Double Bonus Poker, Double Diamonds, Comps, Video Keno

I like to play $0.25 Double Bonus Poker 9/6/5 with the 8000-coin royal in Atlantic City. I been having very good luck with this game. Since June, I have hit 3 royals. I usually go once a month.

What do you think of this game and should I move on to $0.50 or $1 machines?

Lenny

Dear Lenny,

I don't care for the various Double Bonus games because their variances are so high. You've had a run of good luck and, presumably, are quite a bit ahead. If your luck hadn't been so good, you might be quite a bit behind now. Another reason I don't like Double Bonus paytables is because their strategies are very complicated.

I suspect the reason you're considering moving up in denomination is because you're thinking of how much more money you could have won had you experienced your good luck streak while playing higher-denomination machines.

In any case, your decision about moving up in denomination should be based on your bankroll, not your past results. If you have the bankroll to see you through a prolonged dry spell, then you can move up.

I recommend, however, that you stick with the quarter machines for a while longer. I think you should experience what a losing streak is like on this paytable before you move up in denomination.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

Hi John,

I just found your site and find your answers to questions just excellent. I have a couple of questions (I play slots at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut).

#1 On straight Double Diamonds verses pop up Double Diamonds, are the odds the same?

I like both. All the jackpots I have hit were on the straight Double Diamonds, but I find the pop up machine pays a lot more smaller hits (5, 10, and 20 coin hits).

#2 On some machines, at a certain time the machine will start to pay off over a 10 or 20-coin run, sometimes back to back. The coin tray starts to fill up, then all the hits stop. You can go for another 30 to 50 coins without a hit. Is the RNG set to do this? It seems if you stay the machine will take back all your wins.

Thanks,
Knobby

Dear Knobby,

Thanks for the kind words about my column.

The answer to your first question is maybe. Both versions of Double Diamonds have many different payback programs available for them, and it's possible that Mohegan Sun has ordered roughly the same payback percentage for both types of Double Diamonds. It's also possible they ordered different payback percentages for them. There's no easy way to know without asking the slot director.

The answer to your second question is no. The RNG only generates numbers. It doesn't know or care what those numbers are used for, so it can't knowingly generate a series of hits and then a series of misses.

What you described is just normal randomness. As for the machine taking back all of your wins if you stay, that will tend to happen with any negative expectation game.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

Dear John,

I would like to know why the Blue Chip Casino in Indiana changed its comp policies.

We had been a VIP there for a long time and we enjoyed all the free rooms and meals, but now they are changing everything and we are no longer VIPs. We have spent a LOT of money there--and sometimes more than we should have--but we enjoyed it and that is our only entertainment, so no problem.

The problem is that now we will not enjoy the freebies. I know that in Illinois they had to change their comps because of the new rules set by the state, but I didn't think that happened in Indiana.

Please let me know if you know any thing about this. Many of us from Michigan go there because of the comps, but now I guess we will all be going to Little River here in Michigan as it is not as far to go.

I feel really bad about this because we have met a lot of nice people at the Blue Chip and love playing with them.

Also, please keep on having this web page. I really enjoy all the letters I read from people for all over and maybe someday we will be able to visit other casinos in their states.

Keep up the good work.

Thank you,
Sukie

Dear Sukie,

Thanks for the kind words about my column.

I can only guess why the Blue Chip casino tightened their comp policies.

Casinos alter their comp policies for many reasons. One reason is new management, at as low a level as the casino's marketing director to as high a level as the CEO of the company. Another reason is an attempt to improve the casino's bottom line--either by giving out fewer comps or giving out more in the hopes that more people will gamble there.

Another reason a casino changes its comp policies is because of competitive pressure or the lack of it. I suspect that because the Illinois casinos are cutting back on their generosity because of the changes in the Illinois tax laws, the Indiana casinos feel they can cut back a little too.

I suggest you write a letter to your host there, if you have one, or to the Blue Chip's general manager or director of marketing, and let him or her know how much you've enjoyed playing at their casino and how you're going to play somewhere closer to home because of the changes in their comp policies.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

John,

I enjoy your column very much. It is both informative and entertaining.

Here in Washington State we have a lot of non-coin slots. One favorite is the "Heaven Cent" or the "Penny Jar". They seem to be the same game with different figures on the reels. These machines have a maximum play of 495 pennies (about $5 a throw).

Are we right in playing 5 coins at a time for maximum exposure, long-time play and a posibility to win a couple of bucks? I'm not quiting my day job.

I like to hit the 25 cents or the 75 cents button every once in a while and I'm lucky that they hit fairly often. Am I just having fun or is it also a good strategy?

The two top jackpots for one coin per line are 3,000 and 8,000 coins. If I did hit the 8,000 coins on the 75 cents pull, it would pay $1,200 and $400 on the 3,000 win.

Is there a special strategy for the penny machines? They seem to be a big money maker for the casinos based on my observations of the people around me. You can sure go through a lot of money in a short period of time without walking way with very much.

Also, are these games out on a CD-Rom for home computers yet. I can't find anything on the Internet except for them wanting me to gamble on line. Not today, thank you very much.

Dave

Dear Dave,

Thanks for the kind words about my column.

There's no strategy for playing the slots other than playing the number of coins that gives you the lowest loss per hour with the most fun per hour.

On video slots, I generally recommend betting one coin per line. You usually get the lowest loss per hour by betting only one coin--period--but it can be frustrating to see winning combinations land on lines that you didn't bet on. That frustration cuts down on the fun, so I think it's okay to accept a somewhat higher loss per hour by betting one coin on each line because it's less frustrating and more fun.

You can up your bet every once in a while. I only do that when I'm having a hot streak on a machine. Then I'll bet two or three coins per line. I usually start with $20 in a machine and bet one coin per line. While my credit meter is over $40, I bet two coins per line. Over $60, I bet three, and so on.

I don't know of any CDs that have these games on them.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

Greetings.

My question is concerning what combinations are known to come up more often in video keno?

Just last week a man was playing the same combination on a $3 per play machine and hit the $2,400 pot. After a while he continued to play the same combination and started hitting $500 pots several times.

So, my mistake was I did not see what combinations he was playing and he would not voluteer that info.

What combination of numbers would you recommend?

Let me know ASAP.

Thanks,
Al

Dear Al,

On a properly functioning video keno machine, no combination of numbers is any more likely to be drawn than any other combination of numbers. There are no combinations that are known to come up more often.

I think the man you saw just happened to have a good luck streak while you were watching.

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.