Slot casino tips

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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 more often and have more fun while you’re at it. Tip #6 – slow down. Some slot machine players make 600 spins per hour or more. Keep this in mind though. The more action you bring to the casino, the more opportunities the house edge has to whittle away at your bankroll. So slow down. Talk to the gamblers next to you. Sip your drink between spins. Anything you can do to reduce the amount of money you’re putting into action each hour is going to make your bankroll last longer.

Slot machine strategies & tips

How slot machines work

The first thing you need to understand about slot machines is how they determine winners. These games use a computer program called a random number generator (RNG) to constantly generate numbers. Those numbers determine which stop each reel winds up on after you spin the reels.

One important fact to remember is that this process is entirely random, and there’s no way to predict what’s going to happen on any given spin. Another important fact to remember is that each spin of the reels is an independent event. That means that the results of previous spins have NO effect on the results of the next spin.

The final fact to keep in mind is that the random number generators are programmed in such a way that the casino has an insurmountable mathematical advantage. If you play long enough, then the casino will win, because that’s the way the game is set up. That doesn’t mean you can’t walk away a winner in the short run, but it has nothing to do with picking hot or cold machines.

Slot machine strategies that don’t work

Here are a few of the strategies that are touted as winning techniques on the internet. Some of them are obviously ludicrous, while some of them seem to make sense but fall apart when examined with cold hard logic.

The zig zag system is one of my favorite nonsensical strategies. The idea is that you look at the reels at the various machines in an attempt to find a pattern. For example, you want to find a “V” shape or an “X” shape being drawn by any particular symbol. The idea is that such a machine is ready to pay off soon.

Of course, when you understand that the symbols on the reels are just for show, the entire strategy breaks down completely. Slot machines never become ready to pay off. Every spin is an independent event.

Money management systems are often touted as a way to make sure that you’re a winner, but the reality is much different. The idea behind money management is that you set win goals and loss limit. The goal is to limit the amount of money you lose when the machines are cold, and to quit while you’re ahead when the machines are hot.

Of course, we understand that slot machines don’t really get hot or cold, so in the long run, any type of money management scheme is irrelevant.

Often, money management techniques are combined with methods of predicting whether or not a slot machine game is hot or cold. Author john patrick has an entire book of strange-sounding “strategies” based on this combination.

One of these is called “the straight 60” strategy. The idea is that you’ll walk away from the slot machine once you’ve either won or lost 60% of your bankroll. The other stipulation in this system is that once you’ve had 9 naked pulls, you’ll also walk away. (A “naked pull” is one in which you win absolutely nothing on that spin.)

So, for example, suppose you start with a session bankroll of $25. You’ll play until you’ve done one of the following:

Lost $15.

Won $15.

Lost on 9 consecutive spins.

Honestly, that’s a pretty simple system, and remembering it and putting it into practice is a no-brainer. But the idea that it’s going to help you win more money and/or lose less money is ludicrous. Nothing about the system changes the odds in your favor.

Another system from that same book is called the “play and run” system. The idea behind this system is that you don’t spend more than 5 or 10 minutes at each slot machine game, then you run off with your winnings. Patrick suggests that you divide your bankroll into 5 or 10 sessions of 5 or 10 minutes each. Like all of his systems, you quit on any machine when you hit 9 naked pulls.

How anyone could think that this strategy would help them win more money playing slot machines is baffling.

Slot machine tips

Now that we’ve discussed a few of the strategies on slot machine games that don’t work, let’s look at some real, hard-nosed, fact-based slot machine tips which might actually make a difference to your bankroll. These tips are all based on the realities of how these games actually work.

Tip #1 – play for fun. The house has a mathematical edge, and you can’t beat it. So you should go into your gambling sessions expecting to lose, but hoping for the occasional win. Your goal should be to have some fun while you’re at it.

Tip #2 – join the slots club. Almost all casinos have loyalty bonuses, rebates, and rewards for players who patronize their establishments. They provide you with a card to insert into the machine so that they can track how much action you’ve bought to the casino. They then return a tiny percentage (something like 0.1% or 0.2%) to you in the form of rebates, food, travel benefits, and entertainment.

One slot machine myth you should ignore is that slots pay out less when you’re playing with your slot card inserted. That’s just nonsense. We discussed how the random number generator works earlier.

Tip #3 – skip the progressives, unless you’re determined to win a life-changing amount. Since the potential rewards on progressive slot machines are so high, the machines pay out less often. They have to in order to afford the rare huge jackpot. For the casual gambler, playing a machine with lower jackpots provides more opportunities to win, even though the winnings are smaller.

On the other hand, if you’re determined to win a million dollars, stick with the progressives. Just understand that you’re still unlikely to change your life with a huge slot machine jackpot. The odds are similar to those of winning the lottery.

Tip #4 – don’t play with the rent money. This should be common sense, but if you’re gambling with money you can’t afford to lose, then you have a problem and should seek professional help of some kind. You cannot play slots professionally.

Tip #5 – try video poker. These games are similar to slot machine games, but they provide better payout percentages and an opportunity to use strategy to improve your chances. Video poker isn’t for everybody, but I know lots of slots players who’ve made the switch once they tried it.

Tip #6 – slow down. Some slot machine players make 600 spins per hour or more. Keep this in mind though. The more action you bring to the casino, the more opportunities the house edge has to whittle away at your bankroll. So slow down. Talk to the gamblers next to you. Sip your drink between spins. Anything you can do to reduce the amount of money you’re putting into action each hour is going to make your bankroll last longer.

Tip #7 – don’t play the slots at the airport. These are the worst games in town in any gambling destination. Wait until you get to the casino to play the slots, and your money will last longer, and you’ll improve your chances of winning.

How to win at slots – 15 actionable slot machine tips & tricks

For online slots nuts and enthusiasts, the flash of slots games are known for coming in a variety of themes, payouts, paylines and betting platforms, each featuring staggering arrays of winning potential ready to reward with the next big jackpot.

However, you might wonder what it takes to beat these enticing machines, because developing an effective slot winning strategy is not always self-evident. After all, anyone can spend hours on the internet seeking the latest slot machine tricks to put more weight on their bankroll, and there are many slot machine strategy articles out there, but not to worry, we’ve got you covered.

The reason slot machines are an overwhelming favorite at both online and land-based casinos is because they require no skill to play. Slot machines utilize random number generator (RNG) software, so each time you spin the wheels winning is a random event.

However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t tricks to help you win at slots. Here are a few tweaks to help you up the pay percentages. Without further ado, see our tips to on how to win at slots!

Slot tip #1: know your limits and play within your budget

Not setting a gambling budget is perhaps one of the most over-looked features in gambling, and one that we recommend you not avoid. To play slots correctly, it is critical to set a loss limit. Sure, casinos are highly entertaining places, and it is easy to let the gambling bug take hold, but without a loss limit you may end up with more spills than thrills if you can’t call it quits when the chips are low.

Slot Machine Strategies - Tips, slot casino tips.

Stinkin rich is one of the most popular slot for casino newbies

Players love to win, and studies have shown that when you are winning you are more likely to fail if you do not quite ahead of time. Before you head to the casino floor, set a loss that you can afford, whether that figure is $100, $200, $500, $1000 or more; if you’re having a bad night or even week, don’t exceed your limit, because the longer you play the better your chances are of losing your money. Never chase your losses.

Gambling is a great source of entertainment, and on a good night, there’s no better feeling than winning big, but be sure to play responsibly and not overdo it. Playing slots effectively takes patience, but if the rounds are not in your favor, do yourself a favor and take a break.

Slot tip #2: keep an eye on the edge

Every player should be mindful of those every looming house edges, but for slots games this differs depending on where you play. On average, the house edge for real money slots games will fluctuate based on where you play and the type of slot machine you are playing, anywhere between 85-98%.

This factor relies greatly on manufacturer or slot machine operator, and can be found online for land-based slot machines with a little bit of digging, as casinos are required by law to keep a record of the payouts. However, if you are playing free slots online, then this factor is not exactly critical.

Slot tip #3: the higher the denomination the higher the payout

The numbers don’t lie, despite the fact that many nickel or penny slot machines will advertise true odds or over 100% pay percentages, in reality, you’re better off playing higher denomination machines.

It’s common sense, while penny slots only offer a fraction of return in dollars, it makes more fiscal sense to invest your time into higher denomination slot machines. Statistically their win potential is more favorable, and can turn that $20 or credit wager into hundreds, if not thousands, or in some cases millions!

Higher denomination machines are programmed with higher payout percentages simply because each wager is higher. Granted, the house odds still apply, and in terms of probability, the more you play on a given slot machine the more your inevitable payout will resemble the casino edge. However, the house edge does not take into account short-term anomalies, which means that after just a short period you could win big.

Slot tip #4: bet maximum credits

Although you are not able to influence the outcome of the spin, one slot machine trick is to max your wagers. Betting maximum credits is the best slot machine strategy, because you do hit that winning payline combination you’ll receive the maximum amount of reward.

Statistically speaking, even if you are seeing minimal return, you don’t want to start out by betting small, because you are more likely to make up for losses if you continue to bet max and win. Because once that big win occurs, and it will, you will more than make up for lost dividends. Picture hitting a line multiplier or a bonus when you’ve already hit $700 on a winning payline, with max betting you’ll take your gambling bankroll to new levels.

Slot tip #5: avoid progressive slots, play random jackpots

There is an unspoken rift between slots enthusiasts, which boils down to which type of slot machine is preferred, one with a fixed or a slot with progressive jackpot. However, we suggest going random; this is a fixed slot machine with a random jackpot payout.

In a nutshell, fixed slot machines have a jackpot amount that does not change, while progressive jackpot slots require more playtime and coin from other players. In other words, the jackpot of a progressive slot machine will fluctuate, i.E. Increase or decrease, depending on how many people play that particular slot. It’s accumulative.

However, don’t be a fool and fall into the progressive jackpot pool, because your chances of winning are not good. Progressive jackpots might sound enticing, but the odds of hitting are astronomically high.

We suggest going random, because the best slot strategy is to choose a fixed machine with a random jackpot. Although many players will argue the way to become super-rich is to go progressive, on the contrary, statistics have shown that random jackpot slots have better odds than the lottery, while progressive slot machines can equal lottery odds depending on the frequency of play. In terms of winning, that is one heck of a long shot.

Slot tip #6: sign up for slot or casino bonuses and rewards

If there is one thing that you wish to take away from these casino slot machine secrets, the number one seller that keeps players coming back to their favorite gaming sites are the added incentives, i.E. Rewards for online players, and the best online casino bonuses available at their choice of casino.

One of the best things about playing slots is to take advantage of the latest casino bonuses offered. These benefits can range from new joiner bonuses, match deposit bonuses, free spins, exclusive VIP packages, holiday and weekly promotions and customized incentives. Loyal players can also sign up for player benefit or rewards cards, which determine rewards based on frequency of play, even if you do not win.

Our recommendation is to register for a player account when playing free or real money slots, because the rewards can be substantial; allowing your gambling dollar to stretch a lot further than playing without these bonuses and rewards offers.

After all, if you are going to spend your hard-earned money gambling, why not utilize bonuses when signing up. Some online casinos will even give you points back as cash, or offer customizable options. It is a surefire way to win at slots, giving you a more consistent percentage of return.

Slot tip #7: play around and don’t “tough it out”

If you’re on a slot machine that doesn’t seem to be paying out, then it really might be time to consider changing machines or switching to a different online slots game. The best slot machine strategy for a dread losing streak is simply to move on to a different slots game. Since each spin is a unique event, feeding more coins into a losing machine in no way increases your chances of winning, although technically it won’t hurt either.

However, browsing around and finding another type of game that varies based on payline or theme just might be the simple tweak you need to help break the cycle of loss. Toughing it out won’t do you any good, and can often be a waste of time, and in the worst case money. Slot machines are about feeling, not science.

Slot tip #8: play the casino – not the slot

Location. Location. Location. This is often what you’ll hear a realtor tell you, however, you might not be aware that this also pertains to slot machines. For instance, did you know that if you are playing slots in the U.S., you can redeem some of the best value bonuses of any players throughout the globe.

