How To Pick The Best Slot Machine To Play
- When looking for casino slots machines, you need to look at the following aspects of the games to choose the best slots title: Return to Player (RTP) percentage – the return to play percentage.
- Choosing Slot Machines: Finding the best candidate slots to play. Summary for Choosing Slot Machines After a casino has been chosen, it’s time to select candidate slot machines most likely to result in a.
The best you can do is just pick a slot that’s fun to play. Even though all slots work in the same basic manner, they come in all different types and styles. You have traditional reel slots, video slots complete with storylines and even 3D slots like those found at Bovada. It’s best to forget about getting an advantage when playing slots.
Introduction to Choosing Slot Machines
Once a specific casino has been determined to currently be the best of any available, choosing slot machines becomes the next step towards making a profit at slots.
Remember, statistics supplied to state gaming commissions show that the odds of winning are, on average, somewhere around 90%. By assessing all available casinos, then selecting the best possible, you’ve already improved your odds of winning – perhaps by several percentage points.
Whatever your gambling goals are, we’ll talk about those in the next step Identifying Gambling Goals. For now, we need to consider choosing slot machines that will most likely improve our overall odds even more.
So, we’ve walked into our best casino to choose slot machines with the highest odds of winning we can find. How do we select a good slot machine? Most people don’t – they dive right in without much of a plan. Well, we have a plan.
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Why? Because everybody says it’s all about luck. If you pick wrong, “Well,” they say, “better luck next time.” Remember, casino employees are trained to say things like that. If you’d won a jackpot instead, you can believe they would have said, “You’re lucky! I’ll see you later when you win another jackpot!”
Slot attendants have a job to do, and it most certainly isn’t to get you to leave when you should. And, it’s difficult to not to influenced by such comments. But, try not to be.
In the following sections, I’ll briefly explain the following aspects of choosing slot machines:
- How odds are set within a slot machine
- Choosing denomination and maximum credits based on bankroll
- Basics of reading a slot machine’s paytable
- A simple way to use paytables to pick the best machines, and avoid the worst
Two Separate Odds of Winning
The odds of winning for a slot machine is a limited number of settings from the manufacturer. Besides understanding limited settings are available, it may help to understand that slot machines have two odds of winning to determine:
- If a player will or will not win anything
- How much that win will be, i.e., the jackpot amount
Why is understanding these two types of odds significant when choosing slot machines? Because winning slot machines come in all jackpot sizes. You’re still winning if you’re getting enough small jackpots that your bankroll isn’t shrinking. Even if it is slowly depleting, the bankroll can last quite a bit longer, so that’s also a winning slot machine.
Winning many jackpots this way is bankroll cycling. It may not seem very satisfactory, but whether it does or not depends entirely on what your gambling goals are. One type of gambling goal, earning maximum complimentary gifts, is most often achieved via bankroll cycling.
Another point about setting slot machine odds is, how often they change? Of course, it depends on the age of the casino, as discussed in the previous step Assessing Casinos, or if it’s been renovated lately.
In my experience, older-style casinos change their slot machine odds every 7-10 days. Newer-style casinos can change their slot machine odds whenever the machine has been idle for 15 minutes or more, without a players club card inserted or the machine temporarily locked by a slot attendant.
Matching Bankrolls to Denomination/Credits
Only you can decide how much bankroll you want to risk gambling. I highly recommend bringing only as much money you can safely afford to lose comfortably.
Bankrolls quite literally determine which slot machines you can play. But, there’s more to it than understanding a $100 bankroll lets you play a 1-credit, $100-denomination exactly once, with very, very little chance of winning.
Whatever bankroll you have limits which slot machines can be played and how much it can be played. Slot machines have denominations ($0.01, $0.25, $1, $5, $10, etc.) and the maximum credits that can be placed in a single bet.
Slot machines typically must run for a while before wins become more likely. Yes, wins can occur at the first press of a button. They can also happen within the first few bets, where casinos offer a taste. But, usually, they need to run for a while.
