Can Poker Machines Be Rigged?

Can Poker Machines Be Rigged?

Though winning big on a poker machine may seem like the perfect way to make a fortune, your chances are much slimmer than expected – in fact, one in six million chances exist of hitting a jackpot when playing video poker! That is still an impressive amount that should motivate you when it comes to video poker!

There are various methods of cheating at poker machines, but most are illegal and could land you in jail or with your gambling licence being taken away. People commonly employing these strategies include altering software code, tampering with coins or paper tickets and colluding between players (known as ‘top hating’) – techniques which casinos or gaming authorities often detect easily and thus are not recommended.

However, you can increase your odds of success at poker machines by employing certain strategies and selecting an ideal machine to play on. Most importantly, remember that each game‘s outcome is decided solely by chance; so any run of wins or losses will have no bearing on how your results pan out and they won’t “come back around”.

Regulated video poker machines differ from casino slot games in that they do not keep a record of past play results, as their computer programs generate random sequences of numbers every millisecond. They adhere to rules guaranteed by governing bodies that are tested and inspected regularly, meaning these machines cannot be gamed or super-rigged.

If a casino wanted to super-rig its poker machine, they would need to alter its software, which would prove extremely complex and impractical, as replacing thousands of chips each time they switched it on would prove extremely costly and suspicious to regulators.

Over the years, some very clever individuals have sought ways to beat video poker machines. Some methods were temporarily successful. Others involved wishful thinking or unscrupulous individuals developing schemes to cheat the system by conspiring together against it.

Carmichael developed one of the most successful strategies, known as ‘Monkey Paw’. This strategy worked by inserting paper or string through the coin chute and manipulating reels with rod inside a machine with minimal detection by casino security teams. While effective initially, eventually casino security teams caught onto it and eventually it was no longer successful.