When playing online it’s best to seek out the slots site or online casino that rewards you best, and many of them can be found with a little bit of digging. You can take advantage of the various factors offered at each casino, and find the one that suits you best, thus multiplying your bankroll tenfold and no strings attached or hidden red tape.

Pro tip: be on the lookout for a slots site that offers many options, not a little, and if you do decide to seek out those bonuses, be sure to get ones with low wagering requirements as well as no maximum cash-out limits.

Unfortunately, many online casinos will try to trick online slots newbies with massive bonus offers or incentives, but the fact of the matter is that they will hide the big deposit required or playthrough requirements, or in the worst-case scenario offer absolutely no free slots options! If you are playing slots for real money, be sure to find a wager requirement of 10 times or less.

Many casinos have wagering requirements that can be as high as 50x, which means that for the case of say, a $100 deposit, you won’t receive your winnings or be able to withdraw until played at least $5,000 in bets! The phrase “max cash-out” tied to a bonus is also a bad one. There are few things worse than a casino putting a limit on how much you can win because of hidden limitations. It would be like winning a jackpot and only receiving a fraction in return.

Slot tip #9: find a slot machine that suits you

Sometimes if you are uncertain, it helps to head to a land-based or choice of online casino and browse around. That is the beauty of playing options! If you are looking for games with a maximum jackpot or for instance, games that extend play with frequent small wins, then check the slot first before you decide to play.

Finding a suitable game is more than just picking a theme and style. To find out how to win at slots, you need to invest a little time into the payouts. After all, slots machines come in all sorts of platforms, but it helps to follow a few guidelines. For instance, classic three-reel slot machines tend to put more emphasis on their top jackpots, but will come at the cost of lower hit frequencies for winning combinations and more losing spins, simply because they offer less in-game features. In other words, these types of machines can give you the best chance to win big, but also a chance to lose fast.

Another example is video slots that feature touch/click screens for picking gift boxes or other rewarding game icons to reveal bonuses. Although these machines come with higher hit frequencies with many small wins for extended play, you are nowhere near getting a big jackpot, or at least it is more difficult to do so. Any slot machine that comes with a more stunning array of bonuses or free spins, generally video slots, will fail to deliver the caliber of jackpot as three-reel games do.

However, the best thing about selecting a slot machine that offers free spins or free games is that when you are utilizing the slots free games or free spins mode, you have the chance of winning anything from multipliers to the top jackpot, and at no extra cost! This is no guarantee however, because you could also walk away empty-handed with slots free spins.

Slot tip #10: choose the best online casino

It should come as no surprise that there are a ton of different online casinos out there, and after doing a little research you’ll find that it might be difficult to find the right one. In fact, there are so many that you might simply feel overwhelmed, but if casino bonuses aren’t enough to add ammunition to your winning slot machine strategy, then you want to add slot game variety.

Only the best gaming sites offer a wide selection of games, satisfying the hardest of slot machine enthusiasts with layers of immersive game play. For slots, you want to find an online casino that runs the gamut of types of slot machines, from classic three-reel and fruit machines to the latest graphics and themes in video slots.

Keep an eye out for all ways pays, spectacular in-game features like free games and hidden features, doubling wilds, a range of betting options, and much more. All of these are critical in broadening the spectrum of chance on how to win on slot machines. Free play and practice mode help you improve your skills, so you don’t have to risk coins every time you choose to spin the wheels. More on that later.

Slot tip #11: take advantage of no deposit codes

No deposit bonus codes are the online casino equivalent of free prizes. Have you ever been to your favorite retail store to find a “buy one get one” deal? Well, no deposit codes are even better. While many online casinos offer staggering bonuses and promotion options, whether daily or weekly.

No deposit bonuses are essentially free money. If you can find a code or offering that gives you a free chip or certain amount of spins without having to pay for it, then you’ve found the perfect chance to go all in and win money without having to spend a dime.

Sites that offer no deposit codes often require that you register for an account, but this usually cost zero money, so your chance to win at slots without the risk of losing real money is 100%. Do a little research, invest some time into finding this holy grail of casino bonuses, and you will not regret it. Or just simply pick the bonuses slotu has specially selected for you!

Slot tip #12: go free with instant play or practice mode

We all like to win at slots, but one of the best ways to enjoy slots and test your slot machine strategy is to play at online casino that allows you to play for free using and instant play feature or practice mode.

If you don’t feel comfortable risking your money playing slots, but want to develop an effective strategy on how to win on slot machines, then playing free is the way to go. It is the perfect way to study the paytables and get a feel for each slot game.

Our aforementioned slot machine tips will help you when playing in free mode, and are sure to make you an expert in not time on how to win on slot machines. It is a free lesson in putting the above tips into practice without the risk. The games are still highly entertaining thanks to the free spin features, slots with bonus rounds and multipliers, which vary for each slot machine.

13 do's & don'ts slot tips you must know

It’s a given among people who run both live casinos and online casinos: people love to play slot machines.

In some nations, including the united states, slot machines are the most-played casino games. In the rest, popularity is surging to the point slot play is rivaling table play.

That naturally leads players to the big question: “how do you win on the slot machines?” it also brings the related questions, “are there systems for beating the slot machines?” and “how have others beaten the machines?”

Odds on slot machines are unchanging. There’s nothing you can do legally that will change the outcome, though scam artists sometimes have succeeded until caught, arrested and imprisoned.

But there are approaches that will help you get the most out of the games.

Let’s take a two-tiered approach to the big questions, with tips for playing slot machines, systems for playing with their strengths and flaws, and slot machines cheats & scams.

SLOT TIPS: THE DO'S

SLOT TIP 1: HIGHER DENOMINATION SLOTS HAVE HIGHER PAYBACK PERCENTAGES

It was true when three-reel games ruled slot floors, and it’s true now when the large majority of games are video slots: dollar slots yield a higher payback percentage than quarter slots, which may more than nickel slots, which pay more than penny games.That doesn’t mean everyone should rush out and play dollar slots.

There are factors beyond payback percentage, including entertainment value and what you want from a game.

Even in pure dollars and cents, playing higher-denomination games means bigger bets and more risk. If you’re betting $3 on a three-coin dollar slot that pays 95 percent, your average losses will be more money than if you’re betting 40 cents on a 40-line 1-cent game that pays 86 percent.

SLOT TIP 2: IF YOU PLAY PROGRESSIVE SLOTS, MAKE SURE YOU BET ENOUGH TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE JACKPOTS

On progressive slot machines, a percentage of each wager is added to the jackpot or jackpots.

Three-reel slot machines usually have a single progressive jackpot on the top payoff, and you must bet maximum coins to be eligible.

On a three-coin dollar slot machines, for example, you can’t win the progressive if you bet only one or two coins. Instead, landing the top jackpot combination on the payline brings a reduced payoff at a fixed amount.

On video slots, progressive jackpots usually are multi-tiered. Anywhere from two to 12 progressive levels have been offered.

Typical is a four-tier progressive with levels labeled mini, minor, major and grand, or bronze, silver, gold and platinum, or something similar.

On some video slots, all players are eligible for the jackpots regardless of bet size. On others, you must make a separate bet to be jackpot eligible.

The jackpots are the main events on progressives, and aside from those jackpots, the games usually pay less than other games.

Don’t settle for a lower paying game. Make sure you make the bets necessary to be eligible for the jackpots. If you can’t afford those bets, choose a non-progressive game.

SLOT TIP 3: CHOOSE GAMES THAT FIT YOUR GOALS AND PLAYING PERSONALITY

Are you looking for games that give you maximum jackpot opportunities, games extend play with frequent small wins or something in between?

Lines can be a little blurred as game designers experiment in all formats but there are a few general guidelines.

Three-reel games put more emphasis on their top jackpots but have a lower hit frequency with more losing spins. They give you the best chance to win big, but also the best chance to lose fast.

In video slots with pick’em bonuses, you touch the screen to pick gift boxes, restaurant dishes, alien creatures or other game icons to reveal your bonuses.
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Video slots that feature pick’em bonuses usually have high hit frequencies with many small wins that give you extended play, but a lesser chance at a big jackpot.

Video slots that feature free spins as their main bonus events usually fall between the three-reel games and the pick’em games in both volatility and the chance at a big win.

During free spins you make no additional bets and can win anything up to the top jackpot. However, it’s also possible to win nothing on the free spins.

That possibility of a zero-bonus balances the possibility of bigger wins than you see in pick’em bonuses.

It’s up to you to decide where to find the most value – in jackpot chances, in the player-participation opportunity of pick’em bonuses, or in the hit-and-miss nature of free spins.

SLOT TIP 4: ALWAYS PLAY WITHIN YOUR BUDGET AND BE WILLING TO LOWER YOUR BET OR STOP PLAYING IF YOU HIT A LIMIT

Most sessions on slot machines will result in losing money, and there’s nothing you can do to chance that.

Sometimes you’ll win at slots, and even win big. Enjoy those times when they come.

But never bet money you can’t afford to lose, and be sure you’re playing games that fit your bankroll.

As a basic rule of thumb, your gambling bankroll should cover 250 bets to give you a 90 percent chance of lasting three hours.

Here’s a breakdown of recommended bankrolls for that 90-percent chance of three hours without spending it all in some common configurations:

If you walk into a live casino or log onto an online casino with $200, you can’t afford to play dollar slots. Should you decide you want to try them anyway and find you lose a quick $100, be prepared to either walk away or drop to penny slots with the rest of the money.

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. The most creative systems might be fun to try, but they can’t make you a consistent winner.

SLOT TIP 5: START SMALL TO WIN BIG, OR “PRIME THE PUMP”

Prime the pump bettors assume the wins won’t come right away. They start with small bets and work up and hope to be betting big when the wins come.

Actually, you’re as likely to win early as later on, and starting small will miss some winners. The payback percentage will be the same as if you’d bet the same amount on every spin.

Chuck flick, a slot player who tested many systems, tried priming the pump by stepping up his bets in a regular pattern. In five trials, he had four losing sessions and one winner – a normal outcome even if you’re not starting small.

SLOT TIP 6: PLAY SLOT MACHINES AT THE ENDS OF ROWS

The theory is that machines at the ends of rows are visible to passers-by and casinos want those other customers to see slot players winning.

That’s of much less importance today with payoffs by bar-coded ticket rather than by coins dropping in a tray. The obvious signs of winning are gone.

In modern casinos, games of the same type in a row usually have the same payback percentage.

SLOT TIP 7: SCOUT SLOT MACHINES OF THOSE THAT ARE PAYING BIG

Some players like to play games that have made big payouts, figuring they’re hot machines. Others avoid those games, figuring they’re due to go cold.

The opposite applies, too. Some players figure cold machines are duds. Others think they’re due to get hot.

In reality, allstreaks are just blips on the radar to machines that yield a normal payback percentage over hundreds of thousands of plays.

Machines are never “due” to go hot or cold, and recent paybacks do not offer any clue as to how a machine will perform for you.

SLOT TIP 8: LOOK FOR NEAR MISSES

Scouting near misses means looking for games with jackpot symbols on the reels or screen, but just short of a winning combination.

If you’re in the right frame of mind, the scouting can add a little intrigue to choosing a game, but near misses aren’t really any indication of what’s to come.

Near misses give no indication of future outcomes.

So it goes with slot systems. They can add a little interest to the games, but they can’t change your outcomes or lead you to a winning machine.

SLOT TIPS: THE DON'TS

In any business where a lot of cash changes hands, there will be people willing to go outside the law to game the system.

Slots in live casinos, where cheats can work on the physical device, have been more vulnerable to scams than slots in online casinos.

The law in jurisdictions with licensed casinos takes a very dim view of cheating the slots. Cheating licensed casinos is a felony and can carry stiff prison terms.
Nevertheless, here are a few scams players have tried.

SLOT TIP 9: STRING THEORY

When all slots were three-reel games with coin slots, cheaters worked a scam in which they tied affixed a string to a coin.

They’d drop the coin into the slot, trip the mechanism that gave them credit to play, then use the string to pull the coin back out.

One woman in nevada was caught using a coin on a brightly colored piece of yarn, easy to spot from a distance. Others were less obvious, but those who were caught were prosecuted.

Manufacturers designed more secure coin acceptance devices to make this cheat impossible. Today, most slots accept only paper currency or tickets and no longer have slot heads.

