Slot Machine Strategies

Slots Vocabulary

A common misconception is that casino slot machines are not actually computers themselves. Real slot machines are very digital. The looseness of a slot is always a calculated number, and land based slot machines can be stacked against you.

Specifically, a slot machine contains a computer with a random number generator, or RNG, on a chip. The numbers given out by the RNG determine where the reels stop. The RNG never stops working, even when the machine is idle. It keeps generating numbers, thousands of them a second, even when the machine appears to be idle. So, essentially, the result you receive from a slot machine is highly time sensitive. A pull of the handle a single millisecond later, and something totally different happens. Therefore, inserting three coins in the machine instead of one would have change the timing, and the symbols you received from putting in one coin would not have turned up if you had inserted three coins, simply because of the time difference. If I slot machine produces a winning combination, the winning combination exists inside of the slot's random number generator for only a tiny fraction of a second.

The best thing to remember is that a slot machine's payout is completely random. There is no way to predict it. While they do work on random number generators, which rely on mathematical sequences, the sequences are very long and complex. Even if you were able to figure those out, your game would have to be timed to the millisecond since the RNGs run continuously, hence making predicting the numbers rather impossible. When playing a slot machine, each pull of the handle (or, for our purposes, click of the spin button) gives you just as much chance as winning as the previous click. Ten clicks gives you the same odds of winning as one click. The machine has no memory and does not know how many times you have played, or when its last payout was. It is entirely random. It isn't more likely to pay after a win, nor it is more likely to pay if it hasn't paid out in a while.

Two general non-slot specific tips for gambling:
1) An obvious guideline, but, DO NOT borrow money to gamble. Playing with money you can't afford to loose makes the game more stressful, and puts higher stakes on your need to win. Play for fun, and only play with what you can afford.
2) Related to #1, use a fixed amount of money to gamble. Plan ahead of time, and allocate certain amounts to certain sessions of gambling (ie. $500 one night, $700 the next night, etc). If you loose what you have set aside for one session, don't borrow from the next session. If you win, great! Keep each game earnings separate and you are more likely log off with winnings.

Some common questions:

Are larger casinos better?
In other words, do larger casinos pay off better than smaller ones? There is no proof of this. Statistics on slots do not indicate this.

Do slot machines have a pay and take cycle?
It has been suggested that they do, but it is subtle area. Machines do not simply change from one mode to the other, so if it is true, then it isn't a straightforward issue. Machines are mostly likely always on a take cycle, and every so often give out a win. That is a safe assumption to follow.

Is it better to play a slot machine with larger jackpots than a machine with smaller ones?
The size of the jackpot is not the only important factor that determines how much you can win. How often they are paid is just as important. And while the size of the payouts is indicated, how often the machines are paid is not. A machine that pays frequent small jackpots can be better than a machine that pays infrequent large sums.

Myths about Slot Machines

How Slots Work

Miscellaneous Tips