Miscellaneous Tips
- Most machines reward
you for playing the maximum coins. For example the jackpot may pay 2000 coins
with 2 coins played, but 4000 with 3 coins played. Many other gambling writers
advise the player to always play the maximum coins. However if the max coin incentive
is small I believe it is better to play one coin at a higher coinage than max
coins at a lower coinage. This is because casinos generally increase the return
percentage as the coinage goes up.
- Never leave or play
a machine that owes you money. Sometimes a machine will run out of money before
it is finished paying you off. If you get up someone else can sit at your machine
and claim they hit your jackpot. If you put another coin you may lose the evidence
so don't touch anything until you are paid off.
- Look for certain
banks of machines that are certified to a certain percentage. Some casinos will
have banks of dollar machines that are certified at 97% payback or so. Be careful
to believe claims such as "our slots return 97%." This likely refers
to just certain machines, so look for those specifically under a sign indicating
their payback percentage.
- If you like to hop
from machine to machine then don't forget your coin cup. I once lost a cup with
about $40 in quarters at Caesars Palace and I'm still mad at myself for it.
- The best thing to
remember is that a slot machine's payout is completely random. There is no way
to predict it. Ten plays gives you the same odds of winning as one play, so play
slowly. The faster you play, the more advantageous this is for the casino; hence
the slower you play, the better for you.
- Play slowly at slot
machines. The faster you play, the more advantageous this is for the casino; hence
the slower you play, the better for you.
- The slot machines
that tend to have the highest return, other than the ones that are guaranteed
to be 98 or 99 percent-return machines, are generally those that have no bonus
rounds, progressive features or brand-name affiliations. For example, Double Diamond
and Wild Cherry are two "stand-alone" machines that fall into the preferred
category.
- How long should
a player stay at a losing machine before heading for another machine? This is
a personal choice, certainly, but no one likes losing their entire session stake
at one machine. So, divide your money in three; if you lose the first third, head
for another machine. It won't change the programming of the machines, but it can
make you feel some renewed hope.
- On some slot machines
it doesn't matter whether you play full coin or one coin, as full coin does not
give you much more in the way of payback percentage. However, there are some machines
where you must either play full coin or not play at all. These are the giant linked
progressive slots such as Megabucks and Quartermania. The only reason to play
these machines is to have a chance, albeit at very, very long shot, at the jackpot.
- The "hit frequency"
on a slot machine indicates how often some money is returned to you. It does not
indicate whether a machine is "loose" or "tight." Often machines
will return your original bet but nothing else. That is considered a "hit."
Sometimes machines will return LESS than your original bet -- and that is also
considered a "hit." You can theoretically have a machine that hits 100
percent of the time with no wins!
- There are two concepts
that are sometimes mistaken when it comes to slot machines: payback percentage
and hit frequency. Payback percentage is the amount of money over time the machine
is programmed to return for every dollar wagered. Hit frequency is the percentage
of time you will get something back from the machine. You can have a low hit frequency
but a high payback percentage machine and vice versa. The two concepts are not
related.
- On three-coin buy-a-pay
slot machines, that is, machines that reward you with extra payline combinations
for extra coins, it is always best to either play one coin or full coin. Studies
by John Robison have shown that playing two coins is the very worst way to play
the machines as you are increasing your risk but not substantially increasing
your possibility to win.
- Go Slow to Beat
the Odds - Slot machines are becoming more and more complex as the technology
they are built on evolves and progresses. Whereas thirty years ago a slot machine
simply required you to pull a lever and hope for the best, modern machines often
have at least one feature - such as a nudge or a hold - that gives the player
the opportunity to exercise his skill and judgement. To make the most out of these
opportunities, go slow when playing. It is all too easy to become an automation,
and mindlessly feed the machines coin after coin without thinking about what you
are doing. Go slow, stay awake, concentrate on the opportunities the machine gives
you, and you may well find that your gaming becomes more profitable.
- If you intend on
playing slots to win, don't expect to succeed in an instant. Instead, be prepared
for long playing sessions. How long? No one can say for sure, but most experienced
slots players recommend you should have at least 200 coins as a bankroll. If you're
playing 25-cent machines, this means you'll need $50 in quarters. With $1 machines
you'll need $200 available. Have it ready on your person, and don't plan on visiting
the cashier. If you do you risk losing the machine to someone else, along with
all the money you've already put in it.
- Try to join the
slot clubs of as many casinos as you play in... a good slot player can back in
good and services a significant percentage of what he expects to lose on the machines.
Some video poker players can actually be ahead at the end of the year when they
figure in their comps.
- Check the slot card
reader from time to time. Sometimes contact will be lost for no apparent reason
and you won't get credit for any play until you reinsert it.
|
John
G. Brokopp on Slot Machines
Myths
about Slot Machines
How
Slots Work
Miscellaneous
Tips
Main
Page
|