Understanding the math includes understanding that the RNG is truly random, and that there will be streaks, both good and bad. It would be nice if there were an even progression and that every 46,00 hands one were awarded a RF. But that's not the case.
My own particular process is that I put in $200 on a $1 machine, and if I lose that, I move on. That's a net loss of 40 hands, against whatever winning hands occur during the session. When I more than double the $200, I'll play off an odd amount (say $15 when I get to $415), then cash out the doubled amount. I'll then put in a new $100, and see where the machine takes me. If I'm in the middle of a good streak, that $100 will grow, and if it reaches $300 or more, I'll repeat the process. If the machine wipes out the $100, I'll move to the next machine in the bank, and start over with $200.
Of course the odds don't change by changing the machines, but I'd rather start fresh, and not have the feeling that I've given everything back after I've made a decent hit. I firmly DON'T believe that I'm playing with the "house's" money after I make a nice hit. Its MY money now, and the house lost all claim to it when I hit that good hand. And I'd rather it stayed in my pocket instead of migrating back to theirs.
Now playing DDB and TDB, you often get well above the $400 mark, just by hitting a bonus quad, but when I get to an even figure, I just cash it out. On those rare occasions when you hit a really nice score, like $800 quad aces, if I'm at a figure like $985 or $990, I'll throw in a Jackson and play down to an even number. Than just keeps the tickets nice and easy to keep track of and count. Then I give them another shot with the $100.
Just my way of doing things, YMMV.
Certainly the game is rigged. Don’t let that stop you; if you don’t bet, you can’t win. -Lazarus Long
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is. -Yogi Berra
There is no such thing as luck. There is only adequate or inadequate preparation to cope with a statistical universe. -Robert Heinlein
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I understand the math and that is part of why I play video poker; however, I also have a superstitious hang up as well:
I tend to change machines that are "cold."
Since I have a stubborn streak and at some level know that the math will work out, I have not moved from machines that are taking my money as fast as I can repeatedly reach into my pocket for more. A couple of these really stubborn and deep-pocketed days were sessions where I did not hit any 4 of a kinds in about 5 hours each day playing at about 800 hands/hr on DDB.
I typically rate a "cold" machine as losing 12 to 13 hands out of about 15 to 16 played with the only wins (if any) being paying pairs.
The next day or sometimes, if I come back 5 hrs later that machine will start providing a statistically normal distribution. But it seems that the RNG in machines can yield really bad hand distributions for extended periods of time. At least that is my mathmatical justification for my superstititous machine changing attitude.
Anyone share this? Have other behavior besides the earlier discussion about playing 1 vs. 5 coins?
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