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Deal
Me
In,
with
Mark
Pilarski
About
Mark
As
a
recognized
authority
on
casino
gambling,
Pilarski
survived
18
years
in
the
casino
trenches,
working
for
seven
different
casinos.
Mark
now
writes
a
nationally
syndicated
gambling
column,
is
a
university
lecturer,
author,
and
contributing
editor
for
numerous
gaming
periodicals.
How
those
gambling
gizmos
work
Dear
Mark,
I
am
hoping
you
will
elaborate
a
bit
on
the
Slot
Machine
RNG
(Random
Number
Generator).
I
am
very
familiar
with
how
it
works.
I
know
those
people
that
say,
"I
JUST
got
up
from
that
machine,
and
that
lady
sat
down,
and
BAAM!
She
hits
the
jackpot!
I
could
have
won
that
if
I
stayed
a
bit
longer!"
I
know
this
is
a
totally
false
statement
(well,
not
totally
as
it
COULD
have
randomly
happened
to
him
had
he
been
there)
but
the
fact
that
the
one
lady
hit
it
and
he
didn¹t
is
because
the
RNG
came
up
with
the
winning
Jackpot
combo
at
that
precise
moment
in
time.
The
thing
that
I
was
always
confused
about
is
WHEN
the
RNG
stops
and
displays
the
pre-determined
outcome.
Meaning:
If
I
put
1
coin
in
a
3-coin
machine,
then
wait
a
second
and
put
in
2
more
coins,
THEN
hit
"spin"...was
the
RNG
continuously
changing
until
I
hit
the
"Spin"
button?
Did
it
stop
the
second
the
first
coin
was
plopped
in?
Did
it
stop
changing
when
the
third
and
final
coin
was
plopped
in
but
before
the
"Spin"
button
was
hit?
I
have
always
been
curious
at
what
point
does
the
RNG
stop...with
the
coins
being
dropped
(if
so,
which
one?
first
or
third?)
or
with
the
pressing
of
the
"Spin"
button.
Tim
H.
Tim,
meet
Tom.
Dear
Mark,
Something
I
have
wondered
about:
When
is
the
result
of
a
spin
on
a
machine
determined?
Is
it
when
the
first,
second
or
third
coin
is
inserted
or
when
the
"maximum
bet"
button
is
pushed?
Tom
M.
Tom
meet
Tim
oh,
you¹ve
met.
North
America
quarters
(talk
about
your
puns!)
some
700,000
plus
slot
machines.
More
than
two-thirds
of
the
market
for
these
one-armed
bandits
is
under
the
control
of
International
Gaming
Technology
(NYSE:
IGT)
In
view
of
their
dominance,
I
will
have
their
machines
in
mind
as
I
answer
your
questions.
(Taking
a
lesson
about
full
disclosure
from
current
events,
I
did
once
weasel
my
way
into
an
IGT
party
at
a
gaming
convention,
where
I
drank
my
fair
share
and
hit
the
chow
middling
hard.
But
you
see,
judge,
it¹s
just
a
wash
my
mentioning
them.)
But
also
note,
Tim
and
Tom,
IGT
is
not
the
only
manufacturer
of
slot
machines.
Other
manufacturers
could
have
their
thingamajigs
designed
to
operate
differently.
Back
to
the
main
question:
The
RGN
is
constantly‹well,
every
millisecond‹
spitting
out
random
numbers,
literally
thousands
of
random
number
sets
per
second.
The
particular
set
selected
by
the
RGN
determines
the
outcome
of
each
spin.
It
does
this
at
the
precise
moment
when
the
first
coin
taps
the
whoozis
inside
the
slot.
(Forgive
the
technical
language.)
This
is
not
dependent
on
any
factors
of
game
play,
such
as
how
many
coins
are
bet,
whether
the
player
is
winning
too
much
money,
or
using
Cajon
voodoo
or
psychic
trembles
to
decide
when
to
hit
the
draw
button.
With
all
IGT
games,
when
the
"start
deal"
or
"bet"
button
is
pushed
while
playing
credits,
or
the
FIRST
coin
is
inserted,
the
randomly
selected
outcome
has
already
been
determined,
and
the
machine
just
sits
around
for
the
next
bunch
of
milliseconds
waiting
for
you,
Tim
and
Tom,
to
decide
what
you¹ll
do
next.
Regarding
the
boon-or-bust
aftermath,
it¹s
all
the
same
whether
you
deposit
one
coin
or
the
maximum
number
of
coins.
I
get
a
letter
a
week
touting
the
notion
that
the
number
of
coins
slotted
somehow
influences
the
result.
ŒTain¹t
so,
friends.
The
outcome
has
been
established
before
that
first
coin
stops
jingling.
If
you
put
in
one
coin
and
get
a
royal
flush
or
a
mega-jackpot,
you
would
have
gotten
that
same
royal
flush
or
those
three
centerline
treasure
chests
if
you
had
put
in
three
or
five
coins.
Finally,
gaming
regulations
at
places
where
you¹re
likely
to
play
Nevada,
New
Jersey,
Mississippi
and
other
gaming
jurisdictions
that
pattern
after
those
states‹the
law
requires
that
all
slot
machines
have
random
outcomes.
But
be
aware‹there
are
casinos
operating
in
places
that
do
not
have
such
high-minded
gaming
regulations.
Some
Indian
casinos
and
cruise
ships
operating
in
international
waters
are
examples
of
casinos
not
bound
by
stateside
regulations.
Gambling
quote
of
the
week:
A
wise
player
ought
to
accept
his
throws
and
score
them,
not
bewail
his
luck.
<Sophocles
(496-406
B.C.)
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