The RNG and your ratings for wins and losses

5 February 2013

By Frank Scoblete

Dear Frank:

I enjoy reading Casino City Times and use your advice often. I have some questions on the technical side of slots and video poker. I understand how the RNG works and usually play Deuces Wild Video Poker.

When you draw cards are they always placed left to right or random? I use this to determine what could have been and if I made the better play.

The casino keeps track of my wins/losses correct?

Now, if I remove my player’s card before cashing out will this effect the total or is the win/loss calculated when the spin stops? If I get a large win and remove the card before cashing out will it be recorded to my account?

Yours truly,

Arthur

Dear Arthur:

Great question and the answer in video poker is probably both; sometimes the cards are dealt out exactly the way they would be in a real game -- from left to right -- and sometimes the remaining cards are “shuffled” and then one is put up, shuffled, then another is put up and so on.

Companies can decide how they want to do this. For you as the player it really makes no difference at all. Since you have no idea of the order of the cards, whether they come out one at a time from left to right or each appearance is from a newly shuffled deck (minus the cards that came before) it has no effect on the game.

My best advice is to play the best strategy at the game and not worry about how the slot manufacturer has programmed the machine. Oh, and enjoy yourself.

The machine will record everything even if you take your card out before the payment and therefore the casino will know exactly how much you won or lost. If it is over $1,200 so will the IRS. Remember the old television commercial, “You can’t fool Mother Nature”? Well the new commercial would be, “You can’t fool the machine. You can’t fool the casino.”

The spin is actually irrelevant to your win/loss in the computer. The spin is merely your entertainment factor. Once the RNG has selected what is to appear, it is recorded before you even know what the result would be.

The slot machines are seconds ahead of us.

All the best in and out of the casinos!

Frank Scoblete