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Does short-circuiting the awarding of credits affect the RNG?

13 October 2008

Dear John,

Thanks for your great articles!

My question is when you hit a large payout or bonus and the player has the choice to either wait while the credits are being added in or hit the play button and begin the cycle again, does the player's choice affect the RNG? I guess the net-net question is — will the next spin have a different outcome based on whether the player chooses to wait or to play-on?

Thanks,
Lin

P.S. I just LOVE when I see people rub the screen thinking it's going to bring them luck!!!

Dear Lin,

Thanks for the kind words about my articles.

To answer your first question, the player's choice of whether to wait for the credits to add up or short-circuit the counting has no effect on the RNG. The RNG function is not affected by anything that happens on the machine.

But, to answer your second question, the result of the next spin will be different depending on the player's choice. The only reason the result is different is because the player started the next game at a different point in time — not because something has affected the RNG. The result won't necessarily be any better or worse; the odds for hitting the winning combinations on the next spin are the same regardless of what the player chooses.

Here's an analogous situation. Say you're throwing dice. For each throw, you have your choice of three pairs of fair dice. One pair is red, one is blue and the last white. You may throw a different number depending on which pair you choose, but it really doesn't matter whether you always choose the same color, follow a pattern, or just choose a color at whim. The odds that you will throw any particular number are the same on every throw regardless of dice color, and if you graphed your results, you'd end up with the Pyramid of Craps.

Letting the awards add up or short-circuiting the process has just as much of an effect as rubbing the screen.

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 reply to every question.

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