Video Poker Question

[Will_Repair]

To move a thread hijack I’m posting the following:

AmbushBug said in another thread:
Video Poker does deal from a deck of 52; the drawn cards are always from the remaining 47 in the deck in a completely random fashion, in all jurisdictions.

Do you not mean “all jurisdictions in Nevada and Louisiana”?
Many states have no regulations (except for taxes.)
Georgia used to limit only the amount of a single play’s payout at $5.

For reference:

AmbushBug said
Video Poker does deal from a deck of 52; the drawn cards are always from the remaining 47 in the deck in a completely random fashion, in all jurisdictions.
In some jurisdictions, the order of the cards to be drawn is not allowed to be finalized until the player has made his discards. So the machine continues to shuffle the remaining 47 cards in the deck, in a virtual sense, until that “draw” button is pressed.
In New Jersey, the only regulation applicable to this discussion classifies Video Poker as “skill-influenced” and arbitrarily adjusts the legal required hold percentage two points from optimal to recognize human fallibility of skill. For example, if the required payback percentage for a “slot machine” (I don’t have a reference to the real numbers right now) were a minimum 83%, then any acceptable variation of Video Poker would be required to have an optimal-play payout of 85% to be accepted there.
Some jurisdictions perform their own gaming machine testing and certification, and others rely on a few selected “labs” to certify gaming devices for them. Many, perhaps most, and maybe all of the regulations from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, which cover every conveivable aspect of the behavior of any gaming device, may be utterly contradictory.
And the payouts are adjusted solely by manipulating the pay tables, and calculating optimal play based on those pays. “Deuces Wild” video poker gets you even money on three of a kind, while standard video poker pays even money on a pair of jacks, 2-for-1 on two pair, and 3-1 on three of a kind.
On some video poker machines, combinations are set in such a way that it’s very difficult to play mathematically optimally - they have an optimal-play payback of greater than 100%.

Anamorphic said:
Well, certainly not true in Nevada, at least, and most likely anywhere else as well. All regulated video poker machines in Nevada (that is, all of them), deal from a standard 52-card deck (except, of course, those that include jokers). In New Jersey, at least of a few years ago, some video poker machines were classified as ‘slot machines’, in which case, your claim may or may not be correct. But a blanket statement that video poker does not deal from a standard 52-card deck is just wrong. Virtually any v.p. machine you come across in a legal establishment does in fact use 52-cards.

[AmbushBug]

*Originally posted by AcidKid *
Do you not mean “all jurisdictions in Nevada and Louisiana”?

No, to be more precise:

Manufacturers of video poker machines construct the machines so as to be compliant to the regulations and laws whereever they plan to sell the machines.

Every single state, AFAIK, has its own set of laws and regulations on gaming devices like video poker machines. Many jurisdictions trust testing labs like Gaming Labs International to certify the machines for fairness and compliance with a general set of rules. For example, on a power failure at any point, credits and state of game play must be saved. Another example, they might use a stun-gun to zap the outside of the machine to make sure it’s properly shielded.

Many states, such as Nevada, New Jersey, and Mississippi have their own testing labs and require separate certification, through their own labs. This extends to not only the hardware, but to the software - and to every version of the software. New revisions and even simple graphics overhauls not excepted.

Some states have more than one set of regulations; IIRC Mississippi has separate requirements for “tribal” casinos as opposed to “riverboat” casinos.

*Originally posted by AcidKid *
Many states have no regulations (except for taxes.)

I don’t think placing a machine designed to baldly fleece patrons in an otherwise legal casino in any state is going to fly. Those states which have “no regulations” tend to blanket prohibit slot machines and similar gaming devices.

*Originally posted by AcidKid *
Georgia used to limit only the amount of a single play’s payout at $5.

I have no reference material presently to opine on the current status of Georgia gambling regulations. It’s common, however, to limit “maximum bet”, for example Arizona does not allow a wager of more than $8 on any one gaming machine play.

-AmbushBug

[jamiesanders]

Sorry I’m responding to an old post but this really helps me a lot as an individual who is not into poker or I shall say gambling. It’s amazing to learn that states do really have their own rules when it comes to playing cards.

[Turble]

I realize this is an old thread but I think I can clear this up.

In Nevada a slot machine that represents a card game must, by law, accurately represent the actual odds of using a real deck of cards. To be licensed to sell machines in Nevada, all machines a company sells, even in other states or other countries, must follow this rule.