About 100-120 bets is the right amount to be prepared to play to determine if you’re sitting at a winning (or breakeven) slot machine. Yes, be careful initially, perhaps making as few as 20 bets, to determine if it happens to be a “bad” machine. Trust your instincts!
If it is a poorly performing machine, a “tight” slot machine, it won’t pay out anything at all. Quick decisions are necessary here, so limited betting gives a clue to its performance, yet still leaves enough to gamble with on another machine if it isn’t – assuming you stop playing it as soon as you notice it’s not performing well enough.
So, again, you determine how much bankroll you can afford to spend. Now, take that number and divide it by 120 bets. If your bankroll is $60, then that’s 50 cents per bet. In such a way, the right choice is a 2-credit, quarter-denomination slot machine. Or, a 50-credit, penny-denomination slot machine.
Always remember to play maximum credits for the highest odds of winning. Meaning, your casino may not have a 2-maximum-credit quarter or 50-maximum-credit penny machines. But, perhaps they have a 1-maximum-credit quarter or less-than-50-maximum-credits penny machines. Such slot machines would provide more than 120 bets of play, which is going in the right direction!
Reading a Slot Machine’s Paytable
When choosing a slot machine to play, a crucial aspect of winning is to review its paytable before playing. Frankly, the casino industry gains an advantage over players that don’t read slot machine paytables.
Located somewhere on a slot machine is one or more tables showing the number of credits won if specific combinations of reel symbols appear in the pay line after the player makes a bet. Below is a relatively generic example of a paytable.
The figure shows reel combinations along with their jackpot depending on the number of credits bet. Paytables don’t typically explain how much credits
Not every reel combination and its associated jackpot are usually shown in a paytable. Other reel combinations not shown in the top rows are also presented in the paytable area. Slot machines with WILD symbols can represent it with a myriad of other possible reel symbols.
A final element of paytable example provided is specific information on winning reel combinations, which can include an indication of how the slot machine operates during play. The bottom row of symbol explains that that slot machine has reel symbols which will move after the reels stop momentarily.
Such additional features may not activate until the maximum credits are bet. It can sometimes be difficult, or impossible, to determine this. Most slot machines with bonus rounds will provide at least some information about it within its paytable.
Developing a habit of reviewing and studying a slot machine’s paytable can help improve your ability to judge the financial risks involved with playing that slot machine.
How to Avoid the Worst Slot Machines
The best way to improve the odds of winning via slot machine gambling is to stop making “sucker bets”. In less colorful language, avoid playing slot machines with terrible odds of winning.
First and foremost, understand when choosing slot machines that there are indeed terrible slot machines at a casino. By merely avoiding them whenever possible, on average, your long-term gambling return will improve. Each time we raise our odds like this, we’re pushing closer to achieving our gambling goals. So, let’s make sure we do that, shall we?
Best Slot Machines To Play
Calculate this “Goodness Ratio” as follows:
- When choosing slot machines, as discussed above, find the paytable with the denomination and maximum credits that best matches your available bankroll.
- Take a close look at the paytable. What is the maximum possible jackpot when maximum credits are bet?
- If the top jackpot is displayed in currency, divide it by both the denomination of the machine and the maximum credits
- If the top jackpot is displayed in credits, divide it by only the maximum credits
This “Goodness Ratio” tells us how worthwhile a specific slot machine is to play relative to others. By using this approach, any slot machine can be compared to any other slot machine.
How To Pick The Best Slot Machine To Play On
Example: In the paytable above, the maximum jackpot is 2,400 credits with three maximum credits. Therefore, its Goodness Ratio is 2,400 / 3 = 800.
Repeat this calculation for slot machines of interest. While this Goodness Ratio will be similar for many slot machines, it can be startling to find “sucker bet” slot machines that might not otherwise be avoided.
Summary for Choosing Slot Machines
After a casino has been chosen, it’s time to select candidate slot machines most likely to result in a relatively high-value win. The size of your available bankroll, whatever it is, is an essential factor in this selection process. The bankroll size needs to be matched to the slot machine’s denomination and the number of maximum credits.
