4 ms·

I worked with GLI when I was doing it. Edit: Now that I've (finally) finished the article I see it was a WMS machine. I worked for WMS and on this exact produ

I worked with GLI when I was doing it. Edit: Now that I've (finally) finished the article I see it was a WMS machine. I worked for WMS and on this exact product before I left. I'm not sure why they didn't name the manufacturer in the first paragraph of the article. It's been years since I've worked on that poker product, but I remember the autohold on Jacks or Better used a very short, simple ruleset that didn't do anything obviously boneheaded. I'm having a hard time imagining it doing what the article described, but I don't have access to the system to check it out anymore. The autohold ruleset was built long before I started there and was ported from system to system.

joezydeco 12y ago
The nuances of autohold are something that's really hard to explain in terms of the PAR sheet, in my opinion. Is the goal of autohold to provide the player with any win, or give the proper chance at the optimal win given the upcards? Those two goals aren't always in alignment given certain hands. (ex-WMS engineer here too. Glad to see you survived.)
- kyteland 12y ago
  Another purpose of autohold is to provide a floor for unskilled players in a game of skill. They don't use it in Las Vegas specifically to allow players to make as many mistakes as possible. Optimal strategy on 9-6 JorB is 99.54% RTP. Reverse-optimal strategy (making the worst selection every time) is something like 3% RTP. Use of autohold puts an absolute worst case on the downside to video poker.
  - joezydeco 12y ago
    But do states set a min RTP for something like autohold? I always understood it as something that, technically, didn't have to be held to a PAR sheet or validated at all, really. Slots with bonus games could auto-percentage themselves, right? Like how does Jackpot Party hold to a PAR sheet percentage when the player is pretty much making random pokes? Or are the pokes gaffed to reveal the five virtual reels that were spun earlier in the play?
    - kyteland 12y ago
      Each of the state jurisdictions have different rules regarding minimum RTP percentages in games. With regards to poker autohold there aren't any rules that I'm aware of other than it has to be above the regulated minimum for the state. For example, Nevada had a minimum RTP requirement to 75%, so autohold would have to be at least that good. (Note to tourists: never play the slot machines in the Las Vegas airport. They're probably barely over the minimum required by law)

joezydeco 12y ago

The nuances of autohold are something that's really hard to explain in terms of the PAR sheet, in my opinion. Is the goal of autohold to provide the player with any win, or give the proper chance at the optimal win given the upcards? Those two goals aren't always in alignment given certain hands. (ex-WMS engineer here too. Glad to see you survived.)

kyteland 12y ago
Another purpose of autohold is to provide a floor for unskilled players in a game of skill. They don't use it in Las Vegas specifically to allow players to make as many mistakes as possible. Optimal strategy on 9-6 JorB is 99.54% RTP. Reverse-optimal strategy (making the worst selection every time) is something like 3% RTP. Use of autohold puts an absolute worst case on the downside to video poker.
- joezydeco 12y ago
  But do states set a min RTP for something like autohold? I always understood it as something that, technically, didn't have to be held to a PAR sheet or validated at all, really. Slots with bonus games could auto-percentage themselves, right? Like how does Jackpot Party hold to a PAR sheet percentage when the player is pretty much making random pokes? Or are the pokes gaffed to reveal the five virtual reels that were spun earlier in the play?
  - kyteland 12y ago
    Each of the state jurisdictions have different rules regarding minimum RTP percentages in games. With regards to poker autohold there aren't any rules that I'm aware of other than it has to be above the regulated minimum for the state. For example, Nevada had a minimum RTP requirement to 75%, so autohold would have to be at least that good. (Note to tourists: never play the slot machines in the Las Vegas airport. They're probably barely over the minimum required by law)