SLOT TIP 10: SLUG IT OUT

Fake coins, or slugs, were a problem for casinos as long as slot machines accepted coins.

Some were no more than a rounded piece of metal, with no design. Others were more elaborate, and counterfeiters in the eastern U.S. Stamped slot tokens that looked much like those used in new jersey.

As long the metal and manufacturing costs were a lot less than the value of a real slot coin, there was incentive for cheaters.

Coin recognition software grew progressively more sophisticated to combat the problem.

SLOT TIP 11: MAGNETIC FORCE

Some slot machines in the 1960s and ‘70s were vulnerable to ordinary magnets.

Cheaters could use the magnets to make the reels float freely instead of stopping on a spin. The scam artists would remove the magnet only when the reels had aligned in a winning combination.

More sophisticated were top-bottom devices, used into the 1980s. The top was a metal rod that was bent on one end, and the bottom a strand of wire.

The wire would be inserted in the coin slot to hit a metal contact, and then the top would be jammed in the coin slot. The combination completed a circuit that would activate a coin dispenser and send free coins pouring into the slot tray.

Protection had to be built into the games to shield vital parts from magnets and to make it impossible to hit contacts and create an electrical circuit.

SLOT TIP 12: INSIDE JOB

This scam was pulled on so-called “big bertha” slots in the 1990s. Big bertha’s are bigger and wider than other slots.

A team was arrested in nevada after they crowded around a big bertha. The front of the machine was opened, a woman climbed inside and the machine was mostly shut. She then rigged results.

With team members blocking view, everything looked normal to casual passers-by, but security was alert enough to halt the cheats.

SLOT TIP 13: CHEAT BY CHIP

A software engineer for the nevada gaming commission programmed chips that functioned normally in slot machines, except those in the know could take advantage of a cheat code.

When the cheats inserted specific numbers of coins in a specific order, the machine would pay out.

The engineer was arrested, of course.

Last update: december 15, 2019

For nearly 25 years, john grochowski has been one of the most prolific gaming writers in the united states. He’s been ranked ninth by gamblingsites among the top 11 gambling experts at gambling sites and his video poker answer book was ranked eighth among the best gambling books of all time.

In some nations, including the united states, slot machines are the most-played casino games. In the rest, popularity is surging to the point slot play is rivaling table play.

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Slot machine tips, tricks and best strategies

Have you ever stumbled upon a scam website presenting a secret slot strategy which will make you a lot of money? Don’t expect anything like that in this article. Slots can’t be defeated in the long run.

Although slots are theoretically unbeatable, there were some cases of players able to legally or illegally take advantage of their weaknesses and make money. You can read more about them in my article how to beat slots.

Really useful slot strategies are actually about finding the balance among following factors:

Chance to win

Size of the winnings

Cost

Thrill

Playing time

Every player looks for something else, so there is no ideal strategy that fits everyone. I will show you my strategies, each suitable for a different kind of players. Finding out which of them fits you best is up to you.

You’ll more likely understand how my strategies work when you have already understood the concepts of slots RTP and variance.

At first glance it seems online slot machines are a 100% game of chance. And they really are, at least in the terms of a single game round. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t influence your chances by using the right betting strategy and choosing the right game to play.

Here is a list of factors that define your slots betting strategy:

How to determine a bet size

Decision when to stop

Selection of a slot game

Decision when to use the gamble feature (red or black)

Selected number of winlines

In the rest of this article I’ll teach you how to use the choices above to play slots more effectively.

While slot RTP and volatility apply to a single game round, the RTP and volatility of betting strategy apply to the whole game session or casino visit. The following article describes in detail what I mean by a betting strategy.

Tips & tricks for slots

All casino games, including slots, are disadvantageous for a player. Their RTP is lower than 100 % and they favor the casino. That means that you need luck to win, which is exactly why higher volatility is generally better for you.

Let me explain… in low-volatility games, the results over time tend to stay closer to the expected return, which is lower than 100 %. On the contrary, in high-volatility games, you are still losing money in the long run, however, you have a chance to win a big sum of money, thanks to the high volatility.

From a different perspective, you can win the same amount of money while placing smaller bets. If you place smaller bets with higher volatility, you will lose less in the long run, while also maintaining a chance to win big.

That’s why the majority of my slot tricks and strategies are based on increasing volatility, while also considering the game’s RTP.

Trick #1: avoid bet types which significantly decrease RTP

The majority of online slots have the same RTP for all kinds of bets. However, some slots derived from land-based slot games add significant disadvantage to certain bets. In this case you should always choose the bet type without the disadvantage. I will use two examples to demonstrate this fact.

Bet on all 3 winlines costs 2 cents and bet on 1 winline costs 1 cent. It’s quite obvious that bet on 1 line has a huge disadvantage and its RTP will be extremely low. Therefore, it is always beneficial to choose the bet of 2 cents.

Example 2: full bets unlock bonus features that double your win on three joker symbols. The game without this feature probably won’t have very attractive RTP. So either choose another slot or play the full bet with highest RTP.

Trick #2: use double up feature to regulate the volatility

The double up feature (red/black) gives you the option to double your win with a 50% chance. In some games (like slots from novomatic) you can do this multiple times in a row (13 I think).

This feature dramatically increases the volatility of the game. From a long-term perspective, you exchange a lot of smaller wins for proportionally fewer wins of higher value.

For example, without using the double up feature, you could win 40 times, winning $1 each time. However, if you used the double up feature up to 3 times, you could win 5 times, winning $8 each time. The long-term expected value is the same, but the individual wins are bigger.

If your goal is to win big, then double up feature is exactly what you need. It’s predictable and easy to simulate, I use it in some of my recommended slot strategies.

Note: be careful about using the double up feature when playing with bonus money, as it might be forbidden by the bonus terms and conditions. This applies also when playing with free spins no deposit bonuses, where your choice is also limited by the game for which you've received the free spins.

Trick #3: decrease the number of winlines to increase volatility

Did you know that if you set the game to 1 winline instead of 10, you’ll most likely get 5 to 10 times higher game volatility?

When you bet $2 on one line, your average win will be much higher (and less frequent) as when you bet $0.20 on 10 lines. When you bet on 10 lines at the same time, the wins in the paytable are 10 times smaller. In most slots you usually hit a winning combination only on a small number of the 10 lines, so your average wins are also lower.

Note that this trick usually can’t be used by high rollers, as the maximum bet per line is usually restricted. But there are also slots which are an exception – like cleopatra from IGT.

However, if you are a player who doesn’t bet more than $2 in a single round, this trick is a must-have.

How to win big on slots

The simple answer to this question is – you have to risk big to win big. However, if you want to win big with highest possible odds, you have to push the volatility of your strategy up to the sky.

Controversially, the most effective way to WIN BIG is to try to lose as fast as possible. That doesn’t make sense, does it? Let me explain.

Statistically (in the long run), you lose money with every bet you place. That is how the RTP works. To lose less in the long run, you have to minimize the total sum of your bets. To minimize the total sum of your bets, you have to try to lose your budget with as little betting as possible. If you do so and RTP remains the same, the principles of statistics reward you with a better chance for a big win.

Slot machine betting strategies

Now for my favorite part of the casino.Guru website. Slot math is really my passion and some of the strategies below were invented by me independently from strategies published on other websites. I tested each of them with my own simulation software using reverse-engineered slot games. Any sharing is appreciated :).

"smart gambler" – gamble up to desired win

Volatility: variable

RTP: very high (up to 96%)

Time of play: variable

Smart gambler is my favorite slot betting strategy. I derived the name from the "gamble button" that gives you chance to double your win with a 50 % chance.

The main idea of the smart gambler strategy is this:

You spin with very small bets. When you hit a winning combination, you start doubling up the win using the gamble button. You keep doubling up until you either miss and lose, or until you win that high amount that you can happily withdraw and leave.

The smart gambler strategy is almost ideal. It has very high RTP, while it also allows you to choose the size of win and how long you will be able to play with your budget.

Here is a step by step guide how to play smart gambler strategy:

Choose a slot which has a gamble feature.

Decide how long you would like to play. Divide this time by the average game round time and you’ll get the approximate number of game rounds.

You want to play for 1 hour = 60 x 60 = 3600 seconds. If one round takes around 4 seconds, then you actually want to play 3600 / 4 = 900 game rounds.

If your selected game has restricted maximal number of double-ups, then I recommend you increase the game’s volatility by configuring just one winline (with the same total bet). With this strategy, you will avoid the low initial wins that you can’t double up to your desired win.

If your budget is very low, you can even play on one winline for 1 cent. With my smart gambler strategy and an adequate amount of luck, you can still win big.

Playing slots is not a race. You can play faster with a lower initial bet or enjoy one spin a little longer with higher initial bets. It’s up to you.

Now you probably wonder, how this strategy is doing in terms of betting system RTP.

It's doing awesome!

Here’s the explanation. You only do two types of bet. The initial spin costs you statistically 100 % minus the RTP of the game. If a game’s RTP is 96 %, it means that the initial spin will cost you only:

100% - 96% = 4% of the bet

That’s just $4 for a one-hour-long gaming session with a $100 budget and a $0.10 initial bet. The double up bet has a win probability of 50 % which gives it a 100 % RTP. In other words, the double up bet costs you nothing in the long run. Therefore,

"the RTP of my smart gambler betting system is (in an ideal scenario) equal to RTP of the selected slot game."

Note that this betting system still doesn’t guarantee you will win, but gives you a fair chance.

Simulation of the smart gambler strategy

The following tables show the results of a million player simulations using my smart gambler strategy. The simulation was completed on a slot with 96 % RTP. The variables were the desired win and the maximum number of allowed double ups.

If the win was lower than expected, then the whole win was placed on roulette. A budget of $100 with a $0.10 initial bet gives you 1000 rounds – around 60 to 90 minutes of playing.

Max. Allowed double-ups	desired win	% of winners	average win	strategy RTP
4	$1000	6.53%	$1415	92.5%
8	$1000	6.52%	$1448	94.5%
16	$1000	6.83%	$1401	95.8%
no limit	$1000	6.86%	$1402	96.14%
4	$10000	0.67%	$13546	91.1%
8	$10000	0.64%	$14436	92.34%
16	$10000	0.67%	$14189	95.5%
no limit	$10000	0.69%	$13892	96.35%
4	$50000	0.125%	$70601	88.64%
8	$50000	0.13%	$70275	91.3%
16	$50000	0.128%	$73317	94.12%
no limit	$50000	0.145%	$66786	96.75%

Simulations prove that RTP of this betting strategy is very high. RTP increases with higher number of allowed double ups, as no additional roulette bets are required. For unlimited number of double-ups, the RTP is equal to the game’s RTP (small differences in measured RTP occur due to extreme volatility in this strategy).

Simulations show the smart gambler strategy keeps fair chances even when aiming for a giant win (500x the entire budget). However, the chances of such a big win are proportionally low. Be very careful and don’t fall in to the "I’ll once win my money back" loop. A healthy target is something around 5x-20x your daily budget.

For all the reasons mentioned I consider this to be THE BEST SLOTS STRATEGY (apart from not playing at all).

Here are slots suitable for my smart gambler strategy:

Book of dead (playtech)

Novomatic slots (such as book of ra)

"moonshot" – the ultimate all in strategy with IGT slots

Volatility: extreme

RTP of betting system: very high (93%-96%)

Time of play: extremely short

This is the craziest and the most volatile strategy I could figure out amongst all casino games. It’s similar to betting "all in" on a number in roulette… just MORE volatile.

Some slots made by IGT allow you to make a huge bet on a single winline. If you first decrease the number of winlines to one, then the game allows you to increase the bet on that line up to the total maximum allowed bet. In some slots this can be up to $100.

With a $100 bet on a single line at diamond queen slot, your potential wins range from $500 to $100k.

As a result, you either lose everything in just a few spins or win an amount in the range from nice to legendary.

You remember, right? The less you bet in total, the higher is the RTP of your betting strategy. That’s how this strategy works. If you go all in and leave with a win, then the RTP of your betting strategy equals to the RTP of the game. In the case of diamond queen, it’s (according to the game’s paytable) between 92.97% and 96.08%. In case of cleopatra, it’s around 95%.

