Even with slots, a little strategy goes a long way

First of all, for these slot machine strategies, you play only “equal ratio” slot machine games–that is, those games that offer the same payment ratios for all levels of play. For example, the jackpot for 3 quarters (or 3 dollars) should be exactly 3 times the jackpot for 1 quarter (or 1 dollar) etc. Slot Machine Strategies & Tips This page has two purposes. The first is to debunk some of the so-called “slot machine strategies” being sold by the ignorant and unethical. The other is to provide some legitimate slot machine tips that might actually help you win.

By Frank Scoblete

Even though the house has an edge on just about every slot machine and video poker game (with some few, hard-to-find exceptions), players can still play a tough game against the casino if such players use intelligent strategies in deciding which games to play and how to play them.

Pessimists might say that all slot and video poker players are doomed to forfeit their money to the house edge, and they are right, except that how you forfeit the game against the house is where the gambling pleasure comes into the picture. In short, don’t just give the casino your money by playing the worst games with the worst strategies. Instead, play games where the contest is close to even or at the very least as even as you can get. Give the casino a real run for your money.

So let’s take a look at slot machines to outline some general rules to follow if you want to play the strongest possible game against the casino.

Analyze the slot return percentages in this magazine and you can see clearly that not all denominations return the same percentages. Right o the bat, this tells you something important; not all slot machines are the same. Some are better for your bankroll; some are worse. The smart player picks the better machines to play. Do most slot players know to do this? No.

Slot returns by denomination are not the only story. Within denominations the returns of different types of machines vary. Let us say that you have a traditional one-dollar machine and you decide to play one that has a progressive jackpot or a progressive jackpot that is linked with other casinos, you should know that the return percentage is often far less because those big progressive jackpots must be paid for sooner or later by the casino. Because of that the machine will hold a greater percentage of the money you put in.

Take Megabucks as a specific example. The odds of hitting the “big one” are just about 50 million to one. The return percentage of the machine is usually around 86 percent. You are facing a big house edge on such a machine.

Now take a look at a stand-alone non-progressive machine and you will see the difference in returns. If you follow the percentages of one-dollar returns, you know that they are averaging in the 90-92 percent range across the country. So the 86 percent return of a linked progressive such as Megabucks is made up for by the larger return of non-progressive machines. So which machines give you the greater chance of being ahead on any given day? Obviously the non-progressives; they could be coming in with returns in the 95 or higher percentages. Take that to heart.

So the wise advice is to play a non-progressive machine if you want a better chance of coming home with some money. I admit that those huge progressives are fantasy machines but, sadly, most of our fantasies in life do not come true.

I tend to differ with many slot-machine writers in an important area. On those non-progressive machines, it makes no sense to play full coin in order to have a chance at the top jackpot which is, I admit, larger using full coin. The increase in that jackpot is not worth the extra risk. These jackpots only increase the return on the machine by a fraction of a percent; yet you are betting quite a bit more in money to get only a fraction of a better return. The cost is a waste of money in these cases.

To be specific, if you play, say three coins, you aren’t getting three times the value. You are getting a fractionally higher return but spending three times to play the game.

Think of spending a night playing three coins spin after spin after spin—how much money are you putting into the casinos’ craw doing that? https://renewav.amebaownd.com/posts/17879873. On a three-coin traditional machine, playing one coin over four or five hours cuts your risk significantly compared to playing three coins per spin. That’s a big savings over time.

In today’s new-fangled slot world, there are many types of machines and payouts all over the landscape. Traditional machines now compete with fabulous video machines, multi-play machines, multi-coin machines, multi denomination machines and the like. How should a wise slot player approach these machines? Are there better or worse ways to play?

Of course, of course!

Money Bags Slot Machine Strategy

The question most asked of me is simple: Do penny machines and nickel machines return good percentages if I play, say, twenty lines (give or take)? In fact, they don’t. A nickel machine pays a nickel’s return and the more money you dump in the more those larger nickel percentages eat at your bankroll. Don’t waste your money. If those nickels add up to (let us say) a quarter, you are playing a quarter machine; if they add up to a dollar, you are playing a dollar machine but you aren’t getting a quarter machine or a dollar machine’s return.

If you want to put in enough nickels that they add up to a dollar (or a quarter) you are much, much better off just moving to a dollar or quarter machine.

[Read Frank Scoblete’s books I Am a Card Counter: Inside the World of Advantage-Play Blackjack, I Am a Dice Controller: Inside the World of Advantage-Play Craps and Confessions of a Wayward Catholic!All available from Amazon.com, on Kindle and electronic media, at Barnes and Noble, and at bookstores. Visit Frank’s web site at www.frankscoblete.com]

Slot Machine Strategy Forum Definition

The truth is – there is no winning slot machine strategy. Players have no way to influence the outcome of any spin of a slot machine. Anyone who tells you they have a winning slot machine strategy is either confused or lying. You should be aware of the fact that there’s no way to guarantee you’ll consistently win when playing slot machines. The house edge for slots averages around ten percent (the casino ends up with 10% of all the money fed into slot machines). Having said this, there are some basic guidelines to help improve your chances at the slots. These will be discussed in this course.

Begin by setting your limits before you start. https://renewav.amebaownd.com/posts/17879862. There are two important limits you should have in place before sitting down to play. One is your overall loss limit. Know how much you are comfortable losing and stick to that limit. Casinos are experts at getting people to part with more money than they would like to. A preset limit can help you avoid this. The other limit is a spin with no payoff limit, usually three or four spins. If a machine isn’t paying you, there’s no reason to waste your money on it.

Secondly, know what game you’re playing. There are countless varieties and variations of the basic slot machine. Each has it’s own set of rules and jackpots. Even if a machine looks familiar, you should still read through the posted game rules before playing. This may sound obvious, but a lot of players don’t read the rules before spinning. Some machines will only pay a bonus on certain combinations if you play the maximum number of coins.

Not playing the maximum on these slots can severely hurt you chances of winning. If you do decide to play a progressive machine always play the maximum coins, otherwise you won’t win the jackpot, and you’ll be kicking yourself for weeks possibly years.Remember, you’re looking for the machine with the highest payout percentage (see our Online Slots Guide). Also remember that when a machine isn’t paying out doesn’t mean it’s any more ready for a jackpot. Every spin is random and independent of past spins.

Even if you lose, you can still win. Make sure your comp card is working. Without question, you should always use a comp card when playing slots. You earn points for wonderful free stuff with no risk and no loss to you. Sometimes a machine will momentarily lose its connection with your card. Periodically check to make sure you are still earning points. Casinos love to give away comps, free meals, show