To offer decent pay tables or not? That is the question. Here is the answer.
Who has time to memorize a plethora of hand orders, hand composition, exceptions and other factors on a single game of Video Poker? There are probably millions, or tens of millions, who think they know the strategy of one game. In reality, there are probably a few hundred who really KNOW the strategy on one game. Furthermore, there are probably a few tens who really KNOW the strategy on several games. And furthermore, there are probably a few people who really KNOW the strategy of several games in several variations such as Quick Quads, Ultimate X, Super Triple Play, Hot Roll, Spin Poker and Multi-Strike.
Compare that with the millions of people who either have no clue, go with their gut, see patterns in the hands or think they have a clue. Why not offer good pay tables? It's a no brainer! All but the best pay tables have a built-in house edge anyway. Even the world's smartest super computer can't overcome the built-in house edge, in the long run. People, even the smartest and most informed, make mistakes and can't possibly know every permutation of a game that offers 19,933,230,517,200 possible hand combinations. Yes, that is almost 20 TRILLION! Talk about the law of large numbers! Consider the fact that a coin toss takes 100 trials to approach the true Expected Value and you will see that most Video Poker players will never even come close to reaching the long run.
People who think they know perfect strategy pour billions of dollars into Video Poker machines every day, dwarfing the amount the square players put in the machines. If those players see a reduction in pay tables, they move their money to a casino with better pay tables. Who wins here? Not the casinos!
Good pay tables are good for the player and the casino!
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