Category: slot strategy

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5 reasons to walk away from a slot machine

There are several times when you should seriously walk away.

    1. When it is no longer fun.
    2. when you have spent too much of your gambling money
    3. If you realize you are suffering slot hypnosis, Dazed and waiting for the machine to “hit”,  Because it must give me a jackpot after all the losing spins, the next one is bound to be a winner! (sign of gambling addiction)
    4. When it’s 3 am and you are incapable of making any decision, good or bad
    5. After you get a nice (or any) win – take the money and celebrate with a break – shopping or Starbucks or a celebratory dinner

 

    2. When you can’t walk away, this is a good book to read!

This little lockbox can help you go home with more cash – something you definitely want to try (it is enforced discipline).  Also makes a good gift for the Slot Maven in your life!

Gamble Box Metal Gambling Casino Cash Bank Box Stops Addictive Urges Best Gambling Tricks Tips Bring Home More Cash Leave Keys Home Fold Slip Some Cash Bills in Leave Casino’s With Locked Up Cash

Gambling at Casinos is fun but losing money is not – don’t bet more than you plan to lose, and try to enjoy the game! Jackpots are not common, so adjust your mindset for enjoyment – not a big (and elusive) payday! Anytime you leave the casino with money is a win! (Even if you lost a few bucks in the process). Best of Luck!

If you want to know who wins at slot machines, read: Slot machines are like an ATM for the Casinos.

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What is a good slot machine strategy with $100 to bet, minimum or max bet till it’s a win or total loss?

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It really is about what you want to do – extend your play or just lose the $100  quickly on a high-limit slot machine and go home.

Personally, I would suggest finding a machine that has a relatively low max bet, or a .50 to $1.50 bet (with good low wager returns), and get more pulls for your money plus any winnings (which give you more pulls if you don’t cash out).

mikes guide to better slot play Amazon
Mikes Guide to Better Slot Play, available from Amazon

If you make a decent win, like several hundred dollars, pull some out and continue the strategy, so you can play longer at the machine – and increase the odds of winning by having more spins.  And you would be playing with the money you won, not your original $100 bankroll.  Remember, anytime you walk out of the casino with money – you are a winner.  And if you have fun, even better!

This article talks about it in some detail:

Using Probability When Hitting the Slot Machines – dummies

Remember, machines with “guaranteed” 90% payouts mean guaranteed 10% Losses on average over time. Unless you have luck with you and make a big win, it is unlikely that you will win the big progressive (unless you are playing Max Bet, and very lucky). So Play for fun and extend your play on machines you ENJOY playing!

winning at slots
Winning at Casino Slots For the Gaming Challenged: More Bang for Your Casino Buck , Available from Amazon

And, if you want to make max bet on progressive machines, Look at the paytables to see what smaller wins you can get. Pay tables tell you a lot, and give you an idea how the machine will reward winning combinations. and the amount of the Max bet will tell you how many spins to expect for your $100 gaming investment.

You can also divide your $100 into 5 twenty-dollar “sessions” at different slot machines.  This is a tactic known as “session gambling”.  If you make a win (doubling or tripling your $20 or more), you can cash out and start another session.  This gives you a better handle of how your gaming is progressing, and will break up your time at the casino with different machines.  You can also end a session early if the machine is “cold”, before it gobbles up your entire twenty!

 

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What have you personally done to win big on slot machines?

lots of slot machines

If you want a shot at winning anything on slot machines, you have to play. The Longshot win of someone putting a quarter in a machine and winning a million dollars is Hollywood, but it can happen. (and yes, I do put my few dollars in the giant slot machine when you enter the casino, you never know).

Alan pulling the handle on a giant one-arm bandit in Las Vegas.
Alan pulling the handle on a giant one-arm bandit in Las Vegas.

Apart from playing more equals more chances to win (or lose, if you look at it that way), I am a low-roller and a “session” gambler, extending play with lower wagers and $10 – $20 sessions. Winning “big” is a factor of the RNG, the “Random Number generator” that determines the outcome each time you spin. Each spin has an equal chance of winning, although larger progressive jackpots are only paid when the maximum is bet.

