Can a Machine Be Set to Pay at Only a Certain Number of Coins Played?

I am a Pot O Gold multigame maniac. I especially love the Deuces Wild game on these machines which has the DOUBLE DOWN spinning hi - lo card feature. When you make any winning hand, you get the option to double the amount you just won. The particular Pot O Gold machine I play lets you Double Down up to four times.

I have studied this stupid spinning card every which way I can think of, but can't seem to find a consistent pattern that works to win the double down. Is there any type of rule of thumb technique that people use for this aspect of the game that actually works?

The only technique I found is watching the hi or low value of the first card you see as the thing starts spinning and count five beeps then press hi or low depending on the what the first card was. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. I know that the double down bonus is really a sucker's bet, but I can't resist the chance to double my win and am going nuts trying to figure it out.

I have heard of people that know how to consistently beat this machine using some "special technique" but I have never actually seen it done. Is it possible to win the double down the majority of the time?

Also it seems to me that these machines appear to cheat. The machine acts like its mad when you win something good off of a nothing bet and won't give you a hand until it gets its money back. Anyway any advice on the double down thing would be appreciated.

Good luck,
Kyle

Dear Kyle,

I haven't played this particular game, but I suspect there is nothing you can do to consistently win the double down. It's a random event. Your assessment that your technique sometimes works and sometimes doesn't bears that out.

I don't like machines with the double down feature, but I have played them at times. I almost never double down. I will sometimes double down on a low-paying hand, but never on a high-paying hand. On those I take the money and run (well, continue playing). That's how I suggest you play the double down.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

Is it better to play the same keno numbers all the time or to keep changing them?

It makes no difference. In a properly operating keno game, the numbers for each drawing are drawn completely at random and each number is equally likely to be drawn in a given drawing.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

A lady I met at the Indian casino claims that an expert told her some machines are set to only pay at certain number of coins played. I was playing only 9 nickels and she 18 on Beyond The Reef. She was hitting a lot of good stuff. She said she had done well before on the one I was playing, so I tried 18 but just as I thought, no difference.

Later someone turned it once with 18 and got 5 treasure chests. Would it not be illegal to set machines this way? I don't agree with her, but I promised I would ask. Other people have said you have to test to see what a machine likes also. I do not believe this at all myself.

Would you clear this up once and for all?

Thanks,
Leslie

Dear Leslie,

I suspect what the expert told that lady had to do with a particular type of machine called a Buy-a-Pay. On these, additional coins played buy additional winning combinations.

I think she misunderstood what the expert said because you are correct when you say that it is illegal to program a machine to hit only if you played a certain number of coins. The symbols that land on the payline must be chosen without regard to the number of coins played. The only time the bet is considered is when the machine determines how much you've won, if anything.

Testing a machine to see what it likes is nonsense too.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

How do you get more money from Cherry Masters?

If I knew how, I'd be playing them instead of writing to you about them.

If you do a search on the Internet, you can find some articles about people who claim to be able to use skill to improve their results while playing these machines. I'm skeptical about their claims, but you can make up your own mind about whether their techniques will help you.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

I was reading your reply to Ana in regards to the Indian asinos and all the Indian asinos here that I know of don't have "Smart Cards." You go to a machine, buy a paper ticket and then go to a machine and put it in it. There is one Indian casino in Washington by Lake Chelane that actually uses coins.

The only cards that I know of here are the "player cards" where you stick your ticket into the machine, then your player card and you get points based on how much you play.

Rick

Dear Rick,

Thanks for the info.

I've never been to a casino in Washington, but I was in Redmond (at the Microsoft campus) when the earthquake hit in February a few years ago.

I found an article on the Internet that implied that all of Washington's casinos had smart cards, but clearly that is not the case. Thanks again for writing.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert, at slotexpert@comcast.net. Because of the volume of mail I receive, I regret that I can't send a reply to every question. Also be advised that it may take two or more months for your question to appear in my column.