Millions of players enjoy slot machines daily. It is the world's favorite form of gambling, perhaps even surpassing bingo. A recurring question that players have is whether there is strategy involved in slot machines and if so, what strategy to use. The short answer is that yes, there is some strategy involved in slot machines but it is very random.
This short article from our friends at the
Online Casinos Reviews website will attempt to explain basic strategy and tell you what machines you should play as well as those you should avoid. This of course assumes that money matters to you. If you play to have fun, which is most recommended, you don't require machine selection: simply pick what you enjoy to play most.
Key concepts
The first key concept involved in slot machine strategies is to pick the right machines to play on. This splits into two aspects. First you have the choose your wagering limit and then you have to choose the machine. Let's break it down by starting with the payout percentage.
If you've paid attention to the slots' pay tables, there is usually a premium for betting the maximum amount of coins. Hitting the grand prize when you've put in 25 cents might pay 800 coins while the same payout would be 5,000 coins if you had wagered the maximum of 5 coins. Notice that 5,000 coins is more than the result you'd get by multiplying 800x5. That is the premium you get for betting the maximum, and it is included in the payout percentage.
What does that mean? Well, it means that if you do not bet the maximum amount of coins, you will get less than the advertised payout percentage. Whether you play for fun or not, you should always try to aim for the highest percentage possible since, at the very least, you'll be able to play longer for the money spent. In other words, unless there's a machine that you really enjoy, you should always go for a machine with a 97% payout instead of one with a 92% payout.
Let's say that you sat at a machine with the 97% payout and instead of wagering 5 coins, you only wager 1 coin. Over a million spins, you would earn less than 97% because you will never, ever get the premium when you hit the grand prize. In this example, the premium is $250 but I have seen machines where it is proportionally much, much larger. The casinos are more than happy to see you play with minimum coins since they have an even bigger advantage over you. For example, in some of the different variations of the popular Wheel of Fortune slot machines, you can't win the jackpot if you don't wager the maximum number of coins. But the bulk of the payout percentage is in that jackpot! Yet I've personally seen players bet the minimum. Don't be that person.
It should be clear now that you always want to wager the maximum number of coins. But how exactly does that conclusion affect you? Well, it should affect your wallet. If you've been playing on a quarter machine and betting the minimum, chances are that you can't afford to suddenly start putting in 5 coins per spin. So you should step down and play nickels, plain and simple. Most people hate the feeling of moving down the ladder. Playing for a couple of cents doesn't seem appealing since the jackpots seem so low. But in reality, you only have to make your brain process the information differently. Wagering 5 coins at a 0,05 machine is exactly the same as playing one coin at the higher limit, except that you will get the premium and a better payout percentage.
That is one part of the basic strategy, but it does not make you a winner. For more strategy and advice on how to win, visit our
Winning at slot machines section at the casino portal. I hope you enjoyed the article and will win big.
