Ken Baker has spent the last 30 years as a gaming broker and consultant for promotions and bars to increase slot and video poker play. He has a couple new ones designed in increase players’ odds at winning.
We’re definitely listening.
“Most of us play the double-double video poker and deuces wild format,” said Baker, who is a licensed gaming operator in Las Vegas. My two latest games, Buying Cards and Bingo Poker can be revolutionary.”
Baker said he has received phenomenal feedback from players in sports bars when they sampled his Buying Cards.
“They will never go back to the original game,” he said. “It’s taking video poker to another level by giving the player a better edge for getting royals and four of a kind with a kicker.”
Buying Cards is a simple game. Say you spend $1.25 for a 25-cent poker game. With Buying Cards you have the option of purchasing from one to three cards to improve your chances of hitting something big.
To activate the option the player has to invest $2.50 for a 10-coin game at 25 cents. Baker calculates players have a 15 times better chance of hitting a royal than in regular poker.
“Naturally, to do this a player is required to spend more, but isn’t that why we’re in the game?” he asked. “Buying one card costs five credits, two cards is 15 credits and three cards 30 credits or a max of 40 for the entire hand, including the original 10 credits bet.”
The third card pays three times the amount, so we’re talking 12,000 credits for a royal on most machines.
Bingo Poker also involves five cards in a regular poker format. The caveat is that on cards you hold, it activates up to eight bingo cards above your original draw.
“The player can choose from one to eight bingo cards at random,” Baker said. “It’s done by computer and there’s no strategy. The amount you win depends on how the numbers show up on the held cards and how they are situatedon the bingo cards.”
Payouts range from five-in-a-row (2,000 credits), four-in-a-box (500), three corners (200), four-in-a-row (75), two corners (20), three-in-a-box (5). Your additional investment ranges from $2.50 (the draw plus one bingo card) to $11.25 for eight cards.
“The games work at any denomination, whether it’s penny, nickel, quarter, dollar, etc.,” Baker said. “I have investors and manufacturers looking at these games. I’m from the Michael Gaughan school of giving slot players more bang for their buck.”