Does Bob Dancer Pause When He's Dealt 4 to a Royal?

Does Bob Dancer pause before drawing when he's dealt four to a royal?

Bob Dancer responds: Absolutely! I do the same when I’m dealt a 4-of-a-kind, a straight flush, or certain trips -- three aces or three deuces, depending on which game I’m playing. My reason for the pause is that I don’t want the machine to “unhold” any of the relevant cards. Occasionally, when I’m playing fast, a card doesn’t hold.

Now, it’s relatively low expected value (EV) when you want to hold a pair of sevens, but you hold only one of them. On the other hand, it's very expensive, EV-wise, to be dealt a suited AKQJ and hold only AQJ. So I slow down long enough to make sure that all the cards are securely held before I hit the draw button.

I virtually never draw someone else’s attention to four to a royal or any potential good hand before the draw. That opens the door to a conversation. I want to concentrate when I’m playing and when I’m talking to someone, my accuracy goes down.

Does that answer the question?

If not, I suspect that you're asking whether I take some time to contemplate all the good things on which I'm going to spend the money from the royal if I hit it. If that's the case, the answer is no.

I don't play for life-changing stakes. I strongly believe I'll hit approximately the correct number of royals each year and whether it's today or tomorrow doesn't matter much. The royals are coming and I don't sweat today's score very much. If I do hit a royal, or even three, today, it's a pleasant feeling, but it goes away quickly.

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Comments

Gregory Aug-16-2019

A Royal or Three....

What is BD's record for most royals in one day?

[email protected] Aug-16-2019

Pause

As I only visit Vegas 4 times a year I am by no stretch a high roller. But, I always, always pause before drawing. You need only lose once to learn that lesson. 
And aside from the bartenders, I don’t converse with anyone, as it most certainly distracts from your play.

Jeff Aug-16-2019

A better question is why "Bob Dancer"

squanders his limited time on Earth exploiting flaws in an electronic device intended for entertainment in order to make the device pay out a little more than it takes in as long as he does nothing else for years other than press its buttons, and why he is content to lead a life that adds value to no one other than himself and then only if one defines "value" solely in monetary terms.

The answer, like you may be thinking, ain't money. With "Bob's" analytical skills and superior intelligence, there are too many other ways  that he could prosper financially. If you have the answer, you should publish it in the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association where their payout schedule is more generous than a Double-Double-Wild-Bonus-Triple play machine and you won't have to assume a disguise and fake name to forestall the inevitable day of reckoning when the casino goons or the men in white coats from the Institute come and carry you away.

O2bnVegas Aug-16-2019

My lesson

Who doesn't gasp, pause...and pray...before drawing to four to a Royal?  (That old joke--What is the difference between praying in church and praying in the casino?  In the casino you REALLY mean it.)  I also don't call attention to it.  The guy at the next machine just might be the jealous type and put a hex on me.  LOL.

My hard lesson was not adding coin to make the last Max Bet a full one after being dealt four to the Royal, Triple play quarters, not enough for the max bet.  I was tired, said what the hell probably won't be there. Hit the Draw button, sure enough, a Royal on one line.  Yikes!  Happened decades ago, still think of it.  Probably fits in the DSM-5, OCD Casino-Type.

Seamans Aug-16-2019

Eldorado-grubber

I was recently staying at the horse shoe in Shreveport. A customer playing next to me was staying at the Eldorado and he was saying how tight the comps were getting at the Eldorado.

Francis Aug-16-2019

"Better Question"

@Jeff

Maybe because Bob enjoys what he does?  Prosperity and happiness encompass so much more than financial success.

Kevin Lewis Aug-16-2019

What would Bob do?

I think the life of a video poker AP is an experiential wasteland. You learn nothing, you don't grow, and you don't live life--you're just a flesh-and-blood computing mechanism. That's why I quit that life, albeit after 8+ years. But others may be perfectly content with such a life.
I take a mini-pause before EVERY play. It's only maybe a fifth of a second, but I review the buttons I've pushed to see if anything's amiss. I don't do a review to see if there's some obscure penalty card consideration and I should have held A only from AQ742 rather than AQ. Life is too short, and that slows you down too much anyway, in return for an additional +0.00000003% in EV.
The pause has saved me from many costly errors. A few months ago, I stopped myself from saving the King only and saved (correctly) the K10 suited. And whaddya know--the AQJ came roaring out for a royal.

Aug-16-2019

Kevin

Your years as an AP ("learned nothing, didn't grow, didn't live life") is your fault. Unless you personally know every other AP in every casino, don't assign your shortcomings to them.

Pat Roach Aug-19-2019

"A better question..."

A still better question is where does "Jeff" get off questioning in such a condescending, judgmental way Dancer's (or anyone's) choice of careers?  Then he "doubles down" (no pun) by insinuating that Dancer  has some kind of mental disorder!

Shame.  Double shame.

Question of the Day - 16 August 2019

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