While I would be exuberantly happy and excited with a big jackpot, I have never won more than about $200 on any one machine. The real payout is the fun you have with a machine that has aliens, stampedes, hay-wires, super Heroes, or free spins.

So my answer is that I play, to increase the possibility of winning – but luck and the RNG have not granted the “big wins”. (YET).

You can always get books on “how to win big at slots” from Amazon.

I have touched on the subject before, so take a look at my shameless self promotion:

Alan Chenkin’s answer to What are the best tips for casino slot machines?

slot machine strategy | The Chenkin Report

Have fun at the casino, learn the strategy that is best for you, and (in Vegas), enjoy the sights! Vegas Baby! Silver strikes in the land of Bugsy and Elvis!

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Do slot machines pay out less on the weekends?

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Slot machine payouts are at regulated percentages over the lifetime of the machine. The machines are regulated, the payouts are calculated over the lifetime of the machine, and – unless the machine is reprogrammed – the RNG (Random Number generator) chip determines the win or lose on each wager. so the machine does not care what day of the week it is, just the RNG.

Having said that, it is obvious that some casinos have increased numbers of PLAYERS on the weekends, and more people playing means that (overall) there is a potential for more winners (and losers), although statistically the odds are the same.

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A good read on Amazon

There are machines that use “gaming psychology” to make you feel that winning 50 cents on a dollar bet is a “CONGRATULATIONS!! YOU WON FIFTY CENTS!!” event, when in fact you LOST fifty cents on that wager. Each wager is a random event, so gamble responsibly, understand the payout tables, and avoid superstitions like any machine is “overdue for a big win”.

Play games you enjoy, and have fun at, and walk away when you have invested an amount you are comfortable wagering. Personally, I am a “session gambler”, and will play a variety of machines when I am in a gambling mood.

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Great shirt from Amazon; click on it for more choices!

I have touched on the subject before, so take a look at my shameless self promotion:

Alan Chenkin’s answer to What are the best tips for casino slot machines?

slot machine strategy | The Chenkin Report

Have fun at the casino, learn the strategy that is best for you, and (in Vegas), enjoy the sights! Vegas Baby! Silver strikes in the land of Bugsy and Elvis!

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If slot machines in casinos are rigged in general, why do they still exist?

Slot machines are REGULATED, not “rigged” (or programmed to cheat you for the owners benefit).

Regulated slot machines have payouts that are set by the gaming commission, based on the configuration of the machine. This guarantees the payout percentage of the machine, and also guarantees the percentage of profit that the casino can get from each machine.

Having said that, casinos don’t require a dealer to stand at the machine, and cost very little floor space in relation to the money they make for the casino. When you see a casino with 3,000 slot machines and only 50 gaming tables, it’s obvious that the slot machines make a handsome income for the casino.

Modern slot machines are also more complicated than the old 3-reel slot machines of old; you can wager on 10, 20, 50, or more lines at a time, and at different denominations. basic slot psychology says you have to bet more to win more and the flashing lights lure you in to one more spin…..

Even though the machines are regulated, Slot machines are still games of chance and you have the possibility of a large jackpot – but your winning is NOT guaranteed.

Rather than be upset you are not getting the jackpots you deserve, I strongly urge you to play only slots that are entertaining or fun – and play for the fun! Don’t anticipate winning, as jackpots are random and unpredictable events. limit your contribution to the slot machines, and take frequent breaks to enjoy the ambiance of the casino, and keep a little more of your bankroll out of the casino’s coffers.

Also use your players card! that is the casino’s measure for giving you back some of your wagers in exchange for food, prizes, or points. It isn’t much for me (I am a session gambler and a known “low-roller”).

Also look at the paytables, and bet accordingly. they are not all the same!

The secret to how I win at slots:

I own 2 antique slot machines. Hopefully all my houseguests bring spare change. And trust me, they are really loose! (I would never lie). It’s a great way to monetize my home. You can buy one of your own on eBay.

Thanks for the A2A!

Disclaimer: I own 2 slot machines, so technically I am a Casino owner, such as it is. I also enjoy writing about gaming on my blog, www.thechenkinreport.com.

