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Thread: Handling Variance as an A.P slot player?

  1. #1
    I'm pretty new to the world of hustling, and am operating on a small bankroll, and am wondering if any of you other slot players have any tips for handling variance and how much of it I should expect in slots compared to other forms of advantage play?

    I just got back from a trip and crunched my data and had some pretty shocking results. For example, I chased a farmville 2x in the upper 20's at min bet and had a total RTP of just over 50% including the progressive and only 25% payback on the base game. Is this just variance or am I doing something wrong.

  2. #2
    Farmville has a lot of variance. I've been in $1000 on the 4 X .75 level to catch the six.
    "More importantly, mickey thought 8-4 was two games over .500. Argued about it. C'mon, man. Nothing can top that for math expertise. If GWAE ever has you on again, you can be sure I'll be calling in with that gem.'Nuff said." REDIETZ

  3. #3
    The only thing I can say is, “Get used to it,” as it can get pretty disgusting sometimes.

    One of my favorites was finding a Must Hit by $200 a bit over $198 with a $2.50 per penny meter move that I LOST money on, overall. I want to say it was $198.8x, but I don’t quite remember anymore. Either way, even if it had been $198 on the nose, you figure $500 coin in (literally, at most) guarantees you $200 if it runs to the last penny, so if you run 60% (or better) on the reels, then you’re profitable in any instance. I hit absolutely nothing on the reels. I think one Free Games that didn’t pay anything.

    Of course, where it gets really disgusting is when you end up on some much longer must hit play and run sub-70% on the base game over a prolonged period of time.

    My worst non-progressive play was probably this $3.00 Aladdin where I kept lighting up one Reel at a time, but kept getting lamps that kept it in a playable state, and dropped $400 on that.

    Another awful result (though you do expect a ton of variance on the Free Games) was a RoR Pirate with a Pistol with one tile left that I was down sixty-some bets (forget the bet amount, sorry) before the pirate finally shot the damn thing. Free Games returned not even five bets worth…which isn’t unusual…the unusual part was being so many bets DOWN (not total spins) before clearing a single tile.

  4. #4
    If you're patient enough you can do it with almost any amount of $ and zero risk of ruin.

    Just pass on anything that looks remotely dangerous for your bankroll. Not necessarily optimal for bankroll growth of course.

  5. #5
    Originally Posted by smurgerburger View Post
    If you're patient enough you can do it with almost any amount of $ and zero risk of ruin.

    Just pass on anything that looks remotely dangerous for your bankroll. Not necessarily optimal for bankroll growth of course.
    +100

  6. #6
    Originally Posted by Mission146 View Post
    Originally Posted by smurgerburger View Post
    If you're patient enough you can do it with almost any amount of $ and zero risk of ruin.

    Just pass on anything that looks remotely dangerous for your bankroll. Not necessarily optimal for bankroll growth of course.
    +100
    A start of $1.00 can turn into thousands of dollars in a few months just on low limit UX.

  7. #7
    The biggest question always is, is it really variance or variance and not a play and could the facts be wrong.

  8. #8
    Originally Posted by jbjb View Post
    Originally Posted by Mission146 View Post
    Originally Posted by smurgerburger View Post
    If you're patient enough you can do it with almost any amount of $ and zero risk of ruin.

    Just pass on anything that looks remotely dangerous for your bankroll. Not necessarily optimal for bankroll growth of course.
    +100
    A start of $1.00 can turn into thousands of dollars in a few months just on low limit UX.
    what's nice about UX is even when the scarabs et al are being camped to shit and there's almost as many hustlers as ploppies quite a few of them don't know about UX so I still find a few bucks there

  9. #9
    what do you mean when you say UX?

  10. #10
    I don't understand?
    When you have hustlers in Vegas making 600+ per hour and you have people like DarkOz making 2000 dollars per hour, I fail to see how variance can become any issue whatsover.
    I also can't understand worrying about tipping for to go orders when you are making 219k or more per year.
    RIP #Cheapskates
    #Jealous

  11. #11
    Originally Posted by monet View Post
    I don't understand?
    When you have hustlers in Vegas making 600+ per hour and you have people like DarkOz making 2000 dollars per hour, I fail to see how variance can become any issue whatsover.
    I also can't understand worrying about tipping for to go orders when you are making 219k or more per year.
    RIP #Cheapskates
    #Jealous


