AboutC.J. Expertise If you would like to understand spinning reel slot machines, video poker and multi-line video slot machines, I can help. Can answer most questions on odds, math, trends, myths and realities related to gaming devices at licensed casinos in the US. I have no winning "systems" to offer. Please limit questions to slot machines in licensed casinos. Please do not ask about table games, or how to fix a machine!
Experience Work for a major manufacturer of gaming/slot machines, which are sold strictly to licensed casinos.
Question Once you enter a bonus round on a video slot where you have selections to make as the round progresses, is the outcome (result) already predetermined or do your selections really make a difference as the game implies. For example, the bonus round on "Jackpot Party": As soon as you enter the bonus round are your winnings predetermined by some RNG for bonus rounds so you will get the "Pooper" after an already predetermined number of selections and it doesn't matter which "presents" you choose on the screen?
Answer Hi Brian,
Generally speaking, your choices in "pick to win" bonuses do make a difference. A good tip-off that this is the case is when all possible selections are revealed at the end of the bonus. The odds of you picking a certain amount of presents before picking the "Pooper", the "Spoiler" or "Collect" are all factored into the overall long term payback percentages. Since I can't know every game, by every manufacturer, there are most certainly exceptions to this. And new games coming out may have an entirely different math model. But today's games generally adhere to the
player control of outcome.
What the pick-to-win feature does, psychologically, is to assign ownership of the win or loss to the player. Not the machine. Even though it's all just about odds in the long run.
