Breaking the Slot Code

Any update on the expected delivery date the Breaking the Slot Code book? I paid for this about 7 months ago.

Might not be too late to request a refund, then. I'm sure that the advice offered in the book is useful and accurate, but the sad fact is that it's also well known among APs, particularly Vegas APs. That, together with the general drying up of other AP opportunities, means that above every exploitable machine hovers a dense cloud of slot vultures.

The book might be of interest the way a tome on whaling techniques or how to pan for gold might, but it won't be of any practical value. Not when even Bob Dancer is out there pushing slot machine buttons.

Oh, and one thing that never gets mentioned is the vulture vs. vulture fights that often break out when a rare opportunity presents itself. Nor is the sheer tedium of searching for such opportunities discussed.

Kevin, always ready with the wet blanket, aren't you?  did you get a secret advanced copy of the book?

Anyway back to the original question asked...  When will the Book Be ready?  I too paid for one back last year on a pre-sale deal, that i guess wasn't such a deal?  

Realistic expectations can be labeled a "wet blanket" if you wish. I happen to know, and have talked to, dozens of APs. The consensus is that while opportunities do exist, there are far too many people chasing far too few of them to make slot advantage play worthwhile.

Nonetheless, Bob Dancer is out chasing slot opportunities, so it's worth it for him. I assume he has a pretty large bankroll. And time.

Any update from staff? Site says "mid 2025"

Yes, this has been longer than anticipated. The hold-up is due to several things, but mostly the need for some important rewrites and clarifications after our edit. The good news is the author is coming to town in July and we'll wrap it up and get it out. As to the debate about how valuable it will be, it's true that it's getting more difficult to compete for the good plays. But the reality is, they show up a lot and when you know what to look for, you'll run into playable situations often. That's good for casual players and even pros who will jump on any good play when they see one.

I should add that this is the only pre-order book that's not yet been fulfilled. Some of you paid for it quite a while ago and I apologize for the time it's taken. But you also got a deal that won't be repeated. We'll also be more careful in the future with pre-pub offers.

I would expect that the remaining decent opportunities, if they exist at all, would be at single, isolated Native American casinos. At such locales, you might be the only vulture there. Another possibility might be casinos that are an easy bus ride away from but not proximate to a major urban area, like the ones outside Philadelphia or Memphis. The reason for that is, when the clarion call "your bus will leave in 10 minutes" sounds, all the daytrippers will have to leave their machines--even with the bonuses ripe to hit. Then the vultures swoop in.

Vegas, though? No bloody way, except possibly at the highest denominations. There are WAY too many APs fighting each other for a radically diminished slate of opportunities.

Now, the book could be used as self-discipline, for avid slot players to use to refrain from playing unless an advantage play is found. But that would involve iron self-discipline and a willingness to walk away, qualities not usually found in Vegas visitors, especially not slot players.

On an episode of "Beer Friday" (in late June maybe) you stated that it should be released in August. Is it still expected to be released this month? 

Still hoping it comes in time for my trip but looking pretty unlikely. 

Thanks to you and your staff for all the hard work. 

You won't find any real opportunities during your trip, anyway...unless you want to spend hours and hours "scouting," and maybe not even then. That's not how you want to spend your vacation, methinks. The slot vultures who live there, that's a different story for them. There's really nothing else, certainly nothing touristy, that they want or need to do.

The book is not unlike all those card counting books that came out in the 90s and 00s just as opportunities were drying up. That's happened much more quickly with slot vulturing. Picture a thousand fishing boats on a lake with three fish in it.

But if you decide to pursue the slot vulturing route anyway, you should know that there's a gigantic amount of variance, and whatever decent plays you may find will almost always be at the higher denominations. You could easily dump a thousand into an ostensibly +EV machine and wind up with bupkus.