    How much you rent me that tent for, monet?
    Last edited by accountinquestion; 10-04-2021 at 01:13 AM.
    It is official. Redietz will never be on Dan Druff's podcast. "too much integrity"

  12. #12
    Originally Posted by accountinquestion View Post
    How much you rent me that tent for, monet?
    You have to admit that it is kind of strong to have a 3600 dollar tent for months that I haven't even opened up yet.
    It will be a miracle if I actually get to use it as life has been throwing constant curveballs at me for the last few months.
    I also have a 250 dollar truck bed tent that I haven't opened for about a year now.
    Probably will never open it and I'm far too lazy to sell it.
    I do this sort of thing all the time though.
    A year or so ago I bought a PS4 and 20+ games.
    Played it for a few days and haven't touched it since.
    Probably never touch it again.
    The list of stories like this goes on and on.
    I think some smart guy said something about a fool and his money... that's a pretty accurate description.
    I lost 4300 dollars on NFL Parlays Yesterday... RIP.
    I could scan the losing tickets but I'm too lazy and nobody cares anyways, whatever.
    We can't all win 60 Parlay Bets in a row.
    Somebody got to lose so the Casinos can keep the lights on.
    On a related note, I tipped out over 400 dollars yesterday when I hit a bunch of jackpots and got a bunch of to go orders.
    True Story on all the tipping and truth be told the whole day turned out to be a small loss of about 60 dollars after losing all that money in the book and all that toking.
    But damn... The Free Play gonna be rollin', rollin'... rollin'.
    I put over 400k in action over all those players cards.
    Ripley's Believe it or Not.
    I'm betting the Sports Book will send me some stupid 25 dollar parlay match play too!!
    Anything you can garner from them Fuckers is a Win, in my book.
    Last edited by monet; 10-04-2021 at 04:26 AM.

  13. #13
    Originally Posted by monet View Post
    Originally Posted by accountinquestion View Post
    How much you rent me that tent for, monet?
    You have to admit that it is kind of strong to have a 3600 dollar tent for months that I haven't even opened up yet.
    It will be a miracle if I actually get to use it as life has been throwing constant curveballs at me for the last few months.
    I also have a 250 dollar truck bed tent that I haven't opened for about a year now.
    Probably will never open it and I'm far too lazy to sell it.
    I do this sort of thing all the time though.
    A year or so ago I bought a PS4 and 20+ games.
    Played it for a few days and haven't touched it since.
    Probably never touch it again.
    The list of stories like this goes on and on.
    I think some smart guy said something about a fool and his money... that's a pretty accurate description.
    I lost 4300 dollars on NFL Parlays Yesterday... RIP.
    I could scan the losing tickets but I'm too lazy and nobody cares anyways, whatever.
    We can't all win 60 Parlay Bets in a row.
    Somebody got to lose so the Casinos can keep the lights on.
    On a related note, I tipped out over 400 dollars yesterday when I hit a bunch of jackpots and got a bunch of to go orders.
    True Story on all the tipping and truth be told the whole day turned out to be a small loss of about 60 dollars after losing all that money in the book and all that toking.
    But damn... The Free Play gonna be rollin', rollin'... rollin'.
    I put over 400k in action over all those players cards.
    Ripley's Believe it or Not.
    I'm betting the Sports Book will send me some stupid 25 dollar parlay match play too!!
    Anything you can garner from them Fuckers is a Win, in my book.
    I was bitching and moaning about rooms costing me 650 for this weekend. I found a room at TI for 450.. Literally best price was $120 a night for a room that has "North Las Vegas" in the name!!! I don't know much about north LV but I hear it is bad lol. I once waited around on one of these weekends while longterm staying in Vegas and was driving around scraping for a place to stay for the weekend. Found a place with a room. Smelled of death in there but man I needed a place. So I drop stuff there then when I come back the stench was overpowering. I opened the door and would breath in deep and grab my shit and run back outside to prevent from gagging. I'm quite a country boy too I've seen lots of dead nasty things in my day. It was bad. So the only other room had a barely working AC. It worked as in it made noise just not cold air. Ugh. These days I can afford whatever but I'm just CHEAP.

    Anyway, I found my room and didn't want to catch shit so I deleted everything but the tent request. lol.

