Video-Poker Play in the Laboratory: The Effect of Information and Monetary Value on Rates of Play

Previous research has found that participants will risk more credits across a video-poker session when they are required to play the optimal cards than when they have complete control over the game, a finding that would seem at least partially inconsistent with the illusion of control (Langer, 1975). Forty-two participants were recruited to play video poker in two sessions, one in which the game informed them of the optimal cards to play and one in which it did not. The session length for some participants was limited by time and for other participants by the number of hands played. Some of the participants played the game for money whereas others did not. When sessions were limited by time, the previous research results were replicated. However, when the sessions were limited by the number of hands played, no differences in gambling were observed between the two sessions. These results indicate that the effect of the game-provide information is to increase the speed at which people play, not to alter their gambling (i.e., betting). Implications of this finding are discussed