Art Kendall <Arthur.Kendall@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> writes:
> Slot machines often let the player specify the number of lines to play
> at a time. When playing more than one line each horizontal row is a
> line, some lines have a "bend", some zig-zag.
>
> Are machines set up so that the probability of a a hit on any line is
> independent of a hit on any other line?
>
> Are machines set up so that each line has the same probability?
>
> Art
Art,
As a somewhat frequent visitor to Vegas, your post caught my eye.
With newer computer based slot machines, there is a RNG system that is
constantly running in the background generating thousands of random
numbers each second. When you hit the button, or pull the lever, the
state of the RNG system at the time is taken. Based upon those numbers
and a weighting table, the symbol positions on each reel are selected.
You then get the "entertainment" of watching the reels spin and
eventually stop, but the reel positions were already defined when the
RNG state was taken.
The weighting table for the reels can be adjusted to vary the payout
percentage of the machine. This is done in software (these days in
firmware) and is changed by a manual process which is heavily
regulated by the Gaming Commission. In Nevada, I believe that the
minimum payout under regulation is 75% and goes as high as 98% or 99%.
Though, there are now 'network' based systems using wireless capabilities
that are coming on to the scene. These systems would enable the payouts
to be changed remotely without a technician having to physically touch
the machine. There is much controversy over this evolution and they tend
to feed into the pre-existing myths associated with slots. My
understanding is that the Gaming Commission is enabling new regulations
behind this change that would restrict such changes from being made
while a player is at the slot, would require some minimum time of
inactivity at the machine and would also require that a warning appear
on the slot display indicating that the machine is being "serviced".
As I understand it, with the multiple payline machines, once the RNG
state is taken, there is a second step which randomly selects a
'primary' payline from the possible payline patterns. The symbols that
were selected from the first RNG step are then positioned relative to
that payline.
All other symbols on the reels are then of course positioned on each
reel in the order that they appear relative to those selected. That
ordering and how many of each symbol appears on each reel is of course
fixed.
Thus, while the initial RNG results are independent and are then mapped
via the weighting table to the symbols, the multiple paylines are not
independent, since the ordering of the symbols on the reels are fixed.
Thus, the more paylines you play, the more you risk, but the higher the
likelihood of getting a winner on at least one of the paylines.
Another variation on this is the use of multi-denominational slots,
whereby you can vary the amount of money you wager per line and the
paytable on the machine varies based upon the selected wager.
Much like with table games, such as blackjack, your strategy for winning
on a slot machine can take into account how much money you wager, how
many paylines and so forth.
There are now newer machines that have touch screen displays in addition
to the primary display, whereby you can have the op****tunity for 'free
spins' based upon hitting certain combinations of symbols on the primary
reels. You can then randomly select symbols on the secondary display that
determine the number of free spins that you get.
There are variations on this and there have been many patents filed both
in the U.S. and internationally relative to how this process is
implemented on specific machines. The main vendors such as Bally's and
IGT have a notable number of these patents.
If you want to review one of the more historic patents in this domain,
look up the Telnaes patent (#4448419).
HTH,
Marc Schwartz
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