Here, we’ve also discussed how slot machines calculated odds twice: once to determine if you’ve won, and again to determine how much you’ve won. Another critical aspect discussed to improve a player’s performance was the basics of reading a slot machine’s paytable.
Finally, we talked about the “goodness” ratio to help select candidate slot machines and, perhaps critically important when improving our odds of winning, knowing precisely which slot machines must be avoided.
Next Steps
The next step on your journey to improving slots performance is Identifying Gambling Goals. Enjoy!
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I sincerely hope you find it both enjoyable and useful. For questions, call my voicemail hotline at 702-90-SLOTS, email me at Jon Friedl, or reach out to me through social media:
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Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl LLC
Have you found yourself struggling to understand the different mechanisms of gaming machines in an attempt to figure out how to beat slot machine technology? We get it! There are so many bits of advice and opinions out there contradicting each other, and it can get confusing – who to trust, what to believe? Which tips and tricks will work?
You might hear people say that slots are the easiest out of all the game options available at casinos today, but we would argue that that’s not entirely true. Sure – they are without a doubt among the most straightforward games to pick up – a few clicks of a button, followed by several more, and you’ve got it down, more or less. Simple. However, that’s pretty much where the simple part ends because when it comes to easy games, understanding and working with the odds become much more complicated.
We hate to say it, but slot machine odds are no exception: unfortunately, the house edge is higher than it is for most other games. Plus, slots players are gambling solo. When there are no opponents making decisions or other factors that force players to wait for their turn or take their time making decisions, it means that they can set their own pace and that usually translates into a steady blur that would make even Speedy Gonzales proud. If we’re talking strategies here, rushing through might not be the best way to start.
Figure out how to play
Here’s the first step. Learn how to play slot machine games with the basics. It takes virtually no time to figure out the controls of the game – bet amount adjustment arrows, number of lines, spin, autoplay; they’re all overwhelmingly effortless to master. But what about game features? There are a lot of different types of games with varying winning paylines, prizes, and bonus features, so you should get familiar with how the rules affect your chances of winning.
One way to do this is to test out many games in the Free Play mode. Refrain from betting immediately because it’s a good idea to get a feel for a particular game before you do. You’ll have fun while also seeing how that individual game works. There are differences like graphics that don’t play a role in your winnings, but then there are more significant details like how frequently bonuses occur or how much your winnings are multiplied when certain features are triggered. These differences can significantly impact the outcome of your playing session.
Understand payouts
If you care about winning money, you will also need to study how slot machine payouts are determined. This is one of the key elements that will determine your success. Each slot machine has a specific payback percentage – that’s an important thing to take note of because it means there is a predetermined percentage of the total amount wagered by players that get paid back to them.
The minimum percentage is usually 82%, but a solid payback percentage is somewhere between 92% and 98%. Keep in mind that slot machines with higher bet denominations typically also come with higher percentages for payouts.
Choose the right machine for you
If you’re asking yourself how to win at a slot machine repeatedly and without success, it’s time to rethink the games you’re choosing. Slots may be a random game with less than ideal odds, but that means that your choice of which game to play is key.
There are different kinds of gamblers – there are so many games and even variations of the same games out there, and the ones that people find themselves drawn to are reflective of their personalities, habits, and preferences. While we would love to give you a straightforward explanation of how to pick a winning slot machine, it just doesn’t exist. You need to know what you want out of the experience and what, practically speaking, is feasible for you.
Here are some guidelines. You have to take into account how much you can afford, how high your tolerance for risk is, and your general playing history. Ask yourself – when have you gotten the most enjoyment out of the game? Do you find satisfaction when you play conservatively to maximize play time? Or do you prefer to play in short, quick bursts with just a little recklessness thrown in there?
