Slot machines don’t give player the opportunity to make multiple bets in combinations like craps or roulette, or to take advantage of ever-shifting odds as card counters do in blackjack. Nevertheless, slot machines players have tried systems play for generations. Ultimately, however, slot machine odds are unchanging, the same on every spin.

Remember the movie National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation, when gambling fever consumes Chevy Chase’s character, Clark W. Griswold? He goes on a losing streak to beat all losing streaks while his son, Rusty, wins four cars by playing the slot machines. Maybe Clark would have done better if he had read Probability For Dummies! In this article, you discover the basic ideas behind slot machines and how they work, so that you can get past the myths and develop a strategy based on sound probability.

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Understanding average payout

When casinos advertise that their slot machines pay out an average of 90 percent, the fine print they don’t want you to read says that you lose 10 cents from each dollar you put into the machines in the long term. (In probability terms, this advertisement means that your expected winnings are minus 10 cents on every dollar you spend every time the money goes through the machines.)

Suppose you start with $100 and bet a dollar at a time, for example. After inserting all $100 into the slot, 100 pulls later you’ll end up on average with $90, because you lose 10 percent of your money. If you run the $90 back through the machine, you’ll end up with 90 percent of it back, which is 0.90 x 90 = $81. If you run that amount through in 81 pulls, you’ll have $72.90 afterward (0.90 x 81 = 72.90). If you keep going for 44 rounds, on average, the money will be gone, unless you have the luck of Rusty Griswold!

How many pulls on the machine does your $100 give you at this rate? Each time you have less money to run through the machine, so you have fewer pulls left. If you insert $1 at a time, you can expect 972 total pulls in the long term with these average payouts (that’s the total pulls in 44 rounds). But keep in mind that casinos are designing slot machines to go faster and faster between spins. Some are even doing away with the handles and tokens by using digital readouts on gaming cards that you put into the machines. The faster machines can play up to 25 spins per hour, and 972 spins divided by 25 spins per minute is 38.88 minutes. You don’t have a very long time to enjoy your $100 before it’s gone!

The worst part? Casinos often advertise that their “average payouts” are even as high as 95 percent. But beware: That number applies only to certain machines, and the casinos don’t rush to tell you which ones. You really need to read or ask about the fine print before playing. You can also try to check the information on the machine to see if it lists its payouts. (Don’t expect this information to be front and center.)

Implementing a simple strategy for slots

Advice varies regarding whether you should play nickel, quarter, or dollar slot machines and whether you should max out the number of coins you bet or not (you usually get to choose between one and five coins to bet on a standard slot machine). In this section, you’ll find a few tips for getting the most bang for your buck (or nickel) when playing slot machines.

Basically, when it comes to slot machines, strategy boils down to this: Know the rules, your probability of winning, and the expected payouts; dispel any myths; and quit while you’re ahead. If you win $100, cash out $50 and play with the rest, for example. After you lose a certain amount (determined by you in advance), don’t hesitate to quit. Go to the all-you-can-eat buffet and try your luck with the casino food; odds are it’s pretty good!

Choosing among nickel, quarter, and dollar machines

The machines that have the higher denominations usually give the best payouts. So, between the nickel and quarter slots, for example, the quarter slots generally give better payouts. However, you run the risk of getting in way over your head in a hurry, so don’t bet more than you can afford to lose. The bottom line: Always choose a level that you have fun playing at and that allows you to play for your full set time limit.

Deciding how many coins to play at a time

When deciding on the number of coins you should play per spin, keep in mind that more is sometimes better. If the slot machine gives you more than two times the payout when you put in two times the number of coins, for example, you should max it out instead of playing single coins because you increase your chances of winning a bigger pot, and the expected value is higher. If the machine just gives you k times the payout for k coins, it doesn’t matter if you use the maximum number of coins. You may as well play one at a time until you can make some money and leave so your money lasts a little longer.

For example, say a quarter machine pays 10 credits for the outcome 777 when you play only a single quarter, but if you play two quarters, it gives you 25 credits for the same outcome. And if you play the maximum number of quarters (say, four), a 777 results in 1,000 credits. You can see that playing four quarters at a time gives you a better chance of winning a bigger pot in the long run (if you win, that is) compared to playing a single quarter at a time for four consecutive tries.

The latest slot machine sweeping the nation is the so-called “penny slot machine.” Although it professes to require only a penny for a spin, you get this rate only if you want to bet one penny at a time. The machines entice you to bet way more than one penny at a time; in fact, on some machines, you can bet more than 1,000 coins (called lines) on each spin — $10 a shot here, folks. Because these machines take any denomination of paper bill, as well as credit cards, your money can go faster on penny machines than on dollar machines because you can quickly lose track of your spendings. Pinching pennies may not be worth it after all!

