Slot machines are the loudest and most colorful attractions in a casino. With their fun themes and large jackpot values, they’re designed to pull you in and drain you of your money in small increments. Though slot machines always favor the house, you can use a few tricks to help you beat the odds.
Creating a Strategy for Winning
1.Research the payout percentages on different online slot machines. You can find this information online, as many websites are dedicated to telling you the payout percentages of slot machines at different casinos. While the online casinos do not make this information available to the average player, some insiders get access to this information and publish it online or in specialty magazines and newsletters.
- Percentages can run anywhere from 80%-98%.
- A payout percentage refers to how much of the money spent on the machine is returned to customers. If a payout percentage is 90%, that means the machine pays out 90% of what it takes in.
2.Choose machines with higher payout percentages to increase your odds. Picking higher payout percentages may help your overall chances; payout percentages are one of the few concrete pieces of data available to aid you when choosing slot machines. However, these statistics are taken over millions of spins. Because you're only on the machine a short period of time in relation to those millions of spins, you could see a lot of variance in your winnings. You aren't guaranteed that percentage
3.Pick machines with the smallest jackpots. Machines that offer a lot of large prizes tend to pay less often, while machines with smaller prizes tend to pay out more frequently. The bigger the jackpot, the harder it is to hit, so you're better off choosing a machine with a smaller jackpot.
- This phenomenon is referred to as "volatility" or "variance."
- Double check the machine's maximum jackpot. Two machines might look exactly the same, but one may pay out a 1,500 credit jackpot and the other 10,000 credits. Be aware of the maximum you can win on your machine.
4.Bet the max wager to increase your jackpot chances. Most machines only pay bonuses and progressive jackpots when the maximum credits are bet. Even on non-progressive machines, the jackpot payout for the maximum credit bet is typically markedly higher than at any other level.
- Since you can't win a progressive jackpot if you don't bet the maximum, it makes sense to spend your money wisely by betting the max.
5.Play in an area with a lot of traffic. Machines that pay out more frequently (known as "loose" machines) are typically located in high visibility areas. The idea is that the sound of you winning will attract more attention, enticing other people to come and spend money, too
6.Pick machines based on what you like to increase your enjoyment. Whether you like simpler machines with a single payout line or ones with a lot of bonus features, play the ones you enjoy. The odds are not going to be significantly better on one type or the other. Remember that luck plays a major role in your slot success, so while your strategy is to win, enjoying the machine you play on is equally important.