Still no Royal Flush for me this year, BUT (and it really is a big but).

[Alan Mendelson]

I've played a lot of video poker so far this year, and as of Saturday night I've played at least 123,822 hands of video poker. I'm not making this number up. I got this figure by using my "tier score" on my player's card from the casino company that gets nearly all of my play. But since I have played a little elsewhere, and because I've also played some multi line games at lower denominations, I've probably played more than 123,822 hands this year.

Well, in most of the games I play, the frequency of hitting a royal flush is about 1 in 45,000. Yes, that's an average, and I still haven't hit one. Wow, am I on the wrong side of the averages.

But OK-- I haven't hit a royal yet but on Saturday I hit a payoff that was equal to the payoff on a royal -- and that's 4,000 coins.

The payoff came on quad aces playing the game called "Royal Aces Bonus." In this game, the payoff on 4 aces equals the payoff on a royal flush. But the "math" of the game says that a royal hits about 1 in 45,000 hands while quad aces hits about 1 in 4,000 hands.

What's that? A hand with a payoff that is equal to a royal hits about ten times more often? What a deal!

Well, be ready to lose a lot before you win, and be ready to hold some unusual cards on each dealt hand because this game has an unusual pay table.

For example, if you get a pair of kings you lose -- a single pair of jacks or better is a losing hand. It's not even a break even hand -- it's a losing hand.

The only single pair that pays is a pair of Aces and that only returns your bet. And two pair also returns your bet. You need at least three of a kind to win a little money.

This game has a "top heavy pay table" meaning the big money is on the "big hands" such as a royal, a straight flush and quad aces. And these are the "rare hands."

In order to make a payoff on quad aces equal to a royal, the low end of the pay table is wiped out and that means no payoffs on a single pair of Jacks or Better and getting two pair only is a break even hand.

Curiously, I've played this game only four times in my life, and three of the four times I hit quad aces. And all three times I was lucky and hit the rockets with very little money into the game. Yes. I was very lucky, and I think it makes up for the big run of bad luck I've had not being able to get a royal.

Royal Aces Bonus is at Harrah's Rincon casino in San Diego and it is available in low denominations. But it is not available in denominations above $2/coin.

[Vegas Vic]

That game is too volatile for me, so congrats on your good fortune. I've probably played the same number of hands this year, too...and it's actually a down year in that regard. I have one royal this year (after getting 4 last year) and with a week in Vegas coming up next month, it might be my last big hurrah effort at another royal. I go there always knowing there are multiple royals waiting with my name on them..if only I knew in which machine they are hiding.

[arcimede$]

The contests at vp.com are played by thousands of people. One of the games available in many of the contests is Royal Aces. I've played it quite a bit and never hit quad aces. Of course, to win a contest you normally need to get 4 aces dealt since it is usually some form of multi-play. It is not unusual to get very low scores.

[Vegas Vic]

The contests at vp.com are played by thousands of people. One of the games available in many of the contests is Royal Aces. I've played it quite a bit and never hit quad aces. Of course, to win a contest you normally need to get 4 aces dealt since it is usually some form of multi-play. It is not unusual to get very low scores.

I've been playing those contests every day and I am amazed at the high scores. Those scores are nothing but pure luck no matter which game is offered.

[Alan Mendelson]

Saturday night my wife and I went to Rincon for dinner (I wrote about our fantastic meal at Fiore Steakhouse on the Restaurants forum) and to play a little video poker. Together, we were dealt four to the royal four times -- twice for each of us. And no luck again. This brings my number of hands played so far this year without a royal to at least 125,642 (based on my tier score, but probably higher since I have been playing some multi hand machines at lower denominations). You can also add several thousand hands played at the end of 2010 since my last royal in December 2010.

I'm getting tired of playing video poker. It's not fun when you don't win, and you need a royal (or two, or three) to keep the balance sheet positive.

Yes, I've had my share of quads and straight flushes but still no royal.

So now my second complaint: why is it that it seems that you get the "big hands" playing the games where the big hands don't count? My last three quad aces playing Bonus Poker all came with a 2, 3 or 4 kicker. In double double bonus or triple double bonus those kickers make you a big, big winner. In Bonus the kickers don't matter. So why do they show up so often in Bonus but not where they count? (Okay, my selective memory is at work here... but the last three quad aces did have the small kickers.)

