Does the payback change when I change denomination on a multi-denomination machine?

I enjoyed your article on the RNG.

I have read that the higher the denomination slot machine the better the payback percentage. Since many machines today have multiple choices, I was wondering if you were playing a machine at $1.00 and then switched to $2.00 on the same machine, is your chance of winning now better?

Thank you,
Les

Dear Les,

Thanks for the kind words about my RNG column.

It's entirely possible that the long-term payback on a multi-denomination machine increases when you increase denomination. We can't tell that the payback has increased on a slot game, but we can tell on a video poker game. The higher denominations on a multi-denomination video poker game almost always have better-paying pay tables than the lower denominations.

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.