Pick yourself up any deck of cards and
you’ll find what you really have is a mathematical puzzle. For ages, people
have been trying to figure out how to have the cards fall their way. Nowhere is
that more a challenge than in the world of gambling, and nowhere is that
challenge more profound than in the game of video poker.
While all casino games are a direct
derivative of mathematics in one form or another, video poker pits you the
player up against a very perfect computer. Not being enough of a dare, however,
the computer then allows you to make a human choice prior to delivering each
individual hand’s results. What started out as a statistician’s dream has
evolved into a good old twentieth century contest of man vs. computer. To even
out the odds some, the machine manufacturers have allowed some games to offer a
greater than 100% pay back schedule. So who has the real advantage in this most
popular of all casino games?
Although the answer to this question of
questions has been the subject of heated debates for some time now, and enough
mathematical analysis has been performed to bedazzle a roomful of Ph.D’s, the
real answer lies within the realms of any player who has ever sat in front of a
machine ”” through pure common sense. What’s more, we’re all given
this simple information as a matter of policy by all casinos via their
advertising schemes that draw in customers. It’s called “Come in, play our
slots and games”¦you can win too!”
OK, that’s not much of an answer, but
I think you get the point. Nearly all casino games come with a mathematical
advantage for the house. Over the long run, the house is very happy to take a
tiny win percentage out of each game, simply because each game gets a tremendous
amount of play. Many people have written about certain games such as Blackjack,
where if you are an exceptionally gifted advanced card counter, the percentage
is said to statistically swing in favor of the player. But is this really true?
Not in my book, because that tiny win percentage is more than countered by
imperfect decisions during the course of play, brought on by fatigue, alcohol,
or the number one nemesis ”” distraction. Yet go onto the Internet and you’ll
find numerous sites touting ways to defeat casino games by theoretically making
them over 100%. What they don’t tell you is that your very slight advantage
may last for only an hour if you are of clear mind. In short, if you have a
lucky session you will win, and if you are unlucky you will lose. This, my
friends, is both as difficult and simple as it gets.
But what of those machines that have an
expected value of over 100%? Now we’re talking about video poker games such as
Full Pay Deuces Wild, 10/7 Double Bonus Poker, Full Pay Jokers Wild, and a
handful of others ”” although they are few and far between. Naturally, if a
game advertises 100.7%, it will attract anyone who can count. Taking this a bit
further, these type games have infatuated the video poker experts ”” so much so
that they have created a very comprehensive video poker business out of it. The
only problem is, they make it appear far too easy, and easy is always the first
step in a trip to the poor house.