Here’s another example – as a general rule, the simpler the slot machine, the higher the payback percentage. That also means that more appealing games with flashier graphics will have worse odds. Games with progressive jackpots have impressive top prizes but lower odds of winning. So, which types interest you more? Also, keep in mind that if you want to have a shot at winning big, you have to be okay with the possibility of losing. The highest paying slot machines are going to be risky. Which brings us to our next point about momentum.
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Know yourself
You’re not playing to find the quickest way to lose all of your money at a casino… Unless, for some reason you are – in which case, you probably don’t need any of these tips or tricks for improvement. If you have a substantial bankroll and prefer to play mindlessly to unwind, then, by all means, do so.
However, if you’re not a player with an unlimited bankroll, it’s all the more important that you have a solid understanding of yourself as a gambler. How do you handle risk? Each individual has his or her unique tendencies, and you need to develop and utilize strategies to keep you in control and having as much fun as possible – whether that means a session that’s as long as possible or as exciting as possible. Don’t let nerves or frustration lead to stupid, impulsive decisions. If you realize that certain situations lead to a decrease in sound judgment, learn to avoid them, just as people learn to do in any activity.
Stay relatively sober, literally, and figuratively. Of course – you need to let loose and have fun, but never to the degree that you can’t recover from. Be cool and clear-headed, and you’ll get the most out of your slots-playing experience – we guarantee it.
Set strict spending limits
This is a continuation of our previous point – what exactly do we mean when we say avoid stupid decisions? Many tips and tricks vary from source to source. This one definitely does not. No matter where you go or who you ask, the advice when it comes to spending will ALWAYS be the same: plan your bankroll carefully and stick to the plan.
Don’t even think about starting your session without having a set of guidelines for how much you are comfortable spending. Never go beyond what you can afford to lose – in fact, you should think of the specific amount for your budget and keep it in the back of your mind at all times.
While it often makes sense to play with the highest denominations, you can only do this safely if it’s within your bankroll. Don’t allow it to get in the way of your enjoyment, of course, but do train yourself to be mindful.
Think about it in the same way as normal, regularly occurring expenses that require budgeting. If you’re playing at a land-based casino, leave your debit card in your hotel room. Withdraw the specific amount that you’ve decided on, and exchange that amount of cash for chips. When you’re done, you’re done.
Or, make a rule for yourself about how much you want to win or lose before you stop playing for the night. If you’re playing online, ask a trusted friend to check in about how much you plan to spend and whether you stick to the plan or not. Gambling addiction is a very real, very serious problem. It’s an enjoyable and rewarding hobby, so you shouldn’t let the game take control of you.
How To Use Slot Machines
Sign up for bonuses
Don’t underestimate the importance of bonuses. Look out for promotions and perks at your favorite real money online casinos. Casinos know that they need to keep things fresh and dynamic for their customers. They want to keep their players engaged in their experience so that they come back for more. Your loyalty means a lot to them, and they’re always looking for new rewards and bonuses to make it worth your while.
You can also find the holy grail of slot game bonuses if you dig deep enough. Sometimes an online casino offers free spins with no deposit. This is the ultimate bonus, one where you don’t have to risk any money to play. Also, check out the online casino VIP membership programs available to you. These programs offer some substantial benefits that dramatically enhance your enjoyment and potential winnings, so take advantage of the options available to you!
How To Pick A Winning Slot Machine
Accept the game for what it is
There are multiple sources out there saying that slots are often thought of as simply a way to lose money. And yet, it’s still one of the most popular games out there. Why? Because it’s just fun – it’s visually appealing, and the outcome of each spin is a mystery you’re waiting to uncover. Slots have been around for a long time, and if you love to play, then you need to be able to accept the game for what it is. The house advantage is something you just need to recognize as the price for playing something that brings you happiness and excitement.
How do you improve at playing slots?
How To Pick The Best Slot Machine To Play
Practice often, develop an understanding of the game, decide what you want out of it, play the game responsibly, and accept it for what it is. The odds can be difficult to beat, so look out for ideal payouts and bonuses to enhance your play.