We passed this one on to video poker expert Bob Dancer, who responds:
Modern video poker machines do have a different feel to them. The armrests on slant-top machines are made out of a "grippy" substance so your drink glasses will adhere better. The buttons can be farther apart. The graphics and sound systems are better. There may be more games on each machine and there are also new types of games: You’ll see games today that simply weren’t invented a few years ago.
Pay schedules are tighter today at Caesars properties and many other casinos. Your money simply doesn’t last as long when you get 25 for a flush as when you got 30 for the same hand. For people who don’t pay attention to pay schedules, it’s easy for them to correctly conclude that their money goes faster today. But that’s not because the machines aren’t doing things fairly; it’s because the pay schedules are tighter.
Since the machines are different, it’s easy to conclude that the new machines are unfair when you have a bad day. That’s a faulty conclusion. When you lose today, it’s sometimes easy to forget that you’ve always had periodic losing sessions – even in the "good old days."
I personally continue to play at Caesars Entertainment casinos for relatively high stakes. I’m Seven Stars [tier status] several times over. It’s my considered opinion that the machines are fair there, and I’m someone who puts my money where my mouth is!
Bob Dancer is America’s premier video poker write and teacher. Catch his every-Tuesday blog right here at LVA. Bob’s radio show, Gambling with an Edge, is must listening for anyone serious about gambling with an advantage. Old shows are archived at bobdancer.com (see previous link). And if you’re in Las Vegas and want to brush up on your video poker skills, Dancer is beginning a 10-week free semester of video poker classes at South Point, on Wednesdays starting at noon, beginning September 10. There are usually (but not always) two sessions a day, the first for beginners then a second for intermediate-level players.
