Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson View Post
I also have a problem with 10% edges. Without revealing too much detail, can you at least break down the elements that add up to a 10% edge? Let me give you an example that isn't quite 10%:

Return on the game 99.96%
Free play bonus 1.00%
Comp bonus 0.25%

this doesn't give away your game -- but it will let us know how you are figuring your 10% edge. thanks
Most of what I do is working termporary advantages. That means either it's a progressive game or a banking game, or a combination of both progressive and banking. I walk through casinos looking for these edges. If I don't find anything I turn around and walk right back out the door and head to the next casino. When I find a good play I grab a seat. I would say I spend about half the time scouting and half the time in the seat playing.

The key is knowing how to do the math of a play. Say I find a five-spot keno play where the meter runs at 4% and the bet is fifty cents to qualify for the meter....And the meter is at $196. The 3 out of 5 pays 5 bets and the 4 out of 5 pays 32 bets. I can do the math on this play from scratch. But it's easier to just go to the Wizard of Odds keno calculator.

You enter the 3 out of 5 payoff and the 4 out of 5 payoff into the field. Leave the 5 out of 5 on zero. It will show an 80.66% return. So 100% minus 80.66% is 19.33%.

The frequency of the 5 out of 5 is 1550.57. Now we determine the cost to run one cycle.

1550.57 X 50 cents X 19.33% is $149.86. So you go back to the keno calculator and enter 392 bets for the 5 out of 5. $196 is 392 bets. It will come up 106%. The meter runs at 4% so I've got a 10% play.

Subtracting the cost to run one cycle ($149.86) from the $196 means it is a $46 earn. Plus, since the meter runs at 4% I'm expected to put $31 into the meter in 1550.57 games. So the play is an average $77 earn.

On turbo speed the game plays at 40 games per minute. So my average seat time is about 39 minutes for an average $77 earn. So my seat time in this spot is worth about $115 an hour. But like I said, I spend about half the time scouting and half the time playing. The $77 earn might not sound like much but what if I get 6 or 8 plays a day at this game.