So your one-spin "session" would statistically cost you only $5-$7 (in the long run). The rest would be eventually paid out to winners who use the same strategy.

I have found three slots which support this feature: diamond queen, wolf run and cleopatra. Cleopatra offers the highest possible win – 10 000 times the bet. However, I would choose diamond queen, as it seems more balanced.

There are 3 things to remember with this strategy:

IGT slots cap the maximum win to $250k. So, if you bet $100 on single line in cleopatra, you risk that you’ll win $1 million, but only get $250k.

Don’t risk a high win in a casino which can’t afford to pay it out. Use this strategy only in huge casinos with monthly revenues over $1 million like leovegas.

Never exceed your initial budget. Spin and leave when you’ve reached your budget. Don’t use this strategy if you’ve had any sort of gambling problems in the past.

If you were crazy enough to try this strategy and then managed to hit it big, please let me know. I’ll share your story.

P.S.: I plan to reverse engineer diamond queen and calculate the chances for different win sizes.

"reverse martingale" – reinvest the win strategy

Volatility: high

RTP of betting system: high

Time of play: variable

Reverse martingale is a good betting strategy if your favorite slot doesn’t have a double-up feature. Do you know the roulette betting strategy called martingale? Reverse martingale does the opposite.

Martingale betting strategy (actually doesn’t work) suggests you to double up your bet after each loss. The idea is that once you have to win and then you’ll win back all your former bets. In reality, your bets grow exponentially and you risk your whole available bankroll in order to win just the initial bet. If you keep using the martingale strategy, you’ll go bankrupt eventually.

The main idea of reverse martingale is to play for small initial bets and bet the entire win in the next round until you win big enough. This strategy is similar to the smart gambler strategy, but it uses increased bets instead of the double up feature.

You start with $100 and bet an initial bet of $0.10. After 15 rounds lost, you suddenly win $4.41. The next round you bet the closest possible amount to your win – in this case $4.40. If you lose, then you continue with the initial bet. If you win again – for example $35, then continue with a $35 spin. If you lose, you get back to betting $0.10 each round. Repeat this until you win a satisfying amount or lose your entire budget.

If your win exceeds the maximum bet in the slot which you are currently playing, start placing the maximum bets. Be careful to not spend more than you have won in the previous round. Otherwise you’ll lose big part of your budget and significantly shorten your time of play.

The reverse martingale has slightly lower volatility and lower overall RTP than smart gambler, but its advantage is that you can use any slot that you like, even if it doesn’t have the gamble feature.

You can use any slot you like with the reverse martingale strategy, unlike with the two aforementioned strategies.

Also, the time of play is predictable and you can easily estimate it from the initial bet and your budget.

Time of play = (your budget / initial bet) * 1.3 * 4 seconds

The win amount is less predictable than with the smart gambler strategy, but more predictable than the casual player strategy or the moonshot strategy.

Reverse martingale strategy doesn’t work that well for high rollers, as they’ll hit the maximum bet of a slot quite often.

Tips for reverse martingale strategy:

When you hit a win with your initial bet, write down your current balance (before the win is added to it). This will help you to do the proper math and you’ll be less likely to exceed the bet which would lead to losing the balance dedicated for the small initial bets.

If possible, configure the slot to only one winline. The increased volatility plays in your favor.

Simulation of the reverse martingale strategy

The following tables show the results of a million player simulation using the reverse martingale strategy. I made the simulations on a 96 % RTP medium variance slot with a $50 maximum bet per round. Each simulation was a session of 1000 rounds with basic bet + additional rounds, so players either lost the entire budget or won a satisfying amount.

I was experimenting with various parameters for the initial bet (budget) and satisfying wins.

Initial bet (budget)	min. Satisfying win	% of winners	average win	strategy RTP	average # of rounds
$0.10 ($100)	+$500	11.5%	+$1050	85.04%	1271
$0.10 ($100)	+$1000	4.4%	+$1766	82.15%	1293
$0.10 ($100)	+$5000	1.09%	+$6506	71.91%	1321
$0.10 ($100)	+$10000	0.5%	+$11862	62.7%	1331
$0.10 ($100)	+$50000	0.028%	+$51938	14.57%	1360
$0.20 ($200)	+$500	13.5%	+$1074	86.25%	1210
$0.20 ($200)	+$1000	8.5%	+$1770	83.6%	1249
$0.20 ($200)	+$5000	2.1%	+$6500	72.9%	1304
$0.20 ($200)	+$10000	1.01%	+$11781	60.72%	1324
$0.20 ($200)	+$50000	0.05%	+$52060	14.44%	1382
$0.50 ($500)	+$1000	18.49%	+$1813	85.56%	1175
$0.50 ($500)	+$5000	5.25%	+$6515	73.66%	1301
$0.50 ($500)	+$10000	2.52%	+$11782	61.9%	1350
$0.50 ($500)	+$50000	0.13%	+$51840	13.82%	1499
$1 ($1000)	+$5000	9.86%	+$6522	74.2%	1306
$1 ($1000)	+$10000	4.96%	+$11807	63.58%	1400
$1 ($1000)	+$50000	0.27%	+$52056	14.07%	1703
$1 ($1000)	+$100000	0.0135%	+$106272	1.45%	1775
$5 ($5000)	+$10000	19.12%	+$11804	64.26%	1967
$5 ($5000)	+$50000	1.22%	+$51850	13.84%	3475
$5 ($5000)	+$100000	0.07%	+$102430	1.5%	3837
$5 ($5000)	+$500000	-	-	-	3879
$10 ($10000)	+$50000	2.15%	+$51770	13.26%	5756
$10 ($10000)	+$100000	0.124%	+$101947	1.39%	6446
$10 ($10000)	+$500000	-	-	-	6521

The simulations above illustrate how effective this strategy is when playing with a smaller initial budget. They also illustrate how it becomes ineffective when initial bet gets closer to the slot’s maximum bet.

Your chance to win 10x your budget is 4.4% with $100 budget and $0.10 basic bet. With $5000 budget and 5$ bet (same proportion) this chance drops to 1.22% and for $10 000/$10 drops even further to 0.124%. Out of one million high rollers who started with $10 000 and played with $10 initial bet, none of them managed to get over $500 000.

The reverse martingale strategy works properly only if the maximum bet is at least 100x-200x higher than the basic bet. That’s true for the majority of casual players.True high rollers who desire high RTP and extreme wins should look for a different strategy.

Note that for budgets and basic bets with which this strategy actually works, the average number of rounds played is around 1300. That’s 1.3x more than rounds played with initial bets. This explains the 1.3 coefficient in time of play formula above.

"casual player" – constant bet strategy

Volatility: depends on slot and bet size

RTP of betting system: depends on bet size and satisfying win

Time of play: depends on bet size and satisfying win

The strategy which I call "casual player" is one of the simplest strategies you can use. You start spinning with a certain bet size and keep spinning with same bet until you lose everything, win enough or decide to stop after certain amount of time.

This strategy is used by many casino players. I have decided to analyze it mainly to illustrate how ineffective it is compared to my strategies.

Let’s start by defining "the casual player". I know that many players change the bet size according to their intuition or increase the bet when they are on a lucky streak, but for the sake of simplicity, I’ll keep the bet the same during the entire simulation.

So let’s describe our casual player as a player who:

Starts with a budget of $(A)

Bets $(B) per round

Stops playing when wins more than $(C)

And plays max. (D) number of rounds

Simulation of the casual player strategy

For each setup I simulated one million players with the same 96% RTP medium variance slot. Normal gaming session may take 1-2 hours, so I have decided to fix (D) to 1500 rounds (number of rounds after which player leaves regardless of his current bankroll). Then I have experimented with a $100 budget.

Note: most slots work in a way that a win is always proportional to the bet. So the simulation using a $1 bet, $100 budget and $500 desired win will return the same results as the one with $10 bet, $1000 budget and $5000 desired win. Therefore, I made all the simulations with a $100 budget and I changed only the bet and the satisfying win.

Here are the tables with simulations for $100 budget and max. 1500 rounds. There are 3 tables with satisfying wins of $200, $1000 and $5000 respectively.

Bet	% of players with satisfying win	% of losers (avg. Loss)	% of winners (avg. Win)	strategy RTP	average # of rounds	thrill factor
$0.10	0%	64.85% ($16)	35.15% ($14)	94.6%	1500	very low
$0.50	2.96%	66.23% ($72)	33.77% ($73)	76.67%	1294	low
$1	15.2%	74.47% ($94)	25.5% ($169)	72.81%	754	medium
$5	21%	79% ($100)	21% ($312)	88.4%	64	high
$10	19%	81% ($100)	19% ($375)	91.88%	23	high

Simulations of the casual player strategy, $200 satisfying win

bet	% of players with satisfying win	% of losers (avg. Loss)	% of winners (avg. Win)	strategy RTP	average # of rounds	thrill factor
$0.50	0%	66.26% ($73)	33.74% ($72)	76.33%	1311	low
$1	0.005%	75.4% ($94)	24.6% ($159)	68.3%	883	medium
$2	0.75%	86% ($99)	14% ($357)	63%	502	medium
$5	4.9%	94% ($100)	6% ($1022)	69%	172	high
$10	5.7%	94.3% ($100)	5.7% ($1303)	79.6%	56	very high

Simulations of the casual player strategy, $1000 satisfying win

bet	% of players with satisfying win	% of losers (avg. Loss)	% of winners (avg. Win)	strategy RTP	average # of rounds	thrill factor
$1	0%	75.3% ($94)	24.6% ($158)	68%	882	medium
$5	0.003%	94.3% ($100)	5.7% ($978)	60.6%	219	high
$10	0.21%	97.2% ($100)	2.8% ($2044)	59.7%	111	very high
$20	0.94%	98.5% ($100)	1.5% ($4437)	65.8%	48	very high
$50	1.21%	98.79% ($100)	1.21% ($6533)	80.5%	11	extreme
$100	1.17%	98.83% ($100)	1.17% ($7291)	86.5%	3	extreme

When you look at the table above, you can find everything a good strategy should have:

High RTP

High wins and thrill factor

Adequate time of play

The problem is that at the same time you can have only two of those things.

You can bet $10/spin, have nice RTP and aim for very high wins, but your gaming session will likely end within few minutes.

You can bet $0.1/spin, kill time and not spend much money, but your chance to win more than just few dollars is minimal.

Or you can bet $2/spin, aim for medium wins and play for half an hour in average, but you have to accept a low strategy RTP.

The play time with constant bet strategy is unpredictable. The average play time value might look good at first glance, but in reality it’s highly biased because of the lucky players who managed to play until the end. Following chart illustrates that for $2/spin and a $1000 satisfying win setup.

You can clearly see that 55% of players ran out of their respective budgets within the first 300 rounds. The chance that you’ll lose your budget sooner than you intended is very high. This increases the risk of exceeding your budget, which is one of the signals of pathological gamblers.

The analyzed setup with $2 bets is the one with the most balanced time of play. The setup with a bet of $5 per spin is even more unbalanced with 80% of players losing their budgets within the first 200 rounds.

While unpredictable play time may be considered as clear negative, the unpredictable win size may increase the fun. Following plot displays the distribution of net wins/losses in my million player simulation.

I have intentionally omitted players who lost everything because there would be a huge spike at the beginning of the chart. The distribution reminds me of a "gauss curve". The spike at $1000 value reminds how important is to know when to stop.

My next chart illustrates the distribution of wins/losses without the satisfying win rule.

This chart resembles "gauss curve" even more. The "know when to stop" spike is flattened.

Conclusions

The constant bet strategy is the simplest betting strategy there is. You can achieve different results by choosing a different bet size, but you’ll never have good results like with the smart gambler strategy or the reverse martingale strategy. The biggest difference is in the time of play. With constant bet, the time of play is quite short and unpredictable.

Also, if you aim for a giant win, choosing a different strategy is a must. You will almost certainly not get there with the casual player strategy.

I can recommend casual player strategy only to those players who wish to kill time with low bets, low losses and even lower wins. In that case, I recommend placing one thousandth of your evening budget per spin.

"my mom’s strategy"

Volatility: zero

RTP of betting system: 100%

Time of play: none

The optimal strategy of playing slots is surprisingly the simplest one. Don’t play them at all. I can call this "my mum’s strategy", because I knew that if I asked her which strategy she would use to play slots, she would tell me "I wouldn’t play slots at all". So I have asked her and she really gave me this answer.

