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Ask The Slot Expert

29 November 2001

Dear John,

Many slots I play have four meters inside to the right side of the third reel. If I drop in coins or play a bill I inserted, only the top meter advances. If I play off credits won, however, both the top meter and the meter below it advance. Seems like playing off credits gives an advantage of some sort that just dropping coins does not. What is the significance of this second meter from the top?

Thank You,
Gregory

Dear Gregory,

Different manufacturers have different meters in different places in their machines, so I don't know for sure what the order of the meters is in the machines you played. Nevertheless, the meters are strictly for accounting purposes. For example, they track how many coins are inserted into the machine and how many coins the machine paid out.

The outcome of a spin is determined solely by the Random Number Generator, which is a special function in the computer program running the machine or a special-purpose chip on the logic board. Whether you play off credits or drop coins won't affect your results.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

How are the double down cards dealt in video poker? Is it the same way the regular hands are dealt?

Thanks.

The computer program running the machine polls the RNG to get two cards at random from the deck, in much the sane way the other cards are dealt.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

In the book Break the One-Armed Bandits by Frank Scoblete (1994), do the five areas where the loose machines will most likely be found still hold up today in 2001? I am going to Biloxi to the Grand casino in two weeks.

Most of the slot managers I've spoken to or heard speak at seminars order roughly the same payback percentage for all of their machines in a particular denomination, so their slot floors do not have machines that pay back much more than the others. Nevertheless, you have nothing to lose by playing the machines in the locations Frank suggests because they just might be looser than the other machines and the casino does want players to see other players win.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John


Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert, at slotexpert@home.com.


For more information about slots and video poker, we recommend:

The Slot Expert's Guide to Playing Slots by John Robison
Break the One-Armed Bandits! by Frank Scoblete
Victory at Video Poker and Video Craps, Keno and Blackjack! by Frank Scoblete
Slot Conquest Audio Cassette Tape (60 minutes) with Frank Scoblete
Winning Strategies at Slots & Video Poker! Video tape hosted by Academy Award Winner James Coburn, Written by Frank Scoblete
The Slot Machine Answer Book by John Grochowski
The Video Poker Answer Book by John Grochowski
John Robison

John Robison is an expert on slot machines and how to play them. John is a slot and video poker columnist and has written for many of gaming’s leading publications. He holds a master's degree in computer science from the prestigious Stevens Institute of Technology.

You may hear John give his slot and video poker tips live on The Good Times Show, hosted by Rudi Schiffer and Mike Schiffer, which is broadcast from Memphis on KXIQ 1180AM Friday afternoon from from 2PM to 5PM Central Time. John is on the show from 4:30 to 5. You can listen to archives of the show on the web anytime.

Books by John Robison:

The Slot Expert's Guide to Playing Slots
John Robison
John Robison is an expert on slot machines and how to play them. John is a slot and video poker columnist and has written for many of gaming’s leading publications. He holds a master's degree in computer science from the prestigious Stevens Institute of Technology.

You may hear John give his slot and video poker tips live on The Good Times Show, hosted by Rudi Schiffer and Mike Schiffer, which is broadcast from Memphis on KXIQ 1180AM Friday afternoon from from 2PM to 5PM Central Time. John is on the show from 4:30 to 5. You can listen to archives of the show on the web anytime.

Books by John Robison:

The Slot Expert's Guide to Playing Slots