It was true when three-reel games dominated slot floors, and it’s still true today, where the vast majority of games are video slots: Dollar slot machines bring a higher payback percentage than quarter slot machines, which may bring more than nickel slot machines, which bring more than penny games. There are factors beyond payback percentage, including entertainment value and what you expect from a game. Even in the pure dollar and cent games, playing higher denomination games means bigger bets and higher risk.
WHEN PLAYING PROGRESSIVE SLOT MACHINES, MAKE SURE YOU BET ENOUGH TO QUALIFY FOR THE JACKPOTS
When playing progressive slot machines, make sure your bet is enough to be eligible for the jackpots. Progressive slot machines add a percentage of each bet to the jackpot or jackpot. Three-reel slot machines usually have a single progressive jackpot on the top payout tier, and you must wager a maximum of coins to be eligible. For example, on a three-reel dollar slot machine, you cannot win the progressive jackpot if you bet only one or two coins. Instead, if you land the top jackpot combination on the pay line, you will receive a reduced payout of a fixed amount.
In video slots, progressive jackpots are usually multi-level. Two to 12 progressive tiers have been offered. Typically, a four-tier progressive jackpot with Mini, Minor, Major and Grand levels of Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum or something similar. On some video slot machines, all players are eligible for the jackpots regardless of the bet amount. On others, you need to place a separate bet to be eligible for the jackpot. The jackpots are the main events in progressive games, and apart from these jackpots, the games usually pay out less than other games. Don’t settle for a game with lower payouts. Make sure you place the required bets to qualify for the jackpots. If you can’t afford these stakes, choose a non-progressive game.
CHOOSE GAMES THAT SUIT YOUR GOALS AND PLAYING PERSONALITY
Are you looking for games that give you maximum jackpot chances, games with frequent small wins, or something in between? The lines can be a little blurry as game designers experiment in all formats, but there are a few general guidelines. Three-reel games place more emphasis on their top jackpots but have a lower frequency of hits with more losing games. They give you the best chance to win big, but also the best chance to lose quickly…
Video slot machines with pick’em bonuses usually have a high hit frequency with lots of small wins that allow you to play longer, but a lower chance of winning a big jackpot. Video slot machines that have free spins as their main bonus events usually fall between the three-reel games and the pick’em games, both in terms of volatility and the chance of a big win. During the free spins, you don’t make any additional bets and can win everything up to the highest jackpot. However, it is also possible to win nothing during the free spins. This possibility of a zero bonus balances out the possibility of bigger wins than you see with the pick’em bonuses. It’s up to you to decide where you find the most value – in jackpot chances, in the possibility of player participation through pick’em bonuses, or in the hit-and-miss nature of free spins.
ALWAYS PLAY WITHIN YOUR BUDGET AND BE PREPARED TO LOWER YOUR BET OR QUIT THE GAME IF YOU REACH A LIMIT
Most sessions at slot machines result in money losses, and there is nothing you can do to risk this. Sometimes you will win at slot machines, and you will even win big. Enjoy those times when they come. But never bet money you can’t afford to lose and make sure you play games that fit your bankroll. As a rule of thumb, your bankroll should cover 250 bets to give you a 90 per cent chance of playing for three hours. Here is a breakdown of the recommended bankroll for that 90 per cent chance of three hours without spending it all in some common configurations: Slot Tips: Table – Always play within your budget and be prepared to lower your bet or quit the game if you reach a limit. If you enter a live casino or log in to an online casino with $200, you cannot afford to play dollar slots. Should you still want to try them out and find that you quickly lose $100, be prepared to either walk away or play penny slots with the rest of the money? Slots don’t allow players to place multiple bets in combinations like craps or roulette, or to take advantage of the ever-changing odds like card counters do in blackjack. Nonetheless, slot players have been trying out system play for generations. Ultimately, however, slot machine odds are unchanging and the same on every spin. The most creative systems may be fun, but they can’t make you a consistent winner.
START SMALL TO WIN BIG, OR “BOOST THE PUMP.”
Pump bettors assume that the wins won’t come right away. They start with small bets, work their way up, and hope to bet big when they win comes. The probability of a win is as high as it is later, and those who start small miss some winners. The payback percentage will be the same as if you bet the same amount on every spin.
PLAY SLOT MACHINES AT THE ENDS OF THE LINES
The theory is that the machines at the ends of the rows are visible to passersby, and the casinos want these other customers to see the slot players win.
Tips for winning at slot machines: a man hitting the jackpot.
This is of much less importance today, as the payout is made by a ticket with a barcode, rather than coins dropping into a tray. The obvious winning signs have disappeared. In modern casinos, games of the same type in a row usually have the same payout percentage.
SCOUT SLOTS FROM THOSE WHO PAY A LOT
Some players like to play games that have brought high winnings and consider them hot machines. Others avoid these games because they believe they should go cold. The opposite is also true. Some players think cold machines are duds. Others think they need to get hot. In reality, all streaks are just blips on the radar of machines that give a normal payback percentage over hundreds of thousands of games. Machines are never “due” to get hot or cold, and recent paybacks do not indicate how a machine will work for you.
WATCH FOR NEAR-MISSES
When scouting near-misses, look for games with jackpot symbols on the reels or the screen, but just short of a winning combination. If you’re in the right frame of mind, scouting can add a little intrigue to a game’s selection, but near misses aren’t indicative of what’s to come. Close misses are not indicative of future outcomes. So, it goes with slot systems. They can make the games a little more interesting, but they can’t change your results or lead you to a winning machine.