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Where do I find info about slot machines?

1947 Mills "Golden Nugget" slot machine

Slot machines, to me, are lots of fun!  Here are some tips about getting the most info from your slot machines – play as you learn.

I get a lot of good information from Casino City Times – Gaming Gurus  – Frank Scoblette is a good source of information on Slots.  I also Like Casino Gambling Strategy – Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Three Card Poker, Slots, Video Poker – from VegasTripping.com.

One of the hardest disciplines to learn is managing your bankroll, or gambling money.  I would recommend that you learn to be a session gambler. Divide your bankroll into smaller piles.  For example, take a one hundred dollar bill and divide it into 5 $20 dollar sessions.  When you play a machine, only put in one $20 bill, (or one session).  when the $20 is consumed, your session has ended, and you make the decision to switch machines or start a new session.  If you jackpot, cash-out and end that session – put that money in your back pocket, for later.  If you blow all 5 sessions, hang it up – take a break, and see what else you can do at the casino!

Smart Slot Strategies: A mathematical approach to winning slot machine strategies

Don’t be afraid to take a few minutes and review the paytables on the machines;  paytables have a significant impact on your potential winnings.  Progressive slot machines (where a bank of slots contribute to the pool of prize money) usually require a Maximum Bet to get the big prize.  You can bet less, but that means if you roll the winning combination – you may get a small payout or NOTHING.  Other machines may have graduated payouts regardless of your bet; so if you are playing small wagers to extend your play time at the machine, seek out these machines so you don’t miss any winning opportunities!

Keep an eye on the slot machines maximum bet – usually expressed in credits;  wagering 500 credits on a penny machine is $5.00 for that spin of the reels! If your session is $20, that is only 4 spins – if your session is $100, then you have 20 spins.  More spins mean more opportunity to win (or lose).  Many hard core slot machine players feel you have to wager $200 – $300 on a machine, in order to get any significant winnings.  Decide in advance what your gambling budget is, and space it over your time in the casino – then you have an idea what you are willing to spend on gaming, and can strategize the most practical way to meter your wagering.

If you bump into a slot attendant, they may have a “hot sheet” of machines that have the larger payouts on the floor.  Not all casinos distribute or publish this information, and it usually just tells you which machines are played the most, which is why they have the bigger payouts.

 

The Mathematics of Slots: Configurations, Combinations, Probabilities

These books can be very helpful.  Read all you can.  Now that slots are mostly electronic, the math and “gambler psychology” play into how the machines work.  Pay attention to paytables, progressives, and the type of machine you are playing!

 

Best of luck in and out of the casino’s,  -Alan

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Is the expert’s strategy of playing slot machines at max bet and playing the highest denominations possible 100% wrong?

The expert’s strategy is not 100% wrong, because it does not take into account actual pay-tables on individual slot machines.

1947 Mills "Golden Nugget" slot machine
1947 Mills “Golden Nugget” slot machine

Slot machines all publish their pay-tables, and some DO NOT PAY certain jackpots UNLESS you play maximum bet. For those machines, maximum return can only be achieved by betting the maximum. betting the minimum can actually cause you to lose a significant jackpot because of the posted pay-table.

Typical Pay table for coin operated slot machines
Typical Pay table for coin operated slot machines (from Authors collection)

Many gamblers bet less than the maximum to extend play and actually enjoy the game; while winning is the goal, having fun and enjoying the spinning reels or dropping diamonds can be exciting.  If you are one of these gamblers, then you most likely do believe playing max bet is 100% wrong!
Here are some commentaries from the web:
Max Bet Myth Busted – Casino City Times
Smart Slot Strategies: A mathematical approach to winning slot machine strategies
Smart Slot Strategies: A mathematical approach to winning slot machine strategies
Beating the House: Reducing the Casino’s Odds

 

It’s not right or wrong, it’s what works for you.  Slot machines today take bills,  and max bet is sometimes $6 or more per “pull”.  When you calculate your “dollars bet per hour” bet, keep an eye on how much you can lose.  Think about becoming a Session Gambler.  And remember to have fun in the casinos!