A poker player, trying his hand at the game for 3 months at a stretch, once texted me-
“I am not able to win a single game. Are these video poker machines rigged or what?”
Gradually, I realized that he was not the first guy with the same query. There are a lot of concerns about rigged poker machines online.
A tribe of players, especially those who play slots, has a genuine concern about poker machines being rigged. They often mention that casinos can somehow rig their poker machines. However, the tactile device is not under much scrutiny. People are more concerned about the video poker machines.
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I understand that it is really difficult to play a winning hand with video poker devices. But if you feel that poker machines are rigged, I’ve got something to share with you.
The Message
First, answer me a simple question. Imagine we are playing a game of poker on a kitchen table. We are using a simple pack of cards. What would you do to ensure that the game is fair and square?
Now, imagine you place your bet. Promptly, I take the standard deck of 52 cards and shuffle them immediately. Now I take out 5 random cards from the shuffled deck and place them on the table.
You might be closely looking at the five-card hand to spot which cards you want to hold. In the meantime, I keep on shuffling the rest of the 47 cards in the deck.
Now you tell me you want the first three cards in your hand. After that, I take away the rest of the two cards from your hand and place them on the table. Meanwhile, I also stop shuffling the cards and get back to the real game.
Now you need a card. I give you the top card from the shuffled deck of 47 cards. I also place it face up as the fourth card in your hand. BAAM! Your hand is gone.
Now it’s judgment time. If you have two jacks or a more valuable poker hand, I will pay you a fixed amount that depends on the pay schedule of the winning hands, which I showed before the start of the game.
Now I will pay you the sum and then collect all the cards. And place them in the deck of 52 cards. Here, we will assume that you won the bet, and I was the one liable to pay you. In the end I am shuffling the cards again, reading them for the next round.
What did you think of the scenario?
Under most probabilities, you will think that the game was fair and square. In essence, the game is happening as per my description. I did not apply any additional hidden tricks.
But why would you think that it is a fair game? Let me point out the reason. Each card in the 52-card deck had the same probability of being pulled out. In addition, imagine a second scenario.
Let’s say you had spared two jacks when you had to discard two cards out of hand. If that had happened, you couldn’t have drawn out the jack pair on the subsequent draw. But the bottom line is that I did not rig the game in any way.
The Deduction
This is the same procedure that the video poker machine follows. The cards frequently shuffled and handled reasonably. This is done to ensure that your others don’t get some undue advantage. But you may question how video poker games emulate the same process that I did manually?
Well, there is an IC chip with a code that stimulates the same process with a pack of 52 cards. The only difference is that these are virtual cards. Just because the prices happen virtually doesn’t mean that there is some rigging in the process.
In each case, the device selects the cards randomly. Meanwhile, each card can equally turn up each time. There is no bias in the process.
Usually, gamers might have understood the process.
Analysis for the techies around me
The video poker machines are certainly not rigged. Instead, they come with a program to generate random numbers each time. This program is embedded in the computer system. As a result, the algorithm works automatically.
Meanwhile, there is an independent testing authority that checks and validates the chip that does the operation online. After this function test, there is no chance your game can be rigged internally.
Other Parameters
The state-based gaming regulations ensure that all casinos follow the gaming mandates. So, no casino can apply rules or break them out of the blue. If there is a discrepancy in operations, then the authorities will heavily scan and close down the place if needed.
At first, the authorities will fine the owner. Next, the gaming license will be cancelled. So why will a casino rig the device, knowing the cons?
Isn’t it too big a penalty if they get caught? So, it’s time you start playing the video poker games tension-free. If you are not able to win repetitive turns, it’s time you upgrade your strategy.
You may also take turns to play free online poker games. There are some free video poker no download no registration options too. Try to defeat the odds that are acting against you. And rigged devices are certainly not one of them.
The Last fact-check
Here is the last fact about poker machines that you have to understand. With great accuracy, you can calculate the probability of getting hold of a winning hand. The casino can only change the payout against winning hands.
They cannot otherwise control who wins or does not win at the end of the game. So, it is more important that you have a keen look at the paytable before you start playing. And that’s a rule for any game, not just poker!
