Slots are the easiest games in the casino to play -- spin the reels and take your chances. Players have no control over what combinations will show up or when a jackpot will hit. There is no way to tell when a machine will be hot or cold. Still, there are some pitfalls. It's important to read the glass and learn what type of machine it is. The three major types of reel-spinning slots are the multiplier, the buy-a-pay, and the progressive.
The multiplier. On a multiplier, payoffs are proportionate for each coin played--except, usually, for the top jackpot. If the machine accepts up to three coins at a time, and if you play one coin, three bars pay back ten. Three bars will pay back 20 for two coins and 30 for three coins. However, three sevens might pay 500 for one coin and 1,000 for two, but jump to 10,000 when all three coins are played. Read the glass to find out if that's the case before playing less than the maximum coins on this type of machine.
If you have $100 and expect to make it last, you can’t afford to play higher-denomination games. Penny slots are more your speed. Even if you start with $500, $1 slots are iffy and $5 slots are out of the question. With a $500 base, a player who wants to try $1 slots needs to remain aware of the state of his bankroll. And since you play slot machines for real money so fast (400-800 spins an hour), you lose more at slots than at any other casino game. (Read how slots work to understand them better.) Like most casino games, a slot machine is a game of independent trials (the previous game has no.
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The buy-a-pay. Never play less than the maximum on a buy-a-pay, on which each coin 'buys' a set of symbols or a payout line. The first coin in might allow the player to win only on cherry combination, while the second coin activates the bar payouts, and the third coin activates the sevens. Woe is the player who hits three jackpot symbols on a buy-a-pay with only one coin played--the player gets nothing back. A variation is the machine with multiple payout lines, each activated by a separate coin. All symbols are active with each coin, but if a winning combination lines up on the third-coin payout line with only one or two coins played, the payoff is zero.
The progressive. You also have no reason to play less than maximum coins on a progressive machine. A player who eventually lines up the jackpot symbols gets a percentage of each coin played. The first progressive machines were self-contained--the jackpot was determined by how much that particular machine had been played since the last big hit. Today most progressives are linked electronically to other machines, with all coins played in the linked machines adding to a common jackpot.
These jackpots can be enormous -- the record is $39,710,826.26, a $1 progressive at a Las Vegas casino. The tradeoff is that frequency and size of other payouts are usually smaller. And you can't win the big jackpot without playing maximum coins.
If you must play fewer than maximum coins, look for a multiplier in which the final-coin jump in the top jackpot is fairly small. Better yet, choose a machine that allows you to stay within your budget while playing maximum coins. If your budget won't allow you to play maximum coins on a $1 machine, move to a quarter machine. If you're not comfortable playing three quarters at a time, move to a two-quarter machine. If you can't play two quarters at a time, play a nickel machine.
With so many paylines and the possibility of betting multiple coins per line, video slots are different. Some penny slots with 20 paylines take up to 25 coins per line. That's a $5 maximum bet -- a pretty penny indeed! Most players bet less than the max on video slots but are sure to cover all the paylines, even if betting only one coin per line. You want to be sure to be eligible for the bonus rounds that give video slots most of their fun. Some progressive jackpots require max coins bets, and some don't. If a max-coins bet is required to be eligible for the jackpot and you're not prepared to roll that high, find a different machine.
Money Management
Managing your money wisely is the most important part of playing any casino game, and also the most difficult part of playing the slots. Even on quarter machines, the amount of money involved runs up quickly. A dedicated slot player on a machine that plays off credits can easily get in 600 pulls an hour. At two quarters at a time, that means wagering $300 per hour -- the same amount a $5 blackjack player risks at an average table speed of 60 hands per hour.
Most of that money is recycled from smaller payouts--at a casino returning 93 percent on quarter slots, the expected average loss for $300 in play is $21. Still, you will come out ahead more often if you pocket some of those smaller payouts and don't continually put everything you get back into the machine.
One method for managing money is to divide your slot bankroll for the day into smaller-session bankrolls. If, for example, you've taken $100 on a two-and-a-half-hour riverboat cruise, allot $20 for each half-hour. Select a quarter machine -- dollar machines could devastate a $100 bankroll in minutes -- and play the $20 through once. If you've received more than $20 in payouts, pocket the excess and play with the original $20. At the end of one half-hour, pocket whatever is left and start a new session with the next $20.
If at any point the original $20 for that session is depleted, that session is over. Finish that half-hour with a walk, or a snack, or a drink until it is time for a new session. Do not dip back into money you've already pocketed.
That may seem rigid, but players who do not use a money management technique all too frequently keep pumping money into the machine until they've lost their entire bankroll. The percentages guarantee that the casino will be the winner in the long run, but lock up a portion of the money as you go along, and you'll walk out of the casino with cash on hand more frequently.
That is changing in new server-based slots that have started to appear in casinos. Operators will be able to change payback percentages at the click of a mouse, but they still must have regulatory approval to do so.
There is a lot more to slot machines than meets the eye. But if you learn the ins and outs of playing them, you can use some strategies that just might help you hit the jackpot.
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We have compiled a comprehensive selection of articles, YouTube videos, and podcasts about slot machines and how to win the slot machine jackpot! Learn how to play slot machines and how these complex machines work. Find out how to win on slot machines by reading these unique strategies from slot experts. Read and listen to interviews with the experts to learn slot machine tips and advice on the best slot machines to play.
Click the links below to read the articles and hear the podcasts.
