Super Bowl Jackpots
HOW THE ADVANTAGE WORKS:
- Super Bowl Jackpots features a 2-Minute Drill that activates on the entire bank of machines every 22, 24 or 26 minutes. When the 2-Minute Drill feature is activated, the screen will display a large red timer that counts down from two minutes. During the feature, all credit prizes that land get added together and moved to a holding area with four spots above the reels. If credit prizes land on four consecutive spins (filling the four spots above), the player is awarded all of the collected prizes. If a spin occurs without any credit prizes landing, all of the prizes get cleared out. The entire 2-Minute Drill itself is not +EV, but the collected prizes persist after the feature ends, which can put the game in a temporary state of +EV.
- Any time the 2-Minute Drill is active and there is at least one prize collected in any of the four spots above the reels.
Note: I initially came up with a more complicated strategy that involved adjusting the entry point based on the number of spots filled while factoring in the total collected equity. However, my data shows playing any time there is at least one spot filled is +EV, regardless of the value of the collected prizes. This is because you are significantly lowering the cost to complete the four-game cycle, as well as increasing your chances of winning the prizes by only playing when there are three or fewer spots remaining. And once you factor in the additional prizes collected, as well as the base game line hits, that is enough to push the game into +EV territory. That said, you can lower your variance and increase your edge by avoiding plays with unusually small prizes collected (if the total value of the collected prizes is less than the bet size).
Additional notes
- This is a common game that is popping up in nearly every casino I visit. Most APs think the 2-Minute Drill is either an AP trap or else a complete waste of time to check. In my opinion, it’s actually a really great game. You can make a solid profit in a short amount of time, so it is well worth adding to your rotation.
- The machine plays an airhorn sound when the 2-Minute Drill first activates, so you can usually hear it if you are nearby, depending on how loud the casino is. I like to keep an eye on the machine as I make my rounds. The drill will still activate even if no one is playing. If I catch the tail end of the drill or if all the seats are filled, I like to set a reminder on my phone for 20 minutes so I know when it is about to activate again. I usually only check the bank once per visit, but if the machines are getting a lot of action, it can be worth checking every 45 minutes or so.
- To check the machine, you have to put a ticket in and select a team. Depending on how much time is left, I can comfortably check about two machines in the bank per drill. Sometimes I can check three if I really rush, but I always end up looking like a total spazz when I try doing that. [Update: You can bypass the team selection by tapping a bet level on the bet pad that wasn’t the last bet played. This significantly speeds up the process. Thanks to Diceman for the tip!]
- The collected prizes are stored independently per bet level, so be sure to check them all for plays. Despite what I have heard from other APs, there isn’t any kind of indicator on the bet pad showing which bets have prizes collected.
- In addition to credit prizes, the mini, minor, maxi, major and grand jackpots can get collected in the four spots above the reels.
- Do not just sit down and fast-spin through the entire 2-Minute Drill. The game rules state, “Return to player remains the same between regular mode and 2-Minute Drill.” The collected prizes are what make the drill +EV, not the feature itself.
