Is There a $500 Video Poker Machine with a $2 Million Royal?

I recently learned there are $100 denomination video poker machines. Betting $500 per hand is unbelievable, but I was wondering if anyone has ever hit a $2 million royal flush?

[Editor's Note: This is a Dancer answer.]

A $100 denomination machine has a royal flush of “only” $400,000. They occur at the same frequency (about once in 40,000 hands) as on lower-denomination machines. One of these royals, hit by my wife-at-the-time Shirley, was a key part of our $1 million six months that is described in my memoir, Million Dollar Video Poker.

To get to $2 million, you need to be playing a machine where the bet is a total of $2,500. Perhaps the easiest way is one that uses five $500 coins. Then any royal would give you the $2 mil. Some multi-line machines can have the same total bet. Although there are other possibilities, $100 Five Play, $50 Ten Play, $10 Fifty Play, and $5 Hundred Play all qualify. Now all you need is a dealt royal (a mere 650,000-to-1 shot) while the machine is fully loaded.

Such machines probably exist and if they do, royal flushes of that size have been hit. But since I’m officially discouraged from playing at most of the Strip casinos that would have such machines, I don't keep up with all the royal flushes hit there.

No part of this answer may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the publisher.

Have a question that hasn't been answered? Email us with your suggestion.

Missed a Question of the Day?

Have a Question?

Tomorrow's Question

Has Clark County ever considered legalizing prostitution?

Comments

Kevin Lewis May-16-2021

Routine

I hit four of them in one day at Caesars Palace. I was then pitched off the face of Hoover Dam. Fortunately, I always wear a parachute when I play high-stakes video poker.

That Don Guy May-16-2021

Clarification on that answer

Notice that, on the part about the multi-line machines, it says that it has to be a DEALT Royal (which has a 1 in 649,740 chance) in order to pay out $2 million - either that, or, somehow, every hand makes a Royal on the draw.

CLIFFORD May-16-2021

GEE!

Thought I was a high roller betting $1.00 a hand.  I hit a $4.00 jackpot and was immediately touched by a "cooler."

Tabbycat May-16-2021

Super Times Pay

A $2 million royal flush is possible at a $5 denomination: 10-play Super Times Pay., when dealt on a 10X multiplier.  An acquaintance was dealt first four to a royal in that very situation but - alas - whiffed on the fifth as well as the entire draw (i.e., bubkes).  At least one slot director has admitted being unaware of this potential payout, referred to by suits as “max liability.”

AL May-16-2021

Maybe not

Dancer's response to the question included the statement "Such machines probably exist and if they do, royal flushes of that size have been hit." I don't think that we can make that assumption. I don't think that such a high-denom machine would get played that much, because few people have that type of bankroll, and of those that do, they likely would be playing some table game (like baccarat) instead of video poker. But even if one of them were to play video poker, there's no guarantee that he/she would've played long enough to hit a royal. They might have given up long before the 40,000-hand mark, but even if they didn't, there's no guarantee that a royal would've hit within that one cycle.  It's possible for any number of royal cycles to transpire (even 10 or more) before a royal hits. (Myself, I went between 5 and 8 royal cycles before I got my first one.) But if one has hit, would've there be IRS records of it?

Question of the Day - 16 May 2021

Comments