- Video Podcast – Slot Machines – When to Bet Maximum Coins with Steve Bourie
- Video Podcast – Answers to Common Slot Machine Questions with John Grochowski
- Video Podcast – How to Win on Slot Machines with slot expert Frank Legatoi
- Video Podcast – Slot Machines how they work and how to win with Steve Bourie
- Video Podcast – All about Slot Machines with Michael “Wizard of Odds” Shackleford
- Audio Podcast – Everything you ever wanted to know about slot machines with slot expert Frank Legato
- Audio Podcast – Slot Machines, how to win and how they work with slot expert John Robison
- Audio Podcast – Winning on Slot machines with slots expert Frank Legato
- Audio Podcast – Slot machine myths with slots expert John Robison
- Audio Podcast – Slot machines with John Growchowski
A detailed look at slot machines and how they work
These gambling machines have three or more spinning reels which display symbols. The goal is to spin the reels and have the symbols match up to form winning combinations. In order to play, you would place a bet, spin the reels and hope for the best possible winning combination.
Over the years these machines have evolved and modern slots are more exciting than ever. The majority of slots are played online through online casinos. The best online casinos offer hundreds of slots titles to choose from, and these modern online slots can offer up to millions of dollars in rewards.
So where do you start?
How to play slot machines
The first step in spinning those internet reels is finding an online casino or a selection of online casino games that look promising to you. You can start by reading our online casino reviews to see which ones suit your personal gambling preferences. Online casinos are constantly trying to keep up with their competitors by having the best software, best game selections, and of course, the best offers.
If you are interested in starting on the slot machines, it would be wise to look for those offers. With increasing competition comes better deals and more FREE MONEY! Online casinos love to boast about their long lists of slots titles and massive game selections. Therefore, you can often find casino bonuses that score you all kinds of free play on slots and other online casino games. The most common type of no-deposit bonuses is free spins bonuses. All you need to do is register with an online casino and start playing - no download or deposit necessary!
How to win at slots
Slot machines are much less intimidating compared to table games. There is not a huge deal of strategy involved. If you want to win the slot machine jackpot, you have to bet some money and for the most part, hope for the best. However, there are some slot machine tips that can increase your winning odds and help guide you to the best slot machines to play.
Modern-day slots are controlled by a random number generator (RNG) which is used to generate completely random number combinations. This controls the payback percentage for each slot machine. The RNG is programmed to have a specific payback percentage for its respective slot game. Usually, the more money the machine requires per bet, the higher the payback percentage will be. These payback percentages are rarely ever changed due to the amount of work it requires to make these revisions.
So how much are you willing to gamble? Knowing how much risk you are willing to take is an indicator of how much money you could walk away with. What kind of slots player are you? Are you someone who likes to go in big and take your chances at the progressive jackpot slots who are you okay will going in small and walking away with a bit at a time?
A game’s volatility refers to how much risk is involved with that game title. If you are aware of the volatility of the particular slots you wish to play, you will have an idea of how frequently you can expect the slot to pay out and how to win on slot machines. Low volatility slots will hit frequently but have lower payouts, while high volatility slots will hit less frequently, however, will payout in much higher amounts.
Once you have made this determination, then choose your slots accordingly. When playing slots, always bet high enough to activate a new set of winning symbols. This will increase the overall payback percentage. When betting on progressives, always play the games with the highest jackpots and be sure to bet the maximum amount of coins in order to be eligible to win this jackpot.
It is very important to familiarize yourself with the slots you choose to play. Different titles have different return-to-player (RTP) rates. RTP refers to the funds a player is expected to win back from a certain game over a predetermined amount of time. This percentage is a theoretical number usually used as a reference. The average RTP rate for online slots is 96% however, some online slots have extremely high RTP rates.
Scoring the slot machine jackpot
The best slot machines to play are arguably the progressive slots. These slot machine jackpots titles can pay upwards of $1 million. However, the odds of actually winning are extremely slim. Our experts have taken a look at these and have studied what increases your chances on how to win at slots with progressive jackpots.
The progressive jackpot slots are made from a percentage of the money played in the slot titles included. As more and more players put money into the progressive jackpot, the total grows until one lucky winner gets the winning combination. The payback percentage on the other winning symbols will pay out less and not all progressive slots will payout the same. It is a good idea to learn as much as you can about the types of slots you wish to play, so you can know what to expect from them.
Finding the best slot machines to play
The most advantageous way to browse slot machines is through finding bonuses and special offers. This way, you can try out different games without risking your own money. There are many different ways you can claim casino bonuses and these bonuses all come in different forms.
Oftentimes, online casinos will advertise their game selections by offering free play bonuses and free spins bonuses. These casino bonuses allow you to try out online casino games before registering with a casino or depositing your own money. Free play and free spins bonuses are a great way for online casinos to reel in new customers. There are so many casino options on the market, it can be tough competition for casinos.
Once you have found an online casino or a few online casinos that you feel are a good fit, you can register and receive your welcome bonuses. Welcome bonuses are offered once you have signed up with an online casino. This is a great way for the online casino to reward you for choosing them. Welcome bonuses usually include a certain amount of free spins and free play as well, so that you can start feeling comfortable with the selection of games offered.
Play Free Real Slot Machines
When you think you are ready to start depositing your own money, you can expect to start receiving the big bonuses. Online casinos will often offer first deposit bonuses, and some even offer second and third deposit bonuses! These are usually the biggest bonuses, oftentimes offering a 100% match bonus on the first (sometimes even second and third) deposit. This means that if you deposit $500 into an online casino to start playing, they will match you, giving you a FREE $500 to play with. Think of all the spins you can achieve with that!
How To Win At Slot Machines
Of course, you will get to keep your winnings, however, most online casinos will have wagering requirements attached to their bonuses. Always read the terms and conditions before you deposit your money to avoid any disappointment.