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Bob Dancer writes a video poker column for beginners to experts. He also writes a column with Jeffrey Compton, "Player's Edge", featuring information on promotions at various Las Vegas casinos. Player's Edge is published each Friday in the Neon section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Click here to send Bob Dancer an e-mail.

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March 18, 2008

Comparing Two Games

The best two $1 games at Sam's Town are 10/7 Double Bonus (100.17%) and an 8-coin 9/6 Jacks or Better progressive that pays $4,000 at reset. Assuming you play both games and want to go for the one that returns the most, there are a couple of ways to compare --- leading to different answers. Let's look at both ways.

To start with we need to be able to evaluate the 8-coin progressive. Since "Video Poker for Winners" and other video poker software are based on a 5-coin royal rather than an 8-coin royal, we need to divide the progressive amount by 8 and then multiply it by 5 to get the 5-coin equivalent. How these two amounts relate, and the corresponding return on the game, is shown in the first three columns in the table below.

8-coin Progress	5-coin Equiv	% Return	1x points	2x points	3x points	4x points	5x points	6x pooints	7x points
$4,000	$2,500	98.88%	98.98%	99.08%	99.18%	99.28%	99.38%	99.48%	99.58%
$4,800	$3,000	99.09%	99.19%	99.29%	99.39%	99.49%	99.59%	99.69%	99.79%
$5,600	$3,500	99.31%	99.41%	99.51%	99.61%	99.71%	99.81%	99.91%	100.01%
$6,400	$4,000	99.54%	99.64%	99.74%	99.84%	99.94%	100.04%	100.14%	100.24%
$7,200	$4,500	99.80%	99.90%	100.00%	100.10%	100.20%	100.30%	100.40%	100.50%
$8,000	$5,000	100.07%	100.17%	100.27%	100.37%	100.47%	100.57%	100.67%	100.77%
$8,800	$5,500	100.35%	100.45%	100.55%	100.65%	100.75%	100.85%	100.95%	101.05%

The slot club at Sam's Town is now part of Club Coast --- although each casino in the club has its own multiple-point days. On single-point days, the slot club returns an extra 0.10% --- but multiple-point days are frequent. It isn't complicated how these point multipliers affect the return on the game, but this definitely affects whether this game is higher or lower in return than 10/7 Double Bonus.

The reason the return of the slot club matters is that it takes $2 to earn a slot club point on 10/7 Double Bonus. This means that the slot club returns 0.05%, times the multiplier.

% Return	1x points	2x points	3x points	4x points	5x points	6x points	7x points
100.173%	100.223%	100.273%	100.323%	100.373%	100.423%	100.473%	100.523%

To see how this matches up, we need to look at each multiplier amount. Let's start with the 1x amount --- which means there is no multiplier. Smart players want to play with a higher multiplier, but we'll start here.

With a 1x multiplier, 10/7 Double Bonus returns 100.223%. If we look at the first chart we see that this number is higher than the $8,000 progressive amount and lower than the $8,800 --- perhaps at $8,200. What this means is that when the progressive is at $8,200 or above, the 9/6 Jacks game has the higher return.

For 6x points, we have 10/7 Double Bonus returning 100.473% and the 9/6 Jacks or Better amount around $7,300. I'll leave it to the reader to figure out the rest of the numbers. It's not difficult and you'll need to be able to figure it out for yourself to be useful.

So far we've worked out the progressive numbers at which the two percentages are equal. While some people use these numbers, and this is the appropriate way to do it in several situations, this is not the way I'd do it here.

The reason I'd do it differently in this case is that there are a different number of coins involved. Assuming you're playing the same amount of hands per hour, you're playing 60% more dollars per hour on an 8-coin machine than you are on a 5-coin machine. The relevant figures then compare matching dollars earned per hour rather than matching percentages.

I use the rate of 600-hands per hour to compare these two games. Using a different rate will affect the amount earned but won't affect the question of which game you should play at a given progressive amount.

The first chart shows the dollars per hour if you perfectly play 9/6 Jacks or Better progressive at $8 per hand at 600 hands per hour, or $4,800 per hour of play. The negative amounts at the top and left of this chart mean that it's costing you money to play and players seriously attempting to win avoid playing at such times.

8-coin Progress	5-coin Equiv	% Return	1x points	2x points	3x points	4x points	5x points	6x points	7x points
$6,400	$4,000	99.54%	99.64%	99.74%	99.84%	99.94%	100.04%	100.14%	100.24%
		-$21.89	-$17.09	-$12.29	-$7.49	-$2.69	$2.11	$6.91	$11.71
$7,200	$4,500	99.80%	99.90%	100.00%	100.10%	100.20%	100.30%	100.40%	100.50%
		-$9.70	-$4.90	-$0.10	$4.70	$9.50	$14.30	$19.10	$23.90
$8,000	$5,000	100.07%	100.17%	100.27%	100.37%	100.47%	100.57%	100.67%	100.77%
		$3.22	$8.02	$12.82	$17.62	$22.42	$27.22	$32.02	$36.82
$8,800	$5,500	100.35%	100.45%	100.55%	100.65%	100.75%	100.85%	100.95%	101.05%
		$16.99	$21.79	$26.59	$31.39	$36.19	$40.99	$45.79	$50.59

The next chart shows the dollars per hour of play if you play 10/7 Double Bonus at 600 hands per hour, or $3,000 per hour of play.

% Return	1x points	2x points	3x points	4x points	5x points	6x points	7x points
100.173%	100.223%	100.273%	100.323%	100.373%	100.423%	100.473%	100.523%
$5.19	$6.69	$8.19	$9.69	$11.19	$12.69	$14.19	$15.69

Okay. Assume it's a single point day. 10/7 Double returns $6.69 per hour. In the 1x column of the chart, we see that playing at $7,200 costs us $4.90 per hour and playing at $8,000 is worth $8.02 an hour. This means that at about $7,800, the two amounts will be equal, so above that amount it's worth more to play the progressive.

On a 7x point day, 10/7 Double Bonus is worth $15.69. To get this same amount, we can see it's between $6,400 ($11.71 per hour) and $7,200 ($23.90 per hour) --- meeting perhaps at $6,700. I'll leave it to the reader to work out the rest of the numbers.

Also note that the above analysis assumed the player plays perfectly. Mastering 10/7 Double Bonus at this level is difficult --- yet possible. Mastering a progressive is much more difficult. Depending on which game you play better, or like better, the numbers calculated should be adjusted.

The type of analysis we did here applies to more than just Sam's Town and the dollar games there. Fiesta, for example, has some quarter Triple Play progressive games that receive full points and some over-100% games that receive quarter points. Which one is superior depends on both the multiplier and level of the progressive.