vpFREE2 Forums

LVA Question of the Day - 9 FEB 2009

"Curtis Rich" wrote...

Playing 25¢ 9/6 JOB 500 hands per hour:
Playing five coins (99.54%), the estimated hourly loss is $2.88.
Playing one coin (98.37%), the estimated hourly loss is $2.04.

Playing 5¢ 9/6 JOB 500 hands per hour:
Playing five coins, the estimated hourly loss is $0.58.
Playing one coin, the estimated hourly loss is $0.41.

Although the deltas just look like a few cents, you also have to consider them in context: in each of the situations you mention, the 1-coin player loses 30% less per hour than the 5-coin player. That's not insignificant.

Of course, the best approach is to play 5-coins at a lower denomination.

I still think that the small amount of additional expected loss
(by playing five coins) is easily made up for the 'joy and
excitement' of getting a $1,000.00 jackpot vs. getting only
$62.50.

That's clearly true for you and probably for most people here, but a player just trying to while the hours away on a small budget might not agree. (Of course, that kind of player might actually be better off playing 1-coin penny slots...)

--Joe