In some
progressive jackpot games such as video poker
for example, it is
possible to calculate an optimal play
strategy, and there for the frequency for
each payoff, including the frequency of
a progressive jackpot winning. From all
of these calculations the break even
point can also be calculated. At reset and when
the progressive jackpots amount is less than the
break even point, there is a house edge
or a negative
expected value for all
of the progressive jackpot players. When the progressive jackpots
amount is
at the break-even point, the game is
fair. (If the progressive jackpots qualifying player were to
play an infinite number of games
attempting to win the progressive
jackpots, he or she for that matter
would break even). When the progressive jackpots
amount is
above the break even point, then the
game has a positive expected value for
the qualifying progressive jackpots player.
Meaning,
if the progressive jackpots player were to play a very large
number of plays (as many as several tens of
thousands games), it would
become increasingly likely that he or
she
would make a profit at the progressive
jackpots game. If a profit is made or not is of course a matter of
chance, but the more plays made while
the progressive jackpot is higher than
the break-even point, the more likely it
is that the player will end up ahead.