    Anyone have anything they want to tell me to avoid when slot hustling MGM properties please tell me. Current plan is to wear a nice shirt and not check machines in an obvious manner. If security comes up to me and I can get away I'll just leave the casino without giving them any ID. If I am a guest at a MGM property though I've heard they won't actually 86 me. Really don't want to be 86'd from MGM because of poker at Aria and Bellagio.. My slot game pretty sharp these days but not sure how much time I will spend on it. Got an old friend going to be in town too along with a few degenerate gambler friends so I might find other things to do than walk around casinos trying to extract money from them.
    It is official. Redietz will never be on Dan Druff's podcast. "too much integrity"

  14. #14
    I suppose I just got some good news as work will begin on my house starting this Thursday.
    It's a bunch of work.
    I even need to get the exterior pressure washed and painted since the HOA is all over my ass now.
    If all goes well I might have a working shower by the end of next week.
    I was unable to complete the bathroom remodel.
    I put a tub and drain kit in 3 times but couldn't line it up perfect enough as it would slowly drip from the drain every time.
    I finally quit but we all know I would eventually throw in the towel.
    Hopefully, I hired a speedy and honest contractor.
    It seems that the remodeling business is booming across the country.
    It's another gold rush if you know what you are doing.

  15. #15
    Pretty funny. I have to give you props for admitting failure at putting in a drain lol.
    It is official. Redietz will never be on Dan Druff's podcast. "too much integrity"

  16. #16
    wrong thread

  17. #17
    Originally Posted by jbjb View Post
    Originally Posted by Mission146 View Post
    Originally Posted by smurgerburger View Post
    If you're patient enough you can do it with almost any amount of $ and zero risk of ruin.

    Just pass on anything that looks remotely dangerous for your bankroll. Not necessarily optimal for bankroll growth of course.
    +100
    A start of $1.00 can turn into thousands of dollars in a few months just on low limit UX.
    Damn straight. Look what a couple quarters can do for you (sorry for the bad hold gang - malfunction voids all pays;luckily I didn't get a fifth seven).

  18. #18
    I like it...might as well if you're already checking the machine.

  19. #19
    Originally Posted by Mission146 View Post
    I like it...might as well if you're already checking the machine.
    Thanks Mission. Yes that one had denoms up to a quarter (which were checked and played when plays were present). Same with this machine:

  20. #20
    Vegas trip report. Stayed a lot at the Mirage, then Resorts World and TI which I'd never stayed at before. TI was meh but had cheapish rooms on the weekend. I average $60 a weekday night including the fee then all at once it goes up to 350 a night.

    The White Cross Diner is about gone. That kinda saddens me. I remember buying a bottle of booze and they had red solo cups for us as we treked to Downtown.

    Stay away from the dispensaries near the strip. Go a few miles off strip and make sure you avoid Pisos although Jenny's actually screwed me.

    I liked Resorts World TBH. Nice little poker room. They have a fridge that lets you put stuff in it but also has the booze for charge stuff on one side. That is a first for me. Their food court is decent in that there is a lot of variety and you don't need to spend time waiting to order. Average price is $15. Everything is ordered via a kiosk. It annoyed me at first, but this lets each cooking station specialize in a handful of items. I assume this leads to better prepared food. This place has a lot of the newer machines which is cool.

    After talking to some folks I think maybe my concern of being 86'd from MGM was overblown. This doesn't appear to be currently going on. TI was pretty good for machines, not a ton of hustlers. Mirage seemed like it'd be ok but didn't have much luck.

    Rio charged me far too much for a drink. So offensive. $32 for a double titos. I mean, I don't mind paying for my drink so I know I don't get well drinks or have to sit in front of a machine but $32? CET properties can forever lick my ass. Glad to have spent little time at the RIO or anything to do with the WSOP. Not only do they rape me on drink charge but people with elevated status get to jump in line in the cash games. Ha ha ha! So basically CET has managed to fuck everyone except their diamond players or whatever. I'm kinda a bit too successful in life to desire to put up with that shit. Sit in line but never really knowing who will show up and jump in front of you? No thanks. Was so happy to spend my time at the strip.

    Oh yea taught my buddy how to play VP for cheap drinks years ago when we met in LV during a convention. He hadn't been back to Vegas since.. he hit a royal one morning. His 2nd day on his 2nd trip of casually playing. lol.

    I didn't see any of those bartop machines with the lights for the drinks. I kept expecting or looking for them but that seems to be one thing that never caught on, unlike shitty blackjack and roulette rules.

    Also I came to realize how big of a difference the RTP on these machines makes... wow
    It is official. Redietz will never be on Dan Druff's podcast. "too much integrity"

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