# Do video poker machines record all hands played? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 6, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-video-poker-machines-record-all-hands-played/761946 "2016-08-06T15:22:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-video-poker-machines-record-all-hands-played/761946/1 "2016-08-06T15:22:50Z")
Suppose I get a royal flush on a video poker machine and while I’m waiting for the manager to come over and take my name, etc., some nimnoo walks by and pushes the “deal” button on the machine and the hand disappears. Is there a record inside the machine of my winning hand? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-video-poker-machines-record-all-hands-played/761946/2 "2016-08-06T15:50:48Z")
Can’t happen. A royal will lock up the machine until a slot attendant opens it and releases it. If you are waiting for a hand pay, the machine isn’t going to be doing anything but sitting there. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-video-poker-machines-record-all-hands-played/761946/3 "2016-08-06T20:34:08Z")
Another question occurs to me. Suppose someone hits a jackpot and then for whatever reason, gets up and walks away from the machine before an attendant arrives. If an alert bystander sat down in the empty chair, would the casino pay him? Obviously they would pay if they weren’t aware of the event, but what if they saw what happened? Or what if some time after the bystander had been paid, they discovered the switch by reviewing the eye-in-the-sky tapes? Would they try to track him down and make him return the money? Would they have any legal right to do so? –Mark ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-video-poker-machines-record-all-hands-played/761946/4 "2016-08-06T20:42:49Z")
OP: 😕 “nimnoo”? Regional word? “Nimrod” + "[something]? Although I understand it perfectly since you give a clear example of nimnooness. ETA: Are you located near me? ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-video-poker-machines-record-all-hands-played/761946/5 "2016-08-06T21:16:32Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Another question occurs to me. Suppose someone hits a jackpot and then for whatever reason, gets up and walks away from the machine before an attendant arrives. If an alert bystander sat down in the empty chair, would the casino pay him? Obviously they would pay if they weren’t aware of the event, but what if they saw what happened? Or what if some time after the bystander had been paid, they discovered the switch by reviewing the eye-in-the-sky tapes? Would they try to track him down and make him return the money? Would they have any legal right to do so? > > –Mark I believe the “eye in the sky” would be looking as soon as the machine alarmed. Those cameras are being monitored fairly heavily it seems to me. At least there’s always someone on hand whenever I start mischief … ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-video-poker-machines-record-all-hands-played/761946/6 "2016-08-06T22:45:08Z")
Security tapes are reviewed before any major payout. A royal pays 4000 credits. You hit, the machine locks and the payout dance starts. If you leave, then the payout belongs to the casino just like any other abandoned TITO slip. They get rather peeved when someone tries to steal money from them.