I always wondered about the fairness of the VP tables on cruise ships. And then I reached the conclusion that they must be fair, or else, they would offer some reasonable pay tables.
···
----- Original Message ----
From: Harry Porter <harry.porter@verizon.net>
To: vpFREE@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 11:50:42 AM
Subject: [vpFREE] Re: Reality Check
I'll offer up my 2 cents, in the way of a "reality check":
We're largely shooting in the dark when speculating on the degree to
which we can take confidence that the machines are fair.
I like to take for granted that the authorities in NV/NJ have a strong
vested interest in fair gaming and are very likely to employ rigorous
methods to ensure that nothing shoddy slips in. And I to assume that
casino profitability is such an assured thing that no legitimate
casino would ever toss in a few rogue machines into the mix in order
to rake in a few extra dollars, risking a very lucrative gaming license.
Frankly, as I see things generally play out in casinos, I have to
imagine that there are more than a few cracks through which oversight
might lapse. Still, in the big picture, I'm quite confident in making
an assumption of fair gaming.
When it comes to smaller jurisdictions (CT, LA, MI, IL, DE, CA, etc.)
that confidence slips a little -- at least where regulatory oversight
is concerned. However, I take comfort that the mainstream machine
manufacturers have strong incentive to employ rigid security measures
that make tampering/gaffing extraordinarily unlikely. (I'd be shy
playing any make that doesn't have a strong presence in NV.)
As far as Indian gaming goes, my confidence lies strictly in the
equipment. And I'd be somewhat loathe to even play older IGT equipment.
But however you cut it, the only real assurance one has is their own
faith in the gaming. Speaking for myself, once I make the decision to
play in a jurisdiction, I set any doubts completely aside. Lacking
certainty, to do anything else is a fool's errand. (When you
subsequently suffer a large loss or a sustained regular losses, any
such doubt will be magnified.)
If I retain the slightest doubt about fairness somewhere (say, to the
extent that I'm going to air it to someone else), I'm not going to
play (or else consider myself a fool).
- Harry
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]