My wife and I had terrible luck also on that multiple strike machine at the Palms. We played it at three different times and it was cold all three times. We both had made up our mind never to play it again. The only time that I heard good reports was on the first day it was in play.
Maybe they changed the payout. I think players coming in for the convention will find some of the new style machines pretty tight. It depends how greedy the casinos are as to the hold percentage.