Mathematically, she is right. This is the only strategy with a 100% RTP. I made a computer simulation of million players who went to the casino and haven’t played slots. The simulation confirmed that none of the players lost anything so the theoretical RTP of this strategy is really 100%.

The disadvantage of my mum’s strategy is absolutely no thrill factor as obviously you can’t win anything. Also, zero time of play may be problem in some brick and mortar casinos or gaming venues which require you to play once you are in. The solution for this might be to find some other excitement in your life. Money spared on gambling give you countless options ;).

Slot machine strategies & tips

How slot machines work

Slot machine strategies that don’t work

Of course, we understand that slot machines don’t really get hot or cold, so in the long run, any type of money management scheme is irrelevant.

So, for example, suppose you start with a session bankroll of $25. You’ll play until you’ve done one of the following:

Lost $15.

Won $15.

Lost on 9 consecutive spins.

How anyone could think that this strategy would help them win more money playing slot machines is baffling.

Slot machine tips

Slots 101 – slots tips & strategy

Slots 101 – tips & strategy – on this page, we will share all of our expertise about slot machines. The first step towards improving your game is to learn more about online slots and the mechanics behind them. Even land-based slot machines are more complex than ever and are run by sophisticated software.

It is important to pay a little more attention to the numbers that are officially publicised, though we are rarely getting the important info. There are some measurements about the overall payout behaviour of a slot that can only be achieved after thousands of spins.

We will tell you about those and other advanced concepts, while debunking a rather large list of slot myths that – unfortunately! – simply aren’t true.

Is there a way to win on online slots every time?

There simply isn’t a guaranteed recipe for success. Anyone claiming that they can teach you how to win on slot machines every single time is either confused or a liar. There is no foolproof strategy that can fully mitigate the importance of luck.

Slot machines rank among the most luck-based games in the casino. Once upon a time, some people would attempt and succeed at cheating in order to beat the simple engines inside, but the complex RNG software nowadays makes this now impossible – especially online!

In order to improve your performance, you need to learn to pay attention to a number of things. Factors such as RTP and volatility need to be known in advance if you want to choose the right slot and play it in the best way possible.

Discipline and proper budgeting are also essential if you want to be a successful slots player in the long run. Slots can’t truly be mastered, this isn’t chess, but putting in a little extra effort in your preparation will go a long way in improving your results.

How to win on slot machines: 10 important tips from slots fans

Some people get completely overwhelmed by the huge selection of slots games available. The same problem applies to the strategy that they use – some players go in blindly, trusting entirely in their luck, while others try over-complicated slot tricks that rarely work in practice.

That’s why we’ve gathered the best slots advise that experienced casino players can give you and added some of our own bits of hard-earned wisdom. Without further ado, here are our top 10 slot machine tips:

Choose your game wisely: most online casinos offer you hundreds, if not thousands, of different slot titles; taking some time to find the most profitable games by following a few simple rules can make a huge difference in your end result. Unfortunately, most of the advanced stats that you need can be rather hard to find.

Budget carefully: your slot budget is another thing you need to decide in advance. Your bankroll determines the size of your bet and the length of your session. You should never go beyond the limits you have set, but you should keep in mind that some slots are best played with a higher bankroll.

Always bet max: you’ve probably heard this one. As a rule of thumb, you should play with all paylines active and the maximum affordable wager – this is the only way to make the most out of the big wins in the game. However, managing your bet can actually be rather complex – especially for players with smaller bankrolls – so you should take the time to find the right balance.

Use the bonus: don’t forget to take advantage of the casino bonus. Most bonuses are specifically geared for playing online slots and the wagering is much easier. This makes them a perfect addition to your budget – that’s why most slot players invest time in researching not only games, but casino bonuses as well.

Skip the progressives: some people might be gasping behind their screens. Progressive jackpots are the holy grail of slot wins as they can change your life forever. However, you should keep in mind that amassing such a huge jackpot comes with a prize – progressive slots simply don’t pay out too well. This means that the approach required with them is a little different.

Don’t overlook free slots: many people scoff at playing free slot demos. Even though you get the exact same gameplay as the full version, slots simply don’t feel the same without the thrill of the bet and the rush of the win. However, free games give you the chance to get familiar with the game and the bonus features, and more importantly – to collect some advanced metrics. As slot veterans, we pride ourselves with the free slot database we have amassed.

Take your time: this one carries over from land-based casinos. Slots are very fast games, which is a huge pro if you are busy. However, if you aren’t careful, you might burn out through your bankroll too fast. New players should be especially careful and remain active all the time – change your bet, try another slot, just don’t get too automated if you don’t know what you’re doing yet.

Manage your winnings: strong slot sessions should be used to improve your overall balance. Sometimes it’s a good idea to stop spinning when you’re on a plus – RNG giveth and RNG taketh away, as they say, so don’t get too reliant on a lucky streak. Some players prefer to set a portion of each win aside, thinking for the casino nights that will follow and building up their future bankrolls.

Don’t fall for slot myths: us gamblers are, by default, a rather superstitious bunch. Having your own rituals for luck kind of goes with the territory – however, you shouldn’t believe in everything you hear. There are a lot of slot myths floating around, most of them coming from land-based casinos. However, they are rarely applicable to online slots – there is nothing wrong in sticking to any ritual that brings you good luck, but if you want to truly optimize your play, you should look elsewhere.

Check the stats: before committing to a slot seriously, you should try to find out how it behaves. What is the RTP? How volatile> is the slot? What’s the paytable like? These little pieces of info can help you to get a better idea of what to expect from the game, and to plan your betting strategy accordingly. Experienced players factor these when they are searching for their next game.

How to choose the right slot machine

Choosing the best available slot machine games are a major part of any winning strategy. Nowadays, there are simply too many slots and players can sometimes get a little lost. You are simply spoilt for choice with all kinds of themes, effects, soundtracks – and payouts.

All slots may play the same, but there are some subtle differences, and while the visuals are also important, there are other factors that we usually focus on. Most players check out the game provider before they start playing. There are many software providers that produce online slots, and each has their own distinct style.

Netent slots are among the most popular nowadays thanks to the overly generous RTP, but playtech games aren’t far behind, while the veterans from the microgaming studio have amassed many online gambling gems over a number of years.

Alternatively, other players prefer to avoid the big players on the market and turn their attention to niche software studios that are trying to establish a reputation. This can sometimes be a risky strategy, as some of those are actually offering an RTP way below the average of the big studios – never assume that a new studio will offer better odds just because they are trying to grab attention. However, some of the more innovative newcomers like yggdrasil are certainly gaining respect in gambling circles.

After some time, online slots players start to get an overall idea of what they can expect from different studios’ slots. However, even if you pick a preferred operator, there is still some work to be done. You always need to check the paytable and the bet range of a slot before you commit any funds to it.

Really, what you should do is take the time to find more about the RTP and overall performance by reading some reviews. This would allow you to make the most of your available bankroll whilst playing a game that is suitable for your personal preferences.

Be careful with the casino

Just before you make a start on spinning the reels, your most important task is to pick the best online casino available. Most people focus on the best welcome bonus available and the slot selection on offer, but as an online player, you should always think about your safety first.

Internet scams involved unlicensed and unscrupulous casinos have always been a very real danger with many players affected over the years. Online casinos are regulated much better nowadays, but you should still take some time to ensure that you will be depositing at a legit place where your money will be safe, and the games will be fair.

We have prepared a short guide about online casino safety, but you can always refer to our list of verified operators that have been tried out.

Hot and cold slots

Even nowadays, there are still many players searching for hot and cold slots. The idea is that hot slots are more likely to give payouts – they are in a hot cycle and a string of good luck is quite likely.

Vice versa, cold slots are currently ‘unlucky’ and aren’t giving out payouts – a cold cycle is a terrible thing for a player’s bankroll. Things get more complicated when you consider that each slot is programmed to give out a certain amount of winnings in the long run, so there is bound to be a turning point – the cold slot might become hot, while the hot one would go cold.

In theory, it does sounds great – but with modern slots, there is no scientific basis for this superstition. It is a remnant of the old days when slot machines at land-based casinos were much simpler, and one could track such cycles and expect a win.

However, the modern RNG software found in both online and land-based slot machines cannot be cracked that easily. Each game is inspected by a number of independent organisations that make sure the game is completely fair. The random number generator is exactly what it says on the tin – random. This means that even if there are instances of hot and cold cycles – this is entirely luck dependent.

Another problem is that tracking whether a slot is hot or cold online is rather hard – the casino operator below is one of the few offering such a feature. It is fine to look for hot and cold slots if that’s your preference – just don’t do that with a belief in a ‘sure win’.

Loose slots

Trying to pick a loose slot machine is another tactic originating from land-based casinos. To be honest, this myth is not a complete fabrication. For a long time, players would try to do decipher the marketing strategies of casinos.

Loose slots are machines that gave bigger, more frequent payouts – the logic being that the casinos would place them in central locations so that the sight of other players winning would attract more customers. Even if this would be applicable in some land-based casinos, there are certainly no loose slots in online casinos.

The marketing approach is simply completely different. There is no guarantee that the slots featured on the website will give better or worse payouts than the rest. There are too many slot metrics you can check if you take the time to browse some reviews – in the online world, those give a much more accurate representation of the potential profitability of a slot machine.

Visual effects vs payouts

When you are choosing your next slot, it is important to pick your priorities. If you want to have fun and enjoy your evening, then pick something that you like – there are all kinds of themes and most of your favourite movie characters probably have a game out there!

However, if you want to increase your odds of winning even slightly – well, you should ignore the theme completely. A rather popular myth at casinos takes this principle up to eleven by claiming that you should pick the ugliest slot possible. This might actually be a useful guideline in land-based casinos since it is harder to find the RTP of their slot machines.

However, when you are playing online you have access to a much larger pool of information so there are other ways to find the relevant stats. Focus on that, and simply ignore the graphics, good or bad.

Slots and wagering

You are probably well aware that most casino bonuses are tied to certain wagering requirements – otherwise online scammers would bankrupt the casinos quite quickly. Unfortunately for us, this means that we have to pass a lot of successful wagers before we can withdraw the bonus money or the winnings made with it.

The different casino games have a varying contribution towards fulfilling said requirements – but in most cases, each bet placed on a slot has a full 100% contribution. If you are interested to learn more about the topic, you will find all the info that we have in our casino bonus guide.

Advanced online slot concepts

Beating the house is nigh impossible, especially if you are playing slots. In the long run, losing money is almost inevitable, since the slot machines are programmed to give out less money that they receive in the form of wagers – this slight difference in numbers allows the casinos to stay in business and to make a profit in the process.

However, slots wouldn’t have so many fans if everyone was losing all the time. Slot players focus on windows of opportunity. This means that you need every slight advantage you can get. If you want to win, you should try to get a better understanding of how slots work and delve into some of the advanced concepts that take a lot of spins to learn.

The mechanics of a slot machine RNG

It is very hard to speak about slots – or any computer game, really – without mentioning the RNG. This widely spread abbreviation sits for ‘random numbers generator’. The RNG is a complex software that creates a string of numbers completely randomly.

In the case of slots, some of these numbers correspond to the different winning combinations you can hit – of course, the higher a win is, the rarer it appears. It is perfectly natural that an RNG software runs the online slot games, but few people know that similar systems operate land-based slot machines nowadays – think of them as mini-computers hidden deep within the machine.

This means that it’s rather hard to determine how likely you are to hit a certain combination. Software studios never publish full details about the exact mechanics of their RNG engines, so the best idea official data we can get about the profitability of a slot machine is its RTP.

Slot RTP – how to read it

The RTP – return to player rate – is your best estimate of the potential winnings you can receive from a slot. The RTP is always shown as a percentage – which is why it is also known as payout percentage. It shows what part of the money that goes into a slot is given back to players in the form of winnings.

The higher this percentage, the more profitable a slot is. A different way to represent this would be by using the house edge – the corresponding percentage that shows what portion of the money the casino gets to keep. A slot with an RTP of 97% would have a house edge of 3% – it returns 97% of all wagers as winnings, while the remaining 3% go to the casino.

