Are drawn cards in video poker already pre determined?

Hi everyone,

I always have wondered, does the deck just get shuffled once before every new hand, or are the cards continuously shuffled, so does it depend on when the player hits the Deal button to get the new cards on the draw? Basically, I am wondering if the next cards in the deck are already pre-chosen, or does it make a difference when the player presses the Deal button?

Thanks,

Rob

What an intriguing question !

It depends what kind of machine you are playing and in what jurisdiction.

In Las Vegas video poker machines are required to be something called "class 3" - which basically means every hand is completely random and independant of the ones that preceded it. So in Vegas the answer to your question is "YES" the deck is completely randomized at the beginning of each hand.

In other parts of the country you will find machines that are "class 2". You frequently find these at many Indian reservations. You can identify them with the little "bingo cards" that are in the upper corner of the video terminal. The best way to describe "class 2" machines is to think of them as a giant stack of scratch-off lottery tickets. There is a predetermined set of winners and losers. Every time you play a hand you are simply drawing another scratch off ticket fom the top of the pile which has a predetermined outcome on it. So basically if you are dealt 4-of-a-kind and you discard it you will get another 4-of-a-kind on the draw. "Playing your hand" is a waste of time and for entertainment purposes only as the outcome was already determined on the initial deal.


It is important to recognize when you are in a "class 2" slot parlor. Frequently these casinos advertise their 9/6 JOB video poker....but that is a complete farce because the pay schedules dont mean anything in a class 2 parlor. A 9/6 JOB machine can easily be programmed to an 89% payback rate, for example.

I never knew of a Class 2 machine.

This question has been discussed many times on these boards. Today's machines shuffle continuously so that the drawn cards are not predetermined. Yes, it makes a difference when you hit "draw," but you have no way of knowing when the perfect time is, lol.

In the "old days," the drawn cards were predetermined, but not anymore.

Sue, what I have found that works for me is to trick the machine by reaching for the Draw but not actually pushing the button. This fools the machine into prematurely setting the garbage cards on the draw, leaving the good cards for when I hit Draw.

I use this same technique. With thousands of hand of practice, I've learned to hit the draw button ever so slightly; just enough to cause a smack noise but not enough to draw the cards. Sometimes I mix it up and miss the button to fool the machine. The machine is onto me, though. Sometimes it puts the good cards in the first draw and you have to be quick to get them. That is when the slot attendants spill drinks on the button to make it sticky so it doesn't draw easy. It's all a scam.

Some people think everything is pre-determined. Of course that means we have to solve the "paradox of free will". I'm game...but might just be an accidental co-location of atoms.

The machine is onto poor, old DonDiego as soon as he sits down. DonDiego must be finding machines at which snidely333 has already played.

: : : : : EDITED TO ADD : : : : :
Oh, and the button is already sticky too.

robmorrow, you're probably scratching your head on the various replies that you've gotten. The reason as Sue Casey indicated is that this has been discussed ad nauseum on these boards with the conspiracy theory being that once you draw your initial five cards, the next five cards are "underlayed" and when you discard one or more, the next card to replace it is already in place.

The analogy of a little man inside the machine continuously shuffling the remaining 47 cards is silly but works. Once you discard one or more cards, he stops shuffling and deals you the next card(s) to replace your discarded ones.

Sue's explanation is spot on....Ellen Monster, not so much.

Good luck and welcome to the boards!

Dan