vpFREE2 Forums

The Original Machine Pros

#1

Mickey Crimm wrote, "I think I've stumbled onto some fascinating history about old time machine pros that my generation knew nothing about, the rythm players."

Apparently this really was possible with some of the old mechanical equipment, as hard to believe as it may seem. One of the things still defined by Nevada Revised Statutes sec. 465.070 as a fraudulent act is, "To manipulate, with the intent to cheat, any component of a gaming device in a manner contrary to the designed and normal operational purpose for the component, including, but not limited to, varying the pull of the handle of a slot machine, with knowledge that the manipulation affects the outcome of the game or with knowledge of any event that affects the outcome of the game."

To me, this is remarkable, in that pulling the handle was something every player had to do. I guess you'd call this an example of Nevada government making it a crime to use your brain inside a casino.

#2

WRX, I wonder if anyone was ever prosecuted for rhythm playing under that law. I would have to say "good luck proving your case" to any prosecutor who tried to get a conviction. According to Jackie Shirley the very first rhythm player was a man who showed up in Las Vegas in 1946. The casinos couldn't figure him out. But then the man made a very strange move. He opened up a school and charged people to teach them rhythm play. In 1951 the manufacturers installed a device in every machine called a variator that varied the speed of the reels. This put the rhythm players out of business. That is, until the 1970's when the variator was figured out. Another thing occcurred in the 70's. Dollar slots were introduced to Nevada. Before that it was just pennies, nickels and quarters, according to Shirley.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

#3

According to Shirley the most common variator had seven speeds. But there was a lot more to the strategy than just figuring out the speeds. One had to map the reels. On the old mechanical slots there were 22 symbols on each reel. So there was 10,648 possible outcomes, 22X22X22. He referred to one type of machine as a "fruit machine." The symbols were:

7's
Bars
Bells
Oranges
Plums
Cherries

I had learned a long time ago that the way they mapped the reels was to make a spin then record the symbol above the line, the symbol on the line, and the symbol below the line. Make about 100 spins doing this. Then cull out all the duplicates and you will have the reel mapped.

On the fruit machines, according to Shirley, there were 7 plums on the first reel, only 1 plum on the second reel, and 7 plums on the third reel. The object of rhythm play was to get the plum on the second reel to land on or close to the line every time. This increased your chances of making 3 plums, which payed 20 for 1, and also increased your chances of making bar/plum/plum or plum/plum/bar which payed 14 for 1.

But the five symbols above the plum and the five symbols below the plum were also important. A good rhythm player could get the plum to land on the line about 1 time in six. The rest of the time it landed very close to the line. There were more bars and bells on that side of the reel than the other side.. So you increased your chances of making bar/bell/bell or bell/bell/bar which payed 18 for 1. And you increased your chances of making 3 Bars which payed 50 for 1, and 3 Bells which payed 20 for 1.

This was applied mathematics. It turned a 94% game into a 110% game. I haven't finished to book yet. So we'll see what happens to our heroine in the end.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

#4

I just fired off an email to Jackie Shirley with some questions:

What year did Nevada Gaming Regulations outlaw rhythm play?
Was anyone ever prosecuted for rhythm play? Were their any convictions?
What year did the old mechanical slots disappear?

I'll see if I get a response.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

#5

I got a great response from Jackie Shirley. He said that Nevada Gaming never knew about rhythm play so the statute that WRX referred to was written about other manipulations. No one to his knowledge was ever prosecuted. He said that if they hadn't gone from mechanical to RNG the rhythm players would still be in business. The couple that taught him took $2,000,000 out of the mechanicals on the strip. He said that he had a big advantage at rhythm play because, being a former professional drummer, he had great timing. The last of the mechanicals disappeared in 1990.

Bob, you should try to get this guy on GWAE.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

#6

It's a great story and so is your enthusiasm for it. Thanks for digging it up.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

#7

Thanks, cdgnpc. Jackie Shirley has exposed to us a secret so well kept that not even Nevada Gaming knew about it. I think the Rhythm Players should take their place in machine pro history as the very first professionals. As to whether it was cheating or not, I see it as a person just using their brain just like in blackjack.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]