[Rob.Singer]

Alan, I know you don't believe Indian casinos aren't on the up & up, but eventually, everybody gets socked with the undeniable truth: They regulate their own machines, the states simply rubber stamp their "reports" in order to keep the revenue flowing without a hitch, and they do re-program the vp machines in addition to the usual lousy pay tables they offer. So the fact that you're not getting your "share" of RF's is no big surprise. Of course, die-hard Indian casino addicts will disagree with me for the sole purpose of justifying their continued gambling as such places. But in your case, since you go to LV fairly often, you CAN level those odds out some if you wanted.

Just so you won't think EVERYWHERE is against having royals pop up, I stopped at the Edgewater the other day and within 30 minutes I hit a $2 royal playing 25c-$2 ARTT. The machine went thru $200 on 25c-$2 BP lightning fast without anything better than two-pair, then within a few hands on the superior game of 8/5 TBP+ the royal showed up.

Good luck!

[arcimede$]

Yup, I'm sure Harrahs is cheating its customers ... "they do re-program the vp machines ". Another example of complete nonsense from Singer. Is Singer so lost he doesn't understand that this would be one of the stupidest things the casino could do. All it would take is someone who is privy to the fact they are cheating to decide to come clean and the company would probably go bankrupt. Singer's claims are beyond naive and just plain idiotic. Of course, with everything else he claims this should not be a surprise.

As for the Indian casino I'm playing at ... I've had 6 RFs this year in 160K hands. I sure hope they keep cheating me on those RFs.

My longest streak without a RF was around 200K hands. So Alan, you have a long way to go to match me.

[Alan Mendelson]

Rob, I have to disagree with you on this. My last two RF progressives were hit at Rincon. I hit two Royals at Pechanga. I just think all of my four to the royals that fail to get the fifth card are just a big run of bad luck. It has been such a run of bad luck that getting a royal is now "out of my vocabulary" so to speak. Now when I sit down at the machine, instead of wishing for a royal, I just wish for "quads." LOL

And I know the regulations of the State of Nevada. These are IGT games that I am playing. If ever there were an issue with IGT games at an Indian casino, IGT itself would come under scrutiny even if the machines left its factory as 100% OK. And this goes for the other vp machine makers too.

I remember this quote which I've read over and over: why would a casino cheat when they can make so much money honestly?

Also, the $100 vp game was hit for a royal the other night. $400k. Wish it was me, but I don't play $100/coin. (Wish I could afford that!!)

[Rob.Singer]

Rob, I have to disagree with you on this. My last two RF progressives were hit at Rincon. I hit two Royals at Pechanga. I just think all of my four to the royals that fail to get the fifth card are just a big run of bad luck. It has been such a run of bad luck that getting a royal is now "out of my vocabulary" so to speak. Now when I sit down at the machine, instead of wishing for a royal, I just wish for "quads." LOL

And I know the regulations of the State of Nevada. These are IGT games that I am playing. If ever there were an issue with IGT games at an Indian casino, IGT itself would come under scrutiny even if the machines left its factory as 100% OK. And this goes for the other vp machine makers too.

I remember this quote which I've read over and over: why would a casino cheat when they can make so much money honestly?

Also, the $100 vp game was hit for a royal the other night. $400k. Wish it was me, but I don't play $100/coin. (Wish I could afford that!!)

I know you disagree--I covered that in my post. People who habitually play at Indian casinos will always play at them and believe they don't alter their machines. Either that or they would need my kind of extreme discipline to wait until they go to a venue they can trust--like NV. I've investigated the issue as deeply as one can--even had a debate on KTAR radio over here with tribal and state gaming commission leaders, as well as spent days with the same groups in connecticut, and in neither case would either side say they regulated the vp machines as totally random. They always pointed fingers at the other side. The ones in Az. all ended up sounding incompetent on the radio, and Ct. just wanted me and my Gaming Today article to disappear.

You want proof as close as you'll get it? Just look at how arci came out of hiding from the forums the moment he saw something that might attack his justification for being addicted to Indian casinos. And who would've guessed he'd be claiming to be hitting royals at a greater clip than anyone else at the same time!

Around here we've got Indian casinos that are as nice as anywhere, only I'm smart enough not to play at them. They're not gonna make it obvious--sure they'll allow a royal or aces to be hit here and there. All they need to do is change the hold just a little and they make a bundle. And it isn't illegal on Sovereign land as my buddy keeps saying. That guy believes no one does anything even slightly off kilter in any casino anywhere--or else they'll "close them down" . That tells you how naiive and inexperienced in the world of business he really is.