Ever since its first introduction in 1894 in the U.S., the slot machine has gained popularity all over the world. Hands down people play slot machines more than any other game in both land based casinos and casinos online. It’s just one of those things people love to play and will continue playing. Maybe it’s because it’s a simple game to play, I mean, generally all you have to do is drop a coin inside the machine and spin. No doubt, there’s more to it than that. You have the entire paytable to learn so that you understand the paylines, what each symbol is worth, how to trigger all the features, figuring out how much you should bet, finding the right slot machine, etc.

For people new to the casino, it’s a great game to start with. One thing is you don’t have to deal with the dealer and you don’t need any other players in order to start playing. You can just sit down and spin away like there’s no tomorrow. There’s also a wide variety of themes behind the game, with the sounds, characters, features, bonus types and you even have slot machines you can play as low as 1 cent per spin, called Penny Slots.

Slot Machines Tips and Strategies

True there are no strategies out there that will guarantee your win, but there are strategies you should know about that can help you improve your game play and help you enjoy playing more. Whether it’s being smart with your money, spreading your luck, setting a limit for your wins or losses, knowing when to stop, placing the right bet amounts, finding the right benefits, playing at a regulated casino, taking your time, knowing when to stop and simply how to have a good time when you’re winning or losing.

How to Win Big at Slots: Why Money Management is Key

A common question people ask when playing at a casino is how to win at slots. As mentioned before, there’s no tips out there that will ever guarantee you win, which is why money management is key. One thing you should definitely do before placing foot inside a casino or playing online is to set a limit. Now this limit doesn’t have to be necessarily for how much you’re willing to lose, but goes the same for how much you are willing to win. Knowing when to stop playing after you have lost could save you a lot of money. Knowing when to stop after you have reached your target win could also save you a great amount of money and guilt as so many times people end up losing only because they don’t stop once they won a good deal of money.

Once you have set a limit to your wins or loses, and you know when it’s time to stop, it’s also a good idea to split up your playing sessions to two hours per session. After these two hour sessions, it’s time to take a break from the casino floor to clear your head, prevent yourself from becoming exhausted and from making any emotional decisions you could regret later. I know it can be very difficult to stop playing once you have been sucked in, especially when you’re losing and say to yourself you’re not going to stop until you start winning again. Of course, the casino makes the environment there very difficult for you to leave, especially when they don’t have clocks or windows around. In that case, set yourself an alarm to help remind you.

Strategy For Winning Slot Machines

Win Big at Slot Machines: How to Take Advantage of Bonuses

As you probably already know, many of the land based casinos as well as the casinos online give their players comps for being a loyal to their casino or games. These perks can range from discounts or free rooms at their casinos, shows, free slot play, cash back, dinners, airfares, paid vacations, etc. These are all great incentives when trying to decide which casino to play at. Win or lose, you will still be rewarded for your loyalty and this is a great way for casinos to take care of their players by giving back. It’s a good idea to understand these reward programs fully so you can take advantage of all the benefits and special promotions. Again, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll win big at slot machines, but rather how to take advantage of bonuses.

1 Cent Slot Machine Strategy

Slot Machine Strategies

As far as slot machine strategies go, these also don’t guarantee any wins, but will hopefully improve your gaming experience at physical casinos and online ones. Aside from setting goals on knowing when to stop playing, taking breaks and taking advantage of all the bonuses casinos have to offer, there are still some other strategies that could help you in your gaming. One thing is to make sure you’re playing at a fully regulated casino as there are a lot of scam ones out there, especially online. Another thing to look out for when heading to a casino or playing online is that sometimes you are playing with other players. It may not look like that as everyone is playing their own slot machine, but if there’s a progressive jackpot available, everyone contributes to the prize each time you place a bet and spin. There could be more than one jackpot in which the higher you bet, the bigger the jackpot you win, but in any case, even if you bet low, you still have a chance to win one of the lower jackpots, which could be a $1,000,000 jackpot.

Slot Machines Strategy To Win

1 Cent Slot Machine Strategy

Hopefully some of these strategies can come in handy the next time you go to a casino or play online. Speaking of online, Caesars Casino online is a reputable casino that offers a wide variety of video and classic slot machines and a lot of social benefits you can take advantage of when playing. Wherever you decide to play, make sure you’re having fun and consider some of these tips when playing.

Slot Machine Strategy

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