to win all—or part—of the progressive jackpot. If you receive an Ace-King-Queen of Spades and you have placed the side bet, you’ll win the entire progressive jackpot.
CASINO PAUMA
Friday, May 28th
VIP Slot Tournament
Casino Pauma’s monthly VIP slot tournament is open to quali ed invited Palm Club members. Participation is limited to the rst 180 quali ed r.s.v.p. responses.
Tournament includes a breakfast bu et, and ve $1,000 cash drawings.
HARRAH’S RINCON CASINO & RESORT
TUESDAY, May 25rd at 4 p.m.
$10,000 Slot Tournament
Guests register at the Promotions Center between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Each registered guest will play one 5-minute round on a tournament machine. Tournament winners will be announced at 10 p.m. and the top 75 places will win a share of $10,000 in free slot play. $20 buy-in for Gold cardholders; Platinum, Diamond and Seven Star cardholders participate for free.
SPOTLIGHT 29 CASINO
TUESDAYS at 5 p.m.
Every Tuesday from 5 p.m. t0 8 p.m. Players can post one score per day in the Tues- day Slot Derby. Top 10 scores posted by 8:30 p.m. Free Play prizes awarded: 1st place, $500; 2nd place, $350; 3rd place, $250; 4th place $150; 5th place, $100, 6th place through 10th place, $40.
THURSDAYS & FRIDAYS from 10 p.m. to Midnight “New” Match Play Wheel
Qualifying hands at table games receive a voucher to spin the Match Play wheel to win between $20 Match Play and $100 cash.
SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS from 10 p.m. to Midnight.
Joker’s Wild
Blackjack players who are dealt a Joker receive $20 in Match Play. If the Joker is dealt to the dealer, each player at the table who was dealt in that hand receives $5 Match Play.
VALLEY VIEW CASINO
T-Shirt Wednesdays
Earn 100 points or 6-7-8 suited blackjack on Wednesdays, and receive a collectable Valley
View Casino T-shirt. Collect eight monthly styles throughout the year and receive a free jacket. Collect all 12 and you could win exciting cash and prizes.
Table Games & Tournaments About Gambling with Bill Burton