[arcimede$]

At the Indian casinos around here I often see the folks who are installing the machines. They all wear the same type of shirt that has IGT right over the pocket. That's right, IGT installs the machines. I guess this mean IGT is setting up illegal machines and risking their entire business to make a few extra bucks for the Indians. This is about as idiotic as it gets and this is typical of Singer.

Of course, we have to remember that this nonsense is coming from the same person who claimed to get 40% duplicate card ranks on a one card draw over something like 40K hands. That claim was an obvious lie as the probability would be about the same as getting a dozen dealt sequential RFs in a row. So, we have a person proven to lie about something as insignificant as a one card draw ... what does that say about their credibility? They have none.

And then Singer states:

"Just look at how arci came out of hiding from the forums "

I doubt you would be able to convince either Frank or Alan that I have been hiding anywhere. If Singer had any credibility left it is gone now. Finally:

"That tells you how naiive and inexperienced in the world of business he really is."

Projection at its finest. And it pretty much describes Singer's views that multi-million dollar corporations would risk their entire business on cheating a few gamblers when all they have to do to make more money from VP is legally lower paytables (which they have done). Totally insane.

[Rob.Singer]

Psst....he just can't STAND it. It is SOOOO precious!

Go ahead someone else---give him a poke and see what BS he regurgitates for ya!!

[arcimede$]

Psst....he just can't STAND it. It is SOOOO precious!

Go ahead someone else---give him a poke and see what BS he regurgitates for ya!!

Translation: Singer knows he made a complete fool of himself and wants to change the subject. I do love the projection though ... "see what BS he regurgitates" is a perfect description of his own comments.

[Rob.Singer]

See what I mean--he's so lonely he can't help himself! (And he'll take this as another poke )

Oh what fun!!

[arcimede$]

See what I mean--he's so lonely he can't help himself! (And he'll take this as another poke )

Oh what fun!!

Another telling projection. I guess Singer's home-life is not as great as he wants people to believe.

[Rob.Singer]

Poke! ........

[Alan Mendelson]

Rob, I really don't understand your pokes or what you are trying to accomplish? I would rather you took the time to share your insights and knowledge and contribute to the discussions, even if you don't agree with other posters. "Pokes" don't do much but to add extra pages to threads.

I'm now looking at new "forum software" that will allow video posts and the last thing I want to see are forum members on their web cams sticking their tongues out and saying nah-nah-na-nah-nah.

I'm paying good money to keep these forums going and please let me think the money was spent for a worthwhile purpose.

[Rob.Singer]

OK, no more pokes and no more fun! I'm slipping in some jabs as we get ready to depart early Sat. morning. No more playtime....

Forum videos would be a great idea....for some of us. As you know, the greater majority wouldn't want anyone to know them by sight since probably over 99% of forum people tell lies about who they are or what they do. But some won't, and maybe those are the ones you'd like to post here.

I have a suggestion for your RF drought: Get on Winpoker or go to vp genius or another site that allows playing vp for free--but make sure it's only on >100% games, which they have. Put in another 100,000 hands and hope you don't see a royal. Then hit the casinos and the wait shouldn't be long. And, if you want to enter the mythical long-term while you're at it you can do that at home too. Just play 30,000,000 or so hands (preferrably on 100-play) then go out and play in the casinos. Since you'll already be in the "long-term", you can't possibly lose from that point forward.

[arcimede$]

Rob, I really don't understand your pokes or what you are trying to accomplish? I would rather you took the time to share your insights and knowledge and contribute to the discussions, even if you don't agree with other posters. "Pokes" don't do much but to add extra pages to threads.

Alan, now you are getting to know the real Singer. This is all part of his condition. When he feels like he is looking foolish he tries to assert he is winning. He has been doing this for years so it's very obvious to those of us who have seen it many times.

Singer is a person that celebrates the death of people that disagree with him. This is what you got yourself in with, I have a feeling this is not the last time you will be confused by his actions.

[arcimede$]

over 99% of forum people tell lies about who they are or what they do.

Projection ... a wonderful way to understand a person.

[Alan Mendelson]

This is not directed at anyone in particular:

Can we stop with the rivalries now, and the insults, and the fighting?

I've been getting lots of emails from people who are hoping that this site will be better than the others. What they want is tight moderation, and elimination of the trash that ruined the other sites.

We have more than 400 registered users, and I see the web traffic reports and I know that a lot of people are watching the site, but they are not posting.

A better environment might help get more posts and more information that everyone can benefit from.

Please, everyone, let's make the discussions productive. I don't want to have to start making judgments about deleting posts.