What's the reason for building credits on vp?

[slingshot]

If the game is luck and being at the right place at the right time-and other players are constantly feeding the machines-why can't they be treated like other slots? My wife and I consistently win on her penny machines by playing maybe 10-20 hands, depending on how the machine's reacting. So what's wrong if, say a machine starts out with a flush or straight, or full house doesn't hit a couple of times going to another machine. I can't get the concept that I need to build credits up to have a chance to win.

[Alan Mendelson]

I think I understand your question... but maybe I don't. Who says you have to have built up credits or lots of credits on a machine to have a chance to win? There were several times when I hit a significant win on the very first hand I played. And then there were plenty of times when I loaded a lot of "credits" on the machine and then lost it all without even a small "hit." So... since when does the number of credits affect the ability to win?

[redietz]

Huh, I learn something every day -- sometimes from unexpected sources.

I think what sling's saying here has to do with moving from machine to machine. My perception is that people bounce a lot more from slot to slot than they do from vp machine to vp machine. That's an interesting thought -- I wonder if they really do.

Slots offer what appear to be more varied experiences, at least superficially, so people move from machine to machine. Yet many slots use different skins for the same program and are really no more different than video poker machines. So why do we accept people bouncing from slot to slot and think that's more justifiable than people moving from vp machine to vp machine?

Interesting perceptions. First of all, do people move more from slot to slot than from vp to vp? That's my perception, but I may be wrong.

[Alan Mendelson]

Back in the old days when I played slots (even before craps, and before I found out what VP was) I sat down at my favorite game and that's where I played. I did not bounce around. Usually it was Wheel of Fortune. I would take a seat and keep playing. Even if I got lucky and hit the big payoff on the spins more than once I would still sit at the same machine.

However, I have seen people dance from machine to machine playing one "spin" on each machine as they move down the row.

[slingshot]

OK. Tried it out today and the machines started out giving me about 20 credits on just about every machine (which means I probably should have cashed out with $5 each time) and then came the usual taking it back and after reaching the number of credits I started with it was all downhill from there. THEN, came the big surprise. After going elsewhere and playing a few penny machines and gradually winning ALL my money back, I went BACK to these machines after others had been hacking away at them and hit quad J's on one and quad Q's on another, and finally a straight flush (5-9 of hearts) on another. And for some strange reason, the point at which the hands start to deteriorate are at about 20 hands (100 credits). Tomorrow, I take my wife shopping near there and I'll try this again. I have been noticing this off and on for about 2 years now. In other words, I'm playing just as if I were on slots. Forgot to mention that IF the machine keeps staying above my original credits,i.e., flushes, straights, full houses, trips start showing, I keep on and usually hit quads.

[Alan Mendelson]

I still don't understand, sling. I believe that every hand is independent of every other hand played. Is it your position that they are not and there is some pattern about when winning hands come?

[slingshot]

I still don't understand, sling. I believe that every hand is independent of every other hand played. Is it your position that they are not and there is some pattern about when winning hands come?

No, nothing like that at all. I'm saying the machines were not ready to pay out and I COULD have kept playing and maybe after losing $100 hit the quads for $60-a losing session. I came back about an hour later, after others had been filling the machines (and everyone was cursing the machines and leaving.) One guy had been playing bonus poker for about an hour with no luck, so I chose that one and immediately went to ddbp, and after a short time hit quad Q's. Also, I'm just saying the machines started out by giving away 20-30 credits when I first started playing them and then went downhill after that-just the way they've been doing for a long time. Now every once in a while this starts, but the credits continue to increase and I play a little longer for the quad. So why not play them like slots? I used to play a certain number of credits on slots AFTER hitting a fairly good amount and then quit if nothing after say 10 spins.

[Alan Mendelson]

I'm saying the machines were not ready to pay out.... I came back about an hour later, after others had been filling the machines (and everyone was cursing the machines and leaving.)

Oh I see... you want to be at the machines during the "HOT CYCLES" right?

Unfortunately the machines I play on do not have a "hot cycle" display light or a meter indicating if the machine is in a hot or cold cycle. This is why I go to the casino with a prepared list of twenty-seven curses from which to choose.

[slingshot]

Huh, I learn something every day -- sometimes from unexpected sources.

I think what sling's saying here has to do with moving from machine to machine. My perception is that people bounce a lot more from slot to slot than they do from vp machine to vp machine. That's an interesting thought -- I wonder if they really do.

Slots offer what appear to be more varied experiences, at least superficially, so people move from machine to machine. Yet many slots use different skins for the same program and are really no more different than video poker machines. So why do we accept people bouncing from slot to slot and think that's more justifiable than people moving from vp machine to vp machine?

Interesting perceptions. First of all, do people move more from slot to slot than from vp to vp? That's my perception, but I may be wrong.

You are right on. These people sat there and were still there after I came back. I also enjoy the freedom of moving around and seem to have my best luck playing this way=and I also don't have to change my denomination from quarters to try to go to a higher denom. to try and recoup my losses since I usually end up with a good amount of my original credits from just playing so long.

[Alan Mendelson]

I wish I knew when machines will get hot. I remember the time I was playing at Caesars and decided to go to the men's room and take a break. As I got up from my seat another player took my seat, insert his money and when I was just steps away he was dealt quad aces with kicker on a double double bonus machine.

I turned around and walked back and congratulated him.
He said "I'm sorry I got your jackpot."
I said (and this is the reality, sling) "You didn't hit my jackpot. Unless I was sitting there and hit the button at the exact same second you did I would not have been dealt that hand."

