Analysis
“This was a tough poll to answer, since it depends on the payoff tables as to which VP game I would choose. I finally decided to assume that all of them were full-pay versions and thus chose Joker Wild.”
Good call. A number of poll respondents also made a point of writing in “full-pay only.”
“I look for a VP machine with a hefty progressive for the royal for my initial play. If none, I'll go to a Three or Five Play VP machine, most of which are multi-game. Your options were pretty limited, but it is your survey!”
In this survey, we were mostly interested in the make, rather than the model, of the machine. We could’ve simply given as choices: slots, video poker, or keno. But that seemed too broad. And listing all the various VP games would’ve required hundreds of choices. Such is life.
Anyway, the results of this poll can be deceiving on first glance. Slots are at the top, but 62% of the choices are video poker, meaning VP in general is the overwhelming first choice, as the comments prove.
You can see the attraction of Double Double Bonus, which falls just slightly behind JoB for favorite video poker.
One respondent wrote in, “DDB, though it’s hard now to find full pay (or close), then JoB, Deuces, etc. Took some study (thanks Mr. Dancer!) but I can usually find a good payoff table just about anywhere off the Strip.”
And, “Double Bonus adds more excitement with larger payouts, but without the risk of Double Double Bonus.”
And, “My husband and I start out playing Bonus, but while he stays on that game, I flip between Bonus and DDB. When we're in Las Vegas for a week, the low volatility of Bonus is a big help, since I like to play some slots also.”
We also heard from several people who like Triple Double Bonus. One said, “Only if the paytables are better than 9/6, getting very hard to find.” Another said, “Damn the house edge!”
Jacks or Better placed first for video poker, probably because players have been conditioned to JoB being the best game. But that's only in the full-pay (9/6) version. Usually JoB isn’t the best option.
Conversely, Bonus Poker is rated low, when it's almost always the best option, especially in bars.
One respondent, however, plays JoB at bars for utility: “I can almost always get a better drink than on the floor.”
Other VP games cited included several 50 Play, Quick Quads, 3-Way Action poker, and Deuces Wild Bonus.
Jean Scott would be proud of the following two respondents.
“I choose Jacks or Better, because it’s usually the best pay table at that venue, whether a 9/6 or lower. I always, or almost always, check all the pay tables and chose the best I find at that location, which most frequently happens to be Jacks or Better. However, show me a Full-Pay Deuces Wild (please) and Jacks or Better no longer matters.”
“I play the video poker game with the best return at the venue, so it depends on the paytable, plus promotions.”
We were very surprised at the low finish of keno. That’s probably more a function of the LVA customer base than the full market, as empirically, keno is more heavily played than the votes show.
Likewise, we received only a couple of comments on slots, even though they received the lion’s share of the votes.
“Slots can be fun. VP can be work. The other machines can be too confusing.”
“I prefer video slots with bonus rounds and a game that’s interactive where you have to pick a balloon or fish or whatever. While in Bixoli, I played a girl pirate game and when I got the bonus, I had to actually put my hand on the screen and guide the action. I also like the slots tied into movies (Ted) or TV shows or famous people.”
Then there were the table-game player who told us they don’t play machines -- a couple of crap players and one roulette.
Some of you are, understandably, discouraged with the whole scene.
“Fewer and fewer places have acceptable pay tables these days. Eventually, I may give up machine games entirely and go completely to live poker tournaments. It's part of the long-term overall decline of the U.S. gaming experience.”
“No game. After greedy MGM announced the end of free parking, I quit gambling altogether. That broke my spirit.”
And the inevitable wag told us, “I play the spin button on the dryer at the apartment complex where I live!” (He’s a crap player.)