It is strange speaking of profits when the machine is giving back less money that you put in – however, you should consider that RTP is estimated over the course of many, many spins. Experienced slot players use it only as a rough guide in picking out the better slots. Some studios publicize their games’ RTP openly, while others make it a little hard to dig out. However, for most slots it can be found.

We’ve taken great care to maintain a solid RTP database on our website, and you can find the top RTP slots we have discovered listed down below. However, keep in mind that on its own, the RTP doesn’t give you enough information. Many players find that knowing the volatility of a slot prepares them better for their evening sessions.

Slot volatility – how often will you win?

Slot volatility is a term that describes how the game plays – some players prefer to call that variance. Both volatility and variance describe roughly the same thing. With a little experience, you will quickly become able to tell when a slot has high or low volatility. Low-volatility games tend to give payouts quite often, but the winnings tend to be on the low side.

Such games are easily recognised if you browse the paytable and check the lowest-paying combinations. A small multiplier there is a definite indication for a low-variance slot. On the other hand, slots with high volatility land winning combinations much less frequently – but when you do hit one, it tends to be big. Any game with a large jackpot is most definitely a high-variance slot.

Both high-variance and low-variance slots have their fans. They represent rather different strategies and gaming styles. Fans of low volatility slots often pay attention to the visual style and the bonus features – such games are very entertaining and there is often something happening on the screen. Odds are that you won’t win much on such a slot, but you won’t lose too much either.

High volatility games, on contrast, are high-risk high-reward ventures. There is a chance that you will exhaust your bankroll before you manage to hit one of the winning combinations – however, those are the games that offer life-changing amounts. Which type of game you pick is entirely up to you, but you should definitely keep it in mind when you determine your bet strategy.

Hit percentage

The hit percentage, also known as hit frequency, is a rough estimate that slot players use to measure how many of the spins result in a hit. Keep in mind that not all hits are actually wins – in slot terms, a hit would be any winning combination, no matter whether the payout is larger than the bet or not. Most slots tend to have a hit percentage of between 9% and 25% – this equates to between 9 and 25 hits every 100 spins.

The hit percentage is tightly linked to the slot volatility since it showcases the different behaviour of some slots. Some players stick to a favoured game and try to track the hit percentage – of course, since the RNG is completely random, there are never any guarantees, but if you have a rough idea about the hit percentage, you could adjust the number of spins you will do on a slot depending on the results. Getting exact hit percentage data takes a lot of time, and free slot games can be invaluable in that regard.

Slot bet strategy

Managing your bet properly is one of your most important tasks as a slot player. As you know from our basic how to play slots guide, modern video slots give you plenty of opportunities to personalize your bet size. However, most players stick to the maximum or minimum bet that the slot offers.

As a rule of thumb, playing with the highest possible bet is a must if you want to maximize your profits. However, you should consider how long your bankroll will last. If you are not careful with your initial budgeting and decide to try out a high-rolling slot, you could burn through your entire bankroll in just a few spins – and that’s rarely a recipe for success.

You should look for an average bet that gives you good returns when the free spins and bonus features are triggered, but also allows you to last for a sufficient number of spins. Even if you are a fan of the hot and cold slot theory, you should realize that the odds of hitting your big win as soon as you start spinning are minuscule at best.

Most slot pros would tell you that you need to ride out the bad times and know when to give up on a game. You will have losing sessions, this is unavoidable even in high RTP games such as blackjack. That’s why you always need to set your bet at levels which wouldn’t force you to go over the initial bankroll you have set.

Jackpot slot strategy: tips for winning the progressive

You’ve all heard of mega moolah and its record-breaking online jackpot. Progressive jackpot slots are the holy grail for all slot players and usually take over all the news headlines – but very few would get lucky with the mega wins.

Those slots often steal the headlines because they offer the biggest payouts in the online gambling industry, but that comes at a price. To amass the eye-watering jackpots, most progressive slots pay rather badly in their base game.

This means that jackpot slots require a rather specific approach in terms of strategy. Your main focus should be on winning the jackpot. This means that you need to read through the rules in advance and check whether there is a minimum bet requirement tied to the grand prize – some slots require you to place a bet over a certain threshold if you want to be eligible for the jackpot, while with others the odds of winning increase the larger your bet is.

Your goal here is to get a maximum number of spins with a bet that qualifies for the jackpot – you can simply ignore the base pays since those are rarely profitable in any meaningful way. Progressive slots also give you an additional variable to keep track of – the jackpot graphs.

They show the jackpot velocity of the slot – the speed with which the jackpot grows. Experienced players use this variable to determine the best time to roll the slot, but you also need to consider the larger the jackpot is, the more people would be rolling. In the table below, you can see some of the best progressive slots you can find online.

Your primary goal – remember to have fun!

It might sound cheesy, but the important thing with gambling is to keep it fun. If you want to start making money by playing slots, then you’re in for a long howl. Most players go into the game looking for the thrill of a casino adventure.

Gambling is a perfectly legitimate hobby – but you should never use money you are not prepared to lose. That’s why gambling responsibility is a serious issue, and experienced players always try to lend a helping hand to newbies.

Organisations such as gamcare and begambleaware have proven to be of great assistance in combatting addiction problems in the UK. However, it is best to stay responsible and never need their aid – budget carefully and keep things simple.

The importance of proper budgeting

As we already said, your gambling budget is a sum you should be prepared to lose. You should consider your slot bankroll as a high-risk investment. The potential payoffs are huge, but only a few people will be taking advantage of them. Each slot strategy holds an inherent risk that cannot be avoided. That’s why you should never go into a game expecting to win, no matter how good you feel about the session.

You also shouldn’t believe claims that high spending is a guarantee for success. Playing with the maximum bet and all paylines active increases your profit margin when you hit a bonus round or net some free spins, but there is nothing ‘sure’ about it. If you want to make the most of slots, you would ideally prepare a bankroll that will last a sufficient number of spins.

However, not all of us can be high-rollers – in most cases, you have to make a compromise between the number of games you will play over the evening, and the average amount you will bet. Players usually have different preferences, but it is usually best to go in for a longer session with more spins.

Learn more about slots

As you can see, when it comes down to slot strategy, there is a lot to be said. Slot fans know full well that the rich history of the game has given a lot of nuances to the deceptively simple gameplay. If you are truly passionate about casino slots, then there is a lot more you can learn.

Hop along for the ride, as we continue to explore the wondrous world of the spinning reels in the rest of our articles. For more excellent rewards, please visit our full guide of the best online casinos in the UK.

5 top casino gambling tips

Have fun and maybe even win some money

The next time you visit your favorite casino, keep these five gambling tips and strategies in mind. If you win some money along the way, consider it a bonus. Smart gamblers know their primary objective is to have fun. That's because the casino—or house—almost always has the edge. Still, it is possible to increase your odds of snagging a little do-re-mi from their coffers.

Know your limits

We know that money management can be a boring subject, and it can be difficult to keep track of your spending in the heat of casino action, but it's imperative that you set a budget and stick to it. Make things easy on yourself and decide what you can afford to lose before you start playing. Which means this should be play money—not the money you set aside for housing, groceries, or other bills. Almost everyone budgets for weekly or monthly entertainment (movies, dinners out, a game of golf, etc.) and gambling is no exception. If you can't afford to lose it, don't play. And if you actually win, don’t be afraid to go home right then and there, money in hand. The casino will be open tomorrow, too.

Likewise, set time limits for your play, both per game and overall. Factor in time to take breaks, too, like having a drink or getting something to eat. Then, stick to your plan and leave the casino when your curfew comes, even if you feel like cinderella. Your budget will dictate your time limit as well: if you blow through your play money in an hour, that's it. Go home.

Finally, in the heat of battle, fighting for chips or trying to outwit your poker opponents, a clear head is imperative. So watch your alcohol consumption. Any more than a single drink each hour is going to have a serious impact on your ability to gamble effectively. Set your limit and stick to it, or expect to go home broke.

Get the most for your play

Getting the full value from your bets means taking advantage of whatever comps and freebies your casino offers. Make sure you have joined the player’s club to acquire comps and be sure to use your card every time you gamble, even if you are only playing for a few minutes. If you are playing at the table, use your card each time you sit down.

Check in at the player’s club desk every time you visit and make sure to sign up for snail mail, email, and text notifications—that's the best way to receive any special deals the casino might be offering. Even just a few new points could net you a free breakfast, qualify you for entry into a drawing, or earn you cash or a free gift. Almost every casino offers first-timers incentives like x-number of points and/or cash to sign up for their player's card. So don't be shy—you want to get the most bang for your buck.

Getting full value can have a significant impact on your slot play as well. Many new slot machines allow you to play any number of credits, lines, and credits per line. But it can be confusing, so make sure you read the info screen to ascertain how you reach the bonus screen or top payout. Sometimes you simply can’t play full credits (some machines take up to 750 credits for full play), but weigh your wagers against the top payouts. Maximum payouts may not be your goal, but make sure you play enough credits to get to the bonus screen or you’ll miss the best part of the game.

Likewise for video poker when it comes to max credits. You might want to take a few hours to play just one or two coins, but be advised that you can’t get the big royal-flush payout without at least five credits played (and often more). You won’t hit that royal very often, but that’s usually what people are aiming for.

Smile for the cameras

Cameras, or the eye-in-the-sky in casino parlance, are just about everywhere in casinos these days. They are there to protect the house, but may also protect you if there is a dispute about a card shuffle or a payout. Keep in mind, though, that you don’t want to do anything foolish because big brother is always watching. Nor should you get a false sense of security when it comes to your personal belongings. These cameras might catch a thief on camera, but the perp will be long gone before the authorities have a chance to review the tapes. Be vigilant and always keep track of your purse, jacket, cellphone, etc.

As for you turning the tables, casinos do not allow their customers to take photos while gambling or strolling through the property. If you and your buddies want to take a selfie after a big win, or you run into your poker hero and want to preserve the encounter for posterity, ask the casino manager or floor boss first.

Know your games

It's surprising how few gamblers follow this rule, but knowing how to play the game before you place a bet will significantly improve your odds of having fun and scoring a win. If you don’t know how to play blackjack, why not brush up on the rules before risking your cash? After all, you wouldn’t offer to play kobe bryant a little one-on-one basketball for $1,000. If so, your odds of beating him are probably about the same as winning at a casino game you’ve never played or read about.

Once you do know a little about a new game, keep in mind that the main bet (such as pass line at craps, banker bet at baccarat, ante bet at three card poker) has the smallest house edge. The extra, or bonus bets, are the killers. Most bonus bets have a house edge that is five-times higher. For instance, the pass line bet at craps has a house edge of 1.44 percent, but betting on an 11 has a house edge of 11.11 percent (sometimes even as high as 16.6 percent). Did you know that the average blackjack player plays at about a 2 percent disadvantage to the house? It’s true, but the lucky ladies side bet has a house advantage of 25 percent. Ouch!

Don’t let the taxman scare you

Gambling income is taxable income. Depending on how much you win, the casino will either withhold taxes (a flat 25–28 percent) before paying you out, or you'll have to report them to the IRS come tax time. For winnings over a certain amount (which depends on the game you were playing) the casino will also present you with a W-2G, a form that denotes the number of your winnings and what, if any, taxes were taken out.

To make sure you are doing everything on the up and up, keep a diary outlining how much you spend, how much you win, and how much you lose, for every visit you make to a casino. If your winnings are small, $25 here, $500 there, you'll still need to report them at the end of the year—and having the diary will help you in case of an audit. If you suffered a net loss for the year, this will be deductible. Either way, keeping a diary is the only way to know whether or not you have to send uncle sam his share.

11 incredible slot machine tricks you won’t believe work

Coolcat casino > online gambling tips > 11 incredible slot machine tricks you won’t believe work

Coolcat online casino has put together 11 slot machine tricks that will help you win big!

Every gambler looks for a way to trick casinos and make the most out of their slot machines. The tough part is sifting through the bad advice and good advice available. The fact is, there are slot machine tricks that do actually work and that you can start using today. This guide will show you the simplest ways to trick the slots and the system, to give you the best return on your playtime.