I know you don't believe that sling, but that's the reality.

[slingshot]

I wish I knew when machines will get hot. I remember the time I was playing at Caesars and decided to go to the men's room and take a break. As I got up from my seat another player took my seat, insert his money and when I was just steps away he was dealt quad aces with kicker on a double double bonus machine.

I turned around and walked back and congratulated him.
He said "I'm sorry I got your jackpot."
I said (and this is the reality, sling) "You didn't hit my jackpot. Unless I was sitting there and hit the button at the exact same second you did I would not have been dealt that hand."

I know you don't believe that sling, but that's the reality.

I've been there, done that. One really nice lady offered me part of the money and I told her I had my chance and thanked her for her politeness. Unfortunately, I've done that to others and just sat there with a smug look on my face. And I'm glad you brought up the incident, 'cause that's what I'm saying. My "short-term" strategy, if you wanna call it that, comes from incidences just like that. And who can leave a machine if it continues to add on the credits without touching the initial stake?

[Alan Mendelson]

I've been there, done that. One really nice lady offered me part of the money and I told her I had my chance and thanked her for her politeness. Unfortunately, I've done that to others and just sat there with a smug look on my face. And I'm glad you brought up the incident, 'cause that's what I'm saying. My "short-term" strategy, if you wanna call it that, comes from incidences just like that. And who can leave a machine if it continues to add on the credits without touching the initial stake?

I'm sorry, I just don't understand. You will have to explain these thoughts in a bit more detail for me.

[regnis]

Oh I see... you want to be at the machines during the "HOT CYCLES" right?

Unfortunately the machines I play on do not have a "hot cycle" display light or a meter indicating if the machine is in a hot or cold cycle. This is why I go to the casino with a prepared list of twenty-seven curses from which to choose.

Alan-you don't need a hot cycle display light. Just ask the change girl--they can always tell you which machine is hot. They been doing that for 50 years.

[slingshot]

I'm sorry, I just don't understand. You will have to explain these thoughts in a bit more detail for me.

I'm sorry I'm not a good communicator. Most of the times I start on a session, there's little hits and such to keep me going. Finally, a flush that won't fill, etc. and it steadily goes downhill. So I gave the machine a chance and usually about 5 more hands of playing verifies I'm probably not gonna do better. And there's no "light" on the machine, or special "signal" that tells me this-for some reason the casino here likes to "rub it in your face" with the downhill slide-and that's what I've learned from trying to outplay the bad streak in the past. So I treat it like a slot and change machines after giving it a fair shot. Ever so often, the flushes, straights,etc. KEEP going at a fairly regular pace, and I don't lose to the amount I started with on the machine, and I keep the action going. There's no set amount of credits, or any other plan except that. It just so happens that 20 hands or 100 credits usually is the make or break point, so I at least play 100 credits -and sometimes I've played like 200 credits before the quad-and the machine never took me lower than my initial credits. Call it money management, or whatever-it works more often than not.

[Alan Mendelson]

Yep, slingshot, you figured it all out. It is a conspiracy of course.

I guess they have a switch up in surveillance that sometimes turns machines on to "pay" and I think that's what happened to me when I got quad aces three times in one session. Somebody was watching me with the eye and thought it was time I won, so they triggered my machine to pay.

I think it's important to sit there and smile, and when they do, they reward you with winners. Try that next time, sling.

[slingshot]

Yep, slingshot, you figured it all out. It is a conspiracy of course.

I guess they have a switch up in surveillance that sometimes turns machines on to "pay" and I think that's what happened to me when I got quad aces three times in one session. Somebody was watching me with the eye and thought it was time I won, so they triggered my machine to pay.

I think it's important to sit there and smile, and when they do, they reward you with winners. Try that next time, sling.

I notice you like to make fun-but I'm not into "voodoo" vp. As far as conspiracy, you know what you're getting into whenever you step inside a casino. Abnormalities happen and they make you "expect" it to happen all the time. But I have to do what works for me and hope for the best.

[Alan Mendelson]

But sling you make it seem as though you believe it is all planned -- that there is some explanation for what happens and when you win and when you don't. The only explanation is that anything can happen with a random number generator. Even when you make "special plays" or you use conventional strategy, anything can happen.

That's my point.

[slingshot]

But sling you make it seem as though you believe it is all planned -- that there is some explanation for what happens and when you win and when you don't. The only explanation is that anything can happen with a random number generator. Even when you make "special plays" or you use conventional strategy, anything can happen.

That's my point.

That's a given. So you're saying I should just ramble on without a stopping point? According to the place you're at in the computer program, it IS planned and nothing you can do can either make or prevent it from happening. YOU'RE THE ONE who is always asking the question about the strategies, "So tell me how this makes me win??" FWIW, today I was playing artt, 5/10/25 cents and on two of the machines, the two pairs were few and far between, so I cut those sessions abruptly and started afresh on the third machine-whereupon the 2 pairs started returning and a couple of full houses and 3 or 4 flushes filled out.Then, on nickels nothing, dimes-nothing=quarters-a pair of J's-which kept me at quarters, another pair-I stayed and the final hand trip 2's which turned into 4 of them. That's where I stand-period. It coulda been 4 Q's, or 4 10's , or a straight flush,etc. The point is, I didn't plan the win, I just PLANNED not to keep playing on a machine that was not giving me a chance.