Looking for TRICKS to winning big bucks on slot machines? Based on my past experience as a casino slot host, I can say with absolute confidence that there’s no such thing. Let’s be realistic. If there were tricks to winning consistently on the slots, there’d be no slot machines for you to play because the casinos would all go broke. There are, however, STRATEGIES that you can employ to improve the level of enjoyment, entertainment, and payback from your slot play while waiting for Lady Luck to smile on you. One of these is betting strategy. Perhaps the biggest slot machine myth is that you always do poorly and lose in the long run because you do not make the maximum bet. Take it from this casino insider…
* A MAXIMUM BET ISN’T ALWAYS THE BEST BET *
Almost every tipster who’s ever written about winning on slots says that your best bet is always the maximum bet. Don’t you believe it. On some machines, a maximum bet will, indeed, give you the best possible odds of winning and assure the maximum payout if you do luck into a jackpot. On others, however, your odds of getting a winning spin are exactly the same at the minimum bet as they are for the maximum bet. The only difference is in the pay-off – the more you risk, the more you’ll win when you do hit a winning combination.
Here are the three common types of slot machines you’ll find in most casinos and a rule of thumb guide to knowing when you must make a maximum bet and when you don’t have to.
* PROGRESSIVE SLOT MACHINES *
“Bet big or go home” on the Progressives. You’ll recognize progressive machines by the lighted sign displays showing the ever-growing size of the jackpot. On these machines, (whether stand-alone or linked to a network) a small percentage of each wager is used to increase the amount of the jackpot. You MUST play maximum coins/credits on a progressive machine to be able to win the progressive jackpot. If you don’t make the maximum bet, you’re only building the jackpot for someone else with no chance to win it yourself.
* MULTIPLIER SLOT MACHINES *
Always play 1 coin on the Multipliers. These are machines with a single pay-line, where the first coin you play activates all the winning combinations. Extra coins simply multiply the amounts you can win. Check the pay tables on these machines before playing. Your best bet is the straight multiplier machine where the amount you can win for each combination when playing 2 coins are exactly twice the amount you can win when playing 1 coin…three times the amount when playing 3 coins, etc. Play only a single coin on these machines. Even if you happen on a machine that seems to be giving better than average paybacks on 1 coin, there’s no advantage to increasing your bet. Your net winnings will not increase, but your potential for losing more money, faster, will increase. Stick with the minimum 1 coin, 1 pay-line bet.
* MULTI-LINE, MULTI-COIN SLOT MACHINES *
These are, by far, the most commonly found slot machines in casinos today. These are the video machines which allow you to select multiple pay-lines, wager multiple coins in various denominations, and often have interactive bonus rounds that can deliver small or large jackpots. There is only one hard and fast rule for these machines – ALWAYS play the maximum number of pay-lines, which requires playing at least 1 coin per line. On a penny machine (for example) offering 20 different pay-lines, your minimum bet will be twenty cents. Your chance of receiving a winning combination is exactly the same for each line and multi-line machines pay out like Straight Multipliers. Thus, just like on a Multiplier, winning payouts are multiplied by the number of coins wagered on the winning line. There is a twist, however. They are not like Multipliers in one very important aspect. While extra coins wagered on a Multiplier slot machine only buys increased payback, extra coins wagered on a Multi-line will buy increased hit frequency, too. Theoretically, the more coins wagered per line, the more often you receive paybacks on your spins. But beware. Those paybacks may or may not return your original wager and in the long run, you may still lose at a more rapid pace. Betting maximum credits is no guarantee of maximum returns, either. Best advice – bet multiple coins only up to what you’re comfortable losing on a single spin, but always, always bet maximum pay-lines. As odd as this may sound, there are times when you’ll come out a winner with minimum coins bet per line and begin to lose if you increase your bet. If you are losing, try reducing the number of coins bet on each pay-line or change machines altogether.
* GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN *
One final piece of advice – only wager the amount of money you are willing to lose and can shrug off your loses with a smile as the cost of entertainment. Gamble sensibly, keep it fun, and good luck will surely follow you.