Slot machines are gambling games with three or more spinning reels. The reels display symbols that spin and land randomly to form potential winning combinations after a player places a bet. Wins are determined when certain symbols line up in a sequence; these are the paylines. An amount is awarded according to the size of the wager, the type of winning combination and number of paylines that hit. Slot machines come in a variety of forms, from online slots, classic three or five reel slots, and the most popular of all, video slots.

How a slot machine works

Regardless of the type of slot that you choose to play, they all function according to the same principles. You place your bet and initiate a spin, while this takes place an internal computer chip in the machine randomly determines whether you win or lose for each spin.

These computers are random number generators or rngs. An RNG cycles through thousands of number combinations and stops the moment a player hits the spin button. The results are displayed for the player after the reels stop spinning. Rngs are always tested and certified by third-party agencies to make sure that they are fair and reliable, and that outcomes are not rigged.

Many times in a casino you will hear players say whether certain tables or slots are running hot or cold. However, because slot machines operate on rngs, no amount of luck or perceived hot or cold streaks will impact the outcome of each spin. Each time a player hits a button to spin the reels or pulls the arm of a machine, the result is a unique event. Slots machines and online slots games are therefore never due to hit regardless of what someone might tell you. Streaks and payouts boil down to a matter of pure chance, even multiple jackpots can occur for a single machine.

1. Take advantage of no deposit bonus codes

Here’s the dirty little secret with online bonuses: if you know where to look, you can get a lot for free; meaning bonuses with no deposit needed.

Slots strategy is about giving yourself as many slots advantages as you can. A lot of playing the slots comes down to chance, which is why the best strategies are about seizing whatever opportunities you can to get ahead.

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2. Don’t play the slot; play the online casino

Thanks to U.S. Gambling policies, americans are able to claim some of the best value casino bonuses of any players in the world. If you’re in america, taking advantage of this can double, or even triple your bankroll, with surprisingly few strings attached.

One of the best slot machine tricks is to look for bonuses with low wagering requirements and no maximum cash-out limits. Many casinos trick new players by offering a large bonus, and hiding that you’ll need to bet a huge amount before you can redeem it.

What to look for in a good bonus: first, find wagering requirements of 10x or less. Many casinos have as wagering requirements as high 50x, which means that on a $100 deposit, you can’t get your money until you’ve made $5,000 in bets! Also, avoid bonuses that come with a maximum cash-out. Find a bonus that doesn’t limit how much you can win from it (nothing worse than winning a jackpot and getting $100…)

The coolcat casino 330% welcome bonus has only a 5x wagering requirement (compare that to any other bonus online), and no maximum on how much you can win with it. Plus, it comes with 50 free spins on our popular game, popinata. So you have some spins to warm up (and win), and your $50 becomes $165. That bankroll will give you the breathing room you need to jump-start your slots streak. Just make a free account at coolcat casino, then claim your bonus at the cashier by entering the code COOLWELCOME.

3. Find the loosest online slots

If it has been a while since you had a winning spin then it really might be time to consider changing the machine you’re playing on, or switching to another online slots game. Even though this might sound crazy it’s actually true. Slots vary in how easily they pay out, and according to industry insiders and leading experts, major gaming centers avoid placing loose slot machines close to each other. The best option when you’re on a losing streak is to move on to an adjacent slot machine or try your hand at a completely new online slots game. Remember, each spin is a completely unique event, so feeding more coins into a losing machine in no way increases your chances of finally winning.

I’ve done this myself on a number of occasions and found, much to my surprise and delight, that by the time I had moved on to a second or third online game, my luck had returned and bonus spins were racking up. If the machine is cold, walk on into the light. This is one of the slot machine tricks which simply increase your chances of finding a loose machine as well as extending your play time and jackpot potential.

4. Know your limits

Before you start playing, it’s important to set a loss limit. It’s easy to let the excitement of the casino floor take hold, but you may end up with more spills than thrills if you don’t know when to stop. Everyone loves to win, and if you find yourself way up, it’s a good time to stop. Statistically, the longer you play the better the chances are that you will lose your money. If your bankroll is heading towards a slump, be sure to stop once you’ve reached your loss limit. Never chase losses.

Gambling is a phenomenal form of entertainment, and can grow your bankroll exponentially, so have fun, but always play responsibly. Although you are just as likely as the next person to win big on a slot machine, or perhaps a coveted jackpot, be smart and don’t overdo it. Slots can take patience because a big hit can occur in ten seconds, ten minutes or heaven forbid ten hours. As long as you have your loss limit in mind throughout your rounds of play, you’ll be in good shape if the going gets tough.

5. Know where not to play slots

It is no big news that it is easier to win on loose slot machines: the hard part is finding one. These machines are placed all over the casino quite strategically and in a meticulous way. Physical placement revolves around the fact that the casinos want everyone to see a big win. It encourages others to play, so often loose machines are to be found in highly visible areas.

On the other hand, there can be pitfalls to visibility. Airport slots are highly visible, but people are coming and going at a frantic rate. These slots are known to be some of the worst to play at any gambling destination. It’s far better to wait until you’re actually in the casino. Scope out a spot with a wide range of machines so you can move on if you hit a cold streak, but one that’s highly visible without being a major rush transit area like reception by a restaurant buffet with a lot of motion or an airport mall.

For even better chances to find loose slots, look no further than your computer. Online slot machines generally pay out more than slots on the las vegas strip. Having a constant stream of players makes it possible for real money online casinos to offer slots with the best odds yet.

6. Play slots with random jackpots – the kind that pays out often

Another notable feature of slot machines are the jackpots. There are two categories: fixed and progressive. Slots machines with a fixed jackpot will have a maximum payout/jackpot amount that does not change. Whereas for progressive machines the jackpot increases the more people play on them. A fraction of their bet falls into the jackpot pool, and the jackpot will continue to increase until won. Progressive machines usually come with an indicator that shows the player that the maximum payout can change based on how many people play that particular machine, therefore making the jackpot progressively higher or lower.

Whether or not one should play on progressive jackpot slot machines is a hotly debated issue among casino gamers. Though some would say that progressives are the only true way to strike it super rich at the casino; many claim that it’s quite the long shot, even as difficult as winning the lottery. Whatever the case, playing on progressive slot machines are a lot of fun. If you manage your bankroll well and pace yourself, you just might find yourself entering the millionaire’s club.

One school recommends avoiding progressives. While a life changing win may be uber tempting, with high potential rewards comes, all too often, low payout rates. I mean, that mega jackpot has to be built up somehow and it’s not usually by being liberal in the payout department. If your playing philosophy is to spend a lot of time having a lot of fun and picking up pleasant but not exactly earth shattering winnings, then you should avoid progressives.

The second school of thought says that progressives are really the only true way to strike it super rich. With odds similar to those of winning the lottery, it’s a long shot but playing progressives is a lot more fun. If you’re able to manage your bankroll properly, pace things and not get too carried away, progressives do offer the chance for you to walk into the casino a poor nobody and walk out a member of the millionaire’s club. And I mean, come on, there is a certain thrill to the prospect.

Beyond that, it’s not hard to find a large random jackpot worth tens of thousands of dollars. The real trick is that random jackpots like achilles and caesar’s empire are actually won daily, while progressive jackpots can stick around for years.

How to play slot machines

In the not-too-distant past, slot-machine players were the second-class citizens of casino customers. Jackpots were small, payout percentages were horrendous, and slot players just weren't eligible for the kind of complimentary bonuses -- free rooms, shows, meals -- commonly given to table players. But in the last few decades the face of the casino industry has changed. Nowadays more than 70 percent of casino revenues comes from slot machines, and in many jurisdictions, that figure tops 80 percent.

About 80 percent of first-time visitors to casinos head for the slots. It's easy -- just drop coins into the slot and push the button or pull the handle. Newcomers can find the personal interaction with dealers or other players at the tables intimidating -- slot players avoid that. And besides, the biggest, most lifestyle-changing jackpots in the casino are offered on the slots.

The following article will tell you everything you need to know about slots, from the basics to various strategies. We'll start at square one, with a primer on how playing slot machines works.

How to play

The most popular slots are penny and nickel video games along with quarter and dollar reel-spinning games, though there are video games in 2-cent, 10-cent, quarter, and dollar denominations and reel spinners up to $100. Most reel spinners take up to two or three coins at a time while video slots can take 45, 90, and even 500 credits at a time.

Nearly all slot machines are fitted with currency acceptors -- slide a bill into the slot, and the equivalent amount of credits is displayed on a meter. On reel-spinning slots, push a button marked "play one credit" until you've reached the number of coins you wish to play. Then hit the "spin reels" button, or pull the handle on those few slots that still have handles, or hit a button marked "play max credits," which will play the maximum coins allowed on that machine.

On video slots, push one button for the number of paylines you want to activate, and a second button for the number of credits wagered per line. One common configuration has nine paylines on which you can bet 1 to 5 credits. Video slots are also available with 5, 15, 20, 25, even 50 paylines, accepting up to 25 coins per line.

Many reel-spinning machines have a single payout line painted across the center of the glass in front of the reels. Others have three payout lines, even five payout lines, each corresponding to a coin played. The symbols that stop on a payout line determine whether a player wins. A common set of symbols might be cherries, bars, double bars (two bars stacked atop one another), triple bars, and sevens.

A single cherry on the payout line, for example, might pay back two coins; the player might get 10 coins for three of any bars (a mixture of bars, double bars, and triple bars), 30 for three single bars, 60 for three double bars, 120 for three triple bars, and the jackpot for three sevens. However, many of the stops on each reel will be blanks, and a combination that includes blanks pays nothing. Likewise, a seven is not any bar, so a combination such as bar-seven-double bar pays nothing.

Video slots typically have representations of five reels spinning on a video screen. Paylines not only run straight across the reels but also run in V's, upside down V's, and zigs and zags across the screen. Nearly all have at least five paylines, and most have more -- up to 50 lines by the mid-2000s.

In addition, video slots usually feature bonus rounds and "scatter pays." designated symbols trigger a scatter pay if two, three, or more of them appear on the screen, even if they're not on the same payline.

Similarly, special symbols will trigger a bonus event. The bonus may take the form of a number of free spins, or the player may be presented with a "second screen" bonus. An example of a second screen bonus comes in the long-popular WMS gaming slot "jackpot party." if three party noisemakers appear on the video reels, the reels are replaced on the screen with a grid of packages in gift wrapping. The player touches the screen to open a package and collects a bonus payout. He or she may keep touching packages for more bonuses until one package finally reveals a "pooper," which ends the round. The popularity of such bonus rounds is why video slots have become the fastest growing casino game of the last decade.

When you hit a winning combination, winnings will be added to the credit meter. If you wish to collect the coins showing on the meter, hit the button marked "cash out," and on most machines, a bar-coded ticket will be printed out that can be redeemed for cash. In a few older machines, coins still drop into a tray.

Etiquette

Many slot players pump money into two or more adjacent machines at a time, but if the casino is crowded and others are having difficulty finding places to play, limit yourself to one machine. As a practical matter, even in a light crowd, it's wise not to play more machines than you can watch over easily. Play too many and you could find yourself in the situation faced by the woman who was working up and down a row of six slots. She was dropping coins into machine number six while number one, on the aisle, was paying a jackpot. There was nothing she could do as a passerby scooped a handful of coins out of the first tray.

Sometimes players taking a break for the rest room will tip a chair against the machine, leave a coat on the chair, or leave some other sign that they'll be back. Take heed of these signs. A nasty confrontation could follow if you play a machine that has already been thus staked out.

Payouts

Payout percentages have risen since the casinos figured out it's more profitable to hold 5 percent of a dollar than 8 percent of a quarter or 10 percent of a nickel. In most of the country, slot players can figure on about a 93 percent payout percentage, though payouts in nevada run higher. Las vegas casinos usually offer the highest average payouts of all -- better than 95 percent. Keep in mind that these are long-term averages that will hold up over a sample of 100,000 to 300,000 pulls.

In the short term, anything can happen. It's not unusual to go 20 or 50 or more pulls without a single payout on a reel-spinning slot, though payouts are more frequent on video slots. Nor is it unusual for a machine to pay back 150 percent or more for several dozen pulls. But in the long run, the programmed percentages will hold up.

