Put simply, poker machines are a form of entertainment that you pay to use.

Pokies are designed to entice. With the lure of flashing lights, thrilling sound effects and the promise of ‘striking it lucky’, it’s easy to forget the facts about pokies. Beneath their colourful visual displays, pokies are simply computer programs that are specifically designed to take more money than they pay back. The fact is, the longer you play a poker machine, the more likely it is that you will lose all of the money that you’ve put into it.

Here are some interesting myths about pokies and the facts about your actual chances of winning.

FICTION: Poker machines are more likely to pay out at particular times of the day.
FACT: The result of each game is entirely random and is not affected by anything going on around you. The game has no way of knowing the amount of money the machine contains.

FICTION: You can confuse poker machines into paying out by altering play patterns.
FACT: No matter what you do, the computer program determining the result does not change. The machine responds only to you pushing the button.

FICTION: You can influence the outcome of a game by touching the machine or pushing buttons in a particular way.
FACT: The machine’s buttons have only two states, on or off. No difference in approach to the pushing of the buttons will yield different results.

FICTION: You can influence the outcome of a game through concentration or positive thought.
FACT: The machine will always remain random, it cannot be convinced otherwise. The machine responds only to you pushing the button and nothing else.

FICTION: You can make up for past losses by continuing to gamble.
FACT: The result of your last game has no bearing on the result of your next game. It is illegal for poker machines in Victoria to base outcomes of games on previous outcomes. Poker machines cannot react to the frequency of wins or losses. The games operate randomly at all times no matter how many wins or losses have occurred in the past.

FICTION: Certain machines are “hotter” or “luckier” than others.       
FACT: Poker machines are simply computers programmed to randomly select outcomes. While the odds may change depending on the game being played, individual machines are never “hot” or “lucky”.

FICTION: A “close miss” is an indication of an upcoming win.        
FACT: Every event or “spin” is random and a separate event. A near miss means as much as any other loss.

FICTION: If I’m a skilled enough gambler, I can beat the odds.                           
FACT: Skill has no bearing on the outcome of playing the pokies. Your chance of winning when you sit down are the same as the person next to you. 

What are your chances of winning?

Below is a table of your chances of winning various prizes when playing a single line on a poker machine.

At these odds, you’d have to play seven games in a row to have a 50/50 chance of winning four credits. However, you’d have to play more than 7,000 games in a row to have the same chance of winning 500 credits.

In the end, the simple fact is, the machines will win.

Prize value in credits	Chance of a prize on a single play line (including scatters)
	One chance in
More than 500 credits	10,198
200 to 499 credits	2,669
100 to 199 credits	1,458
50 to 99 credits	450
20 to 49 credits	246
10 to 19 credits	106
5 to 9 credits	53
1 to 4 credits	10
Prize type in symbol combination	Chance of combination occurring in a single play line
	One chance in
5 of a kind	4,784
4 of a kind	490
3 of a kind	45
2 of a kind	9

Inside the pokies - player guide 

This guide explains how pokies actually work and why, in the long run, you will lose money.

• Inside the pokies - player guide (PDF, 670KB)

Keep track of your time and money - Press the 'i' button on the pokie and it will help you keep track.

This brochure, available in venues, explains how to use the Player Information Display function on pokie machines to show you:

• The rules of play for this machine
• Your chance of a win or loss
• How to track the money you spend on this machine
• How long you play on this machine

• Keep track of your time and money (PDF 853KB)

• Email to a friend