Ask the Slot Expert: Where can I find Silver Strike slots?

Hi,

Recently, someone from player development at a casino I frequent sent me an e-mail with an attached file by mistake. The file is a list of the casino's 5,000 top rated players.

I'm thinking of approaching player development in another local casino to see if the list is of any interest to them. Maybe in trade for match play or FSP. Although it may be sneaky and unethical, is this illegal? Should I give it a shot or forget I even laid eyes on this list?

Thanks,

Mike

Dear Mike,

Forget that you saw the list. The list is probably not worth anything to the other casino because it probably already knows about the players. Players can be fickle and they sometimes try another casino after a bad experience or a run of bad luck at one. I bet most of the players on your list are already in the other casino's database, maybe even in its top 5,000 list.

Jackpots for all,

John

Could you please tell me what the silver content was of the silver strike coins? Are there any more of those slot machines where you have the chance to win a silver strike coin?

Thanks.

According to The Official Web Site of the Silver Strikers Club the composition of the tokens varies by denomination:

• $2 and $3 strikes are made of brass.


• $7 strikes are .999 silver with approximate weight of 0.65 troy ounces.


• $10 strikes have a .999 silver center insert, outer ring is brass, approximate silver weight is 0.60 troy ounces of silver. Sometime in 2005, a new, thinner center insert strikes with less silver (~ 0.50) appeared. In 2009 CLAD (no .999) $10 strikes appeared, even some red capsules. However, the red capsules should return to .999 silver.


• $20 strikes have a .999 silver outer ring with some 24kt heavy electroplating (HE) and a bronze 24kt heavy gold electroplate (HGE) on the center insert, approximate silver weight is 0.75 troy ounces of silver.


• $28 strikes are .999 silver with 24kt gold plating (GP), approximate silver weight is 0.65 troy ounces.


• $40 strikes are .999 silver with 24K heavy electroplate (HE), approximate silver weight is 1.54 troy ounces for the large size $40 strikes and 1.26 troy ounces for the small size $40 strikes.


• $200 strikes are 1 troy pound (12 ounces) of silver and may have some 24kt heavy electroplating or for the newer RWM mint strikes may have colorization.


• $300 strikes are 1 troy pound (12 ounces) of silver and may have some 24kt heavy electroplating. Beginning 2011 the new $300s were changed to a 6 troy ounces center with a gold-plated copper ring.

The Silver Strike machines were produced by Anchor Gaming, which IGT acquired in 2001. IGT discontinued the machines a few years ago. According to some posts I found on the Las Vegas Form at tripadvisor.com, IGT offered casinos the opportunity to purchase the machines. The latest post on the topic was two years ago and it said that Planet Hollywood, Four Queens, Palms and Sam's Town are the last casinos with the machines.

I used to like collecting these tokens and I'm sorry to see the machines go.

Jackpots for all,

John

Hi John,

A while ago I wrote you about the video poker at a NY racino, and you explained the difference between Class II and Class III machines, and how the outcomes are pre-determined regardless of your skill level. Thank you.

My question today is, at this same racino, would the "video slot machines" work the same way as the poker machines, or would they be the same as Vegas machines with results based on an RNG? The machines are the same games as in Vegas, i.e., Maid of Money, 100 Ladies, etc.

Thanks for your help.

Jim

Dear Jim,

The slot machines in New York's racinos work the same way as their video poker machines. When you start a spin, the machine requests a central computer to tell it the result of the spin. The machines in Las Vegas have their own RNGs and do not need another system to determine the results of their spins.

The results on both types of machines are random. The difference is that the machines in the racinos need another system to determine their results, while the machines in Las Vegas do not.

Jackpots for all,

John