The change in slots has come in the computer age, with the development of the microprocessor. Earlier slot machines were mechanical, and if you knew the number of stops -- symbols or blank spaces that could stop on the payout line--on each reel, you could calculate the odds on hitting the top jackpot. If a machine had three reels, each with ten stops, and one symbol on each reel was for the jackpot, then three jackpot symbols would line up, on the average, once every 10310310 pulls, or 1,000 pulls.

On those machines, the big payoffs were $50 or $100--nothing like the big numbers slot players expect today. On systems that electronically link machines in several casinos, progressive jackpots reach millions of dollars.

The microprocessors driving today's machines are programmed with random-number generators that govern winning combinations. It no longer matters how many stops are on each reel. If we fitted that old three-reel, ten-stop machine with a microprocessor, we could put ten jackpot symbols on the first reel, ten on the second, and nine on the third, and still program the random-number generator so that three jackpot symbols lined up only once every 1,000 times, or 10,000 times. And on video slots, reel strips can be programmed to be as long as needed to make the odds of the game hit at a desired percentage. They are not constrained by a physical reel.

Each possible combination is assigned a number, or numbers. When the random-number generator receives a signal -- anything from a coin being dropped in to the handle being pulled -- it sets a number, and the reels stop on the corresponding combination.

Between signals, the random-number generator operates continuously, running through dozens of numbers per second. This has two practical effects for slot players. First, if you leave a machine, then see someone else hit a jackpot shortly thereafter, don't fret. To hit the same jackpot, you would have needed the same split-second timing as the winner. The odds are overwhelming that if you had stayed at the machine, you would not have hit the same combination.

Second, because the combinations are random, or as close to random as is possible to set the program, the odds of hitting any particular combination are the same on every pull. If a machine is programmed to pay out its top jackpot, on the average, once every 10,000 pulls, your chances of hitting it are one in 10,000 on any given pull. If you've been standing there for days and have played 10,000 times, the odds on the next pull will still be one in 10,000. Those odds are long-term averages. In the short term, the machine could go 100,000 pulls without letting loose of the big one, or it could pay it out twice in a row.

So, is there a way to ensure that you hit it big on a slot machine? Not really, but despite the overriding elements of chance, there are some strategies you can employ. We'll cover these in the next section.

Because most players do not understand how slot machines work, whole sets of beliefs have grown over when to play a machine and when to avoid it. Little truth is in any of them. Here's a look at some of the more pervasive slot myths:

Change machines after a big jackpot -- the machine won't be due to hit again for some time. From a money-management standpoint, it makes sense to lock up the profits from a big hit and move on. But the machine is not "due" to turn cold. In fact, the odds against the same jackpot hitting on the next pull are the same as they were the first time.

Play a machine that has gone a long time without paying off -- it is due to hit. Slot machines are never "due." playing through a long losing streak all too frequently results in a longer losing streak.

Casinos place "hot" machines on the aisles. This belief is so widespread that end machines get a good deal of play regardless of how they pay. It is true that not all machines in the same casino are programmed with the same payback percentage. And it's true that casinos want other customers to see winners. But slot placement is more complex than just placing the hot ones at the ends of aisles.

The payback percentage is lowered when the crowds are bigger and demand is greater. It's not that easy to change a machine's programming. Changing the programmed payback percentage requires opening the machine and replacing a computer chip. That's not something to do cavalierly.

Win at slots: 6 tips to improve your chances

Just because slot machines are the loudest and brightest game in any casino, doesn't mean it's easy to win at slots. Keep in mind these online casino strategies to maximize your chances of winning at slots.

Many people might believe that playing online slots is one of the simplest forms of gambling. Though this may be true in some regard, strategic thinking is also involved when playing slots, just like with online poker strategies.

How do online slot machines work?

Most players do not understand how to play and how to win at slot machines, perhaps because of negative assumptions like the simplicity behind the game, the high probability of winning and the theory that no online strategies are needed. Know that winning isn't necessarily easy and luck is very important as well as a basic idea of the how slot machines work.

Every spin on a slot machine is totally random. Every time the machine is played, the computer program picks a random symbol on the first, the second, then the third reel.

The payback or return of the machine is then based on the probability of lining up the winning combinations and the payout for these combinations.

The sequence of the symbols cannot be influenced, therefore, every spin has the same chance of winning as the previous spin.

Slots probability

The probability to win a significant amount on slot machines is slim to none. Normally, casinos do not disclose the odds on slot machines, except for in the UK. So, often players cannot be informed of their chances of winning, but the chances are low.

Generally speaking, the easier the game is, the worse the odds are and because slot machines are played much faster than other casino games they also take your money faster. Furthermore, whatever the slot odds are, they are usually worse than table games such as baccarat and blackjack.

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Offline slots strategies

Granted, there's a low probability of winning a substantial amount on slot machines. That said, there are some offline strategies to improve your chances to win at slots. Keep reading to get the lowdown.

Strategy # 1: the one play

This is one of the simplest strategies for slots and also one of the most effective. The whole idea of this one play strategy is that you play the slot machine once with the highest amount possible. If you win, you play it again, if not you try another machine.

It is a very simple strategy but does require a little bit of luck too, however it saves players from sitting at the same machine for hours.

Strategy # 2: the standard deviation

This strategy uses an advanced mathematical equation to determine what are the chances of winning on a certain slot machine. As on many other occasions, this strategy takes patience, concentration and budget to complete, however, a return is nearly guaranteed.

Follow the steps below – how to use the standard deviation strategy?

Find an “equal pay'” machine, meaning that the chosen slot machine receives an amount related to the number of coins you bet on a line. For example, you get 20 coins returned for 2 coins, therefore you would get 40 coins for a 4 coin bet.

Next, find the standard number of spins between wins, by playing until you win and playing until you win again while counting the number of spins between each win.

When you have the number of spins between each win for at least 10 times, you will now know the average number of spins between wins you can use on a high payout machine.

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Online strategies: 6 casino tips to win at slots

Here's a list of picks we suggest you follow if you want to step up your game with online casinos and video slots:

Stick a fixed maximum payout

Some video slots have a fixed maximum payout whereas others have progressive jackpots which means they have a meter which increases the jackpot with every play without a return. Therefore, the more people play them the higher the jackpot.

Progressive games might seem the most attractive due to the high return. However, the huge disadvantage of the progressive games is that in most online casinos they are all linked together. Because of the number of people all playing for that huge jackpot amount, your odds of winning on a progressive game are lower.

That goes not only for the jackpot amount but also for the odds of winning smaller amounts as well. Therefore, it might be more profitable to stick to games with a fixed maximum payout and limit play on progressive games with huge jackpots.

Choose games with smallest jackpots

To have the best chance to win at slots in the short term, choose the games with the smallest jackpots.

The smaller the jackpot, the easier it is to win, increasing your chances of walking away a winner. The bigger the jackpot, the harder it is to actually hit and the more likely you'll lose in the short-term.

It takes a lot of playing hours to create the huge jackpots which are why your chances are lower. Furthermore, games that are novelty themed with huge jackpots have the worst odds so stick to smaller returns.

Avoid video reels

Slot machines with videos might look more attractive and fun. But the reality is that these machines pay back far less than the normal machines. It can be anything up to a 5% less return, which might seem like nothing but is, in fact, a great amount for slots.

The reason for this? The videos and entertainment features on slots take a bit longer to display. While this is happening the casino is not making money. So, the machine is programmed to take a little more money from customers when they are playing. Therefore, a good idea is to stick to the classic slot machines in order to improve return.

How to win at online slots

Not all online casinos are created equal. You need to find one that has big named slot games and in your preferred type of genre. Remember, more is better.

Find the RTP of your chosen slot game

The return to player is the theoretical percentage of money that you’ll earn playing a slot game. A high RTP, like 96%, means that you’ll usually make 96% of your investments back on average when playing a slot.
A low RTP, around 70%, means you’ll usually only get 70% of your money back on average.

Know the volatility of your chosen slot game

Would you rather have small, consistent wins or is it more fun to try and get infrequent yet huge wins? Highly volatile slots tend to have fewer payouts with more money; low volatility slots usually have more frequent wins at a smaller value.

Try to find games with free spins bonuses

Many but not all online slots have bonus rounds that are triggered if certain conditions are met. In the bonus rounds, you get some special rules, game-play, and extra or free spins of the reel. Slot games with these bonus rounds often have huge payouts, although they can be volatile.

Have a set amount of money you’re prepared to spend on the slots. If you’re playing this afternoon with $40, you stop whether or not you’ve lost it all or have made a nice profit.
Don’t chase your loss in attempts to break even and when your allowance is up, walk away with your winnings if you have any.

Online slots should never be a way to make money or strike it rich. Knowing the above tips can make your slot-playing experience even better! “the house always wins”, but you can still have a ton of fun while playing.

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so, let's see, what we have: slot machine strategies that you can use to play slot games online; including tips and other information designed to help you win while playing slots. At slot casino tips

Slot Machine Strategies - Tips, slot casino tips.

Slot casino tips

New casino sites to play real money

Slot machine strategies & tips

How slot machines work

Slot machine strategies that don’t work

Slot machine tips

How to win at slots – 15 actionable slot machine tips & tricks

Slot tip #1: know your limits and play within your budget

Slot tip #2: keep an eye on the edge

Slot tip #3: the higher the denomination the higher the payout

Slot tip #4: bet maximum credits

Slot tip #5: avoid progressive slots, play random jackpots

Slot tip #6: sign up for slot or casino bonuses and rewards

Slot tip #7: play around and don’t “tough it out”

Slot tip #8: play the casino – not the slot

Slot tip #9: find a slot machine that suits you

Slot tip #10: choose the best online casino

Slot tip #11: take advantage of no deposit codes

Slot tip #12: go free with instant play or practice mode

13 do's & don'ts slot tips you must know

SLOT TIPS: THE DO'S

SLOT TIP 2: IF YOU PLAY PROGRESSIVE SLOTS, MAKE SURE YOU BET ENOUGH TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE JACKPOTS

SLOT TIP 3: CHOOSE GAMES THAT FIT YOUR GOALS AND PLAYING PERSONALITY

SLOT TIP 4: ALWAYS PLAY WITHIN YOUR BUDGET AND BE WILLING TO LOWER YOUR BET OR STOP PLAYING IF YOU HIT A LIMIT

SLOT TIP 5: START SMALL TO WIN BIG, OR “PRIME THE PUMP”

SLOT TIP 6: PLAY SLOT MACHINES AT THE ENDS OF ROWS

SLOT TIP 7: SCOUT SLOT MACHINES OF THOSE THAT ARE PAYING BIG

SLOT TIP 8: LOOK FOR NEAR MISSES

SLOT TIPS: THE DON'TS

SLOT TIP 9: STRING THEORY

SLOT TIP 10: SLUG IT OUT

SLOT TIP 11: MAGNETIC FORCE

SLOT TIP 12: INSIDE JOB

SLOT TIP 13: CHEAT BY CHIP

Slot machine tips, tricks and best strategies

Tips & tricks for slots

Trick #1: avoid bet types which significantly decrease RTP

Trick #2: use double up feature to regulate the volatility

Trick #3: decrease the number of winlines to increase volatility

How to win big on slots

Slot machine betting strategies

"smart gambler" – gamble up to desired win

Simulation of the smart gambler strategy

"moonshot" – the ultimate all in strategy with IGT slots

"reverse martingale" – reinvest the win strategy

Simulation of the reverse martingale strategy

"casual player" – constant bet strategy

Simulation of the casual player strategy

Conclusions

"my mom’s strategy"

Slot machine strategies & tips

How slot machines work

Slot machine strategies that don’t work

Slot machine tips

Slots 101 – slots tips & strategy

Is there a way to win on online slots every time?

How to win on slot machines: 10 important tips from slots fans

How to choose the right slot machine

Be careful with the casino

Hot and cold slots

Loose slots

Visual effects vs payouts

Slots and wagering

Advanced online slot concepts

The mechanics of a slot machine RNG

Slot RTP – how to read it

Slot volatility – how often will you win?

Hit percentage

Slot bet strategy

Jackpot slot strategy: tips for winning the progressive

Your primary goal – remember to have fun!

The importance of proper budgeting

Learn more about slots

5 top casino gambling tips

Have fun and maybe even win some money

Know your limits

Get the most for your play

Smile for the cameras

Know your games