LE3 .A278 2004

2004

Diamond, Jim

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Computer Science

Computer Science

Video poker, a billion dollar industry, is the fastest growing segment of the video lottery terminal market. This thesis performs an accurate analysis of two popular video poker games, introduces a new class of video poker known as single-flip video poker games, and studies methods to analyse this new class of games. This thesis can be separated into two distinct parts. In the first part, accurate statistical analyses of the games Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild are performed. These analyses are the first to present rational number probability distributions and expected returns. The analyses benefit from a technique exploiting hand congruencies due to suit equivalence. These congruencies reduce the initial hand counts from 2,598,560 to 134,459. In the second part, the concept of a single-flip video poker game is introduced. Such games are currently in development in the gaming industry. Exact values for the expected returns from such games are shown to be computationally difficult to obtain. Two model single-flip card games are studied, optimal strategies are proposed, and accurate expected returns are simulated.

The author retains copyright in this thesis. Any substantial copying or any other actions that exceed fair dealing or other exceptions in the Copyright Act require the permission of the author.

https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:107