Modern video poker machines often offer many different games. In addition to video poker, keno, blackjack, roulette, and slot games may be available. These machines may rate all that action differently in players card systems than when played on a machine dedicated to a single title.
Many players clubs pay slot and tier points differently for video poker and slots. Rates may also differ for keno and electronic table games. Playing slots on video poker machines may hurt your rating.
Bar top players may not have any other option. If slots are available at a casino bar, the games are on IGT Game King or Aristocrat machines that offer a variety of games beyond video poker.
Players card systems pay points based on how they are programmed. Older versions do not have a way to distinguish between different types of games. That is why some older Game King machines only have keno or video poker and not both. Older casinos still feature these differences, either because the machines are older or the players card system is. If it is the latter, this is a problem slot players should understand.
Players Card Systems May Rate Slot Players Inaccurately
If a video poker machine offers slots, the players card may award slots players on those machines tier points and comp dollars at the slower video poker earning rate. These are earned two to eight times slower than ones programmed to pay slots. If slot players earn 0.4% and video poker ones get 0.1% in points, this means the player loses $3 for every $1000 wagered when playing on the wrong machine on an older players club.
If you are unsure if your favorite casinos have a modern players card system that tracks slot play correctly on video poker machines, test it by watching the points accrue while you play. A typical slot point payout is one for every $1 wagered. Video poker may be $2, $3, $4, or even $8. Wager $1 and see if you get a point or if it remains at zero. Older players club trackers have countdowns that will drop without awarding a point if it is set for video poker payouts. The system may need a few seconds or spins to report the results. If you notice you are getting shorted, play on a dedicated slot machine instead of one with a library of games.
Theoretical Loss Tracking
Even if the slot points pay correctly, playing slots on a video poker machine may still be a mistake. In addition to slot points, casinos track play for theoretical losses. This is how mailers and host offers are calculated. The higher the average daily theoretical loss, the more the casino values the player, and the better the offers that come in the mail.
Slots have a theoretical house edge of around 10%. Reels and higher denominations hold a little less, while multi-state progressives like Megabucks and Wheel of Fortune hold a little more. A player who wagers $1000 on a 10% hold machine has a value of $100. If the video poker games hold an average of 2%, and slots and video poker are played equally, the machine has an average hold of 6%.
The card reader often assigns the overall hold of the machine to come up with the theoretical win. A slots player would get rated as a $60 player value instead of $100.
Video Poker Opportunity
Video poker players can turn the tables on this. While the slot and tier points will be proper, the theoretical loss may be reported higher than reality. If that occurs, a video poker player will get rated for about $60 per $1000 in coin-in when it should be $10 or $20. While this will not affect slot or tier points, it may increase the value of mailers, which include free slot play, hotel offers, and food comps.
Video blackjack is another game that may rate higher than the actual theoretical loss. Most Game King blackjack games hold about 2.5%. If you find this on a machine with slots and keno, you may get rated at two or three times the proper amount.
Advanced players card systems differentiate between the game played. Some even rate the player’s video poker skills to determine a true value. There is no way of knowing how a particular casino works until you try it out.
If your goal is to play slots or keno at a bar, none of this matters. The value is not worth trading your preferred game location. However, on the casino floor, look for this opportunity to increase your returns.
