Bob Dancer responds:
If the royal pays $1,200 or more, the machine will lock itself up – putting an end to the progressive increasing. Since all dollar and most quarter progressives pay more than this, that mostly puts an end to this discussion, as well.
A related point, however, is there are games with multiple progressives. Say a dollar Bonus Poker game with a progressive on the royal that starts at $4,000; aces $400; 2s, 3s, 4s $200; and other quads $125. And let’s say you’re dealt aces almost immediately after someone else hit aces – and the progressive was "only" at $401. You don’t have to collect it immediately! You can quietly sit on it (perhaps playing an adjacent machine) while the progressive builds up a bit. Say you wait a half hour and the progressive has increased to $420. Now you may want to play the hand and collect $420 instead of $401.
Is there risk? Assuming you’re right there and no one can steal the jackpot, not really. If someone else hits aces again before you cash out, the jackpot will reset to $400, which is basically right where you started. You’ve wasted a little time, but not any money.
Is it unfair to "sit on" dealt aces like this? Not in my opinion. Progressives are a competition between players. If you have a way to shift the odds a bit in your favor, go for it! In our example, you’re taking $19 away from whoever hits aces after you collect your $420. But you’re doing so legally.
On the same machine, if you were dealt kings and the progressive is only $126, it probably doesn’t make much sense to wait to collect. The progressive resets whenever anyone gets 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s, 10s, jacks, queens, or kings. It usually doesn’t take too long for one of those quads to be hit, so it doesn’t pay to wait.
For regular doses of video poker expertise (and the odd random musing on life in general and square dancing in particular), check out Bob Dancer's weekly column, posted each Tuesday on this site. Plus, you can tune in live each Tuesday (or at your leisure, via podcast) to Dancer's radio show, Gambling with an Edge, co-hosted by fellow gambling expert Richard Munchkin. You can find many helpful video poker aids from the former, and some cool (real-life) gambling stories from the latter, at ShopLVA.com.
