Strategy for Playing Slots – How to Come on Top and Win Money
Slots are one of the most-played casino games, but not all gamblers know how a slot machine works. Contrary to popular belief, slot machine outcomes aren’t entirely dependent on luck. While they utilize random number generators (RNG) to simulate a real-life game of chance, slot machines also use odds to determine the outcome. With a proper understanding of how odds work, you might be in a position to increase your chances of winning money. In other words, it’s possible to come up with a strategy for playing slots, but this is more easily said than done. Lucky for you, this guide is meant to help out with exactly that: We’ll discuss some of the most popular winning strategies players can develop and how to make them your own.
The Number of Possible Outcomes
Slots odds work similarly to those in roulette, with one major difference: The number of possible combinations – and subsequent outcomes – is much higher than the 37 or 38 available results on the roulette wheel. If you want to come up with a good slots strategy, you have to take into account that there could be thousands or millions of reel combinations for a given game. Both the number of combinations and the payout size for winning combinations are taken into consideration when determining a game’s odds. Game developers decide on the payout amounts. In other words, the math that goes into slots can be a lot more complex than the math in table casino games.
Reasons to Spin Slots
Now that we’ve answered the question of how do slot machines work, it’s time to start working on your strategy. Surprisingly enough, your personal reasons for playing have a significant effect on what will end up working for you. Are you there for the big win, or do you just enjoy spinning slots every now and again? Your patience in execution depends on your motivation: After all, some strategies are entertaining, but others can be extremely repetitive, although worthwhile. Once you know why you’re playing in the first place, you can come up with a slot machine strategy to fit your preferences.
Win and Loss Limits
With any casino game, but especially slots, setting up a win and loss limit is one of the best things to do. It’s pretty straightforward – you decide on an upper limit for winnings and a lower limit for losses and quit playing once you reach either. In case you forget, the amount you have in the machine will tell you how much money you’ve already won or lost. Many consider this to be the best strategy for playing slots, as it stops you from losing too much.
Let’s learn by example: Say you have a weekend off and plan to spend most of it spinning online slots. If you intend to play for about 10 hours that weekend and your budget is $1,500, you can afford to lose a maximum of $150 per hour. If you lose $150 in the first 20 minutes of spinning, take a 40-minute break. That way, you won’t spend your budget too fast, and the maximum you can lose is $1,500. Setting up a maximum for slot wins is trickier: Winning more and more is too enticing, but remember that you can lose it all just as quickly. Most people simply set their limit to double what they started with, but this is just a rule of thumb. The desire to win your money back or keep up a streak can sometimes be too strong, however, so you might inform a friend about your limits so they can help your restraint.
Pick the Right Machine
The slot machine itself plays a significant role in your overall experience. To develop a feasible strategy for slot machines, you first have to make sure you’re playing on the right one. Many people choose $1 machines simply because their math is the easiest to work out. However, these machines often don’t fit their allotted budget, so their sessions don’t last nearly as long as planned. Once you enter a physical or online casino, it’s time to pick a machine with a denomination that suits your budget. Knowing your budget will help you find the right machine and should be a key part of your casino slot machine strategy.
For those on a tighter budget, choosing a $1 machine makes little sense. On the other hand, less flashy options like penny slots might be exactly what you’re looking for. Playing on penny slots offers more leeway for risk-taking and thus more opportunities for winning. And if it pays off, the amount you win on penny slots can be transferred to a $1 machine. If you’re the kind of lucky soul for whom money is no object, $1 slots may be the best slot machines to play on. Just remember – bigger wins mean bigger risks, too.
Slot Clubs
If you’ve ever been to a casino, you’ve probably heard of slot clubs. Most players steer clear of them simply because they consider them a hassle, but this is a huge mistake. A slot club lets your host track your playing. Without monitoring, the casino can’t reward you with free spins, pick’em bonuses, and other perks. Everything reward shaves a little bit off the house edge, so the best casino slot machine strategy certainly involves joining a slot club. It doesn’t cost a thing, and the extras are either free or based on the money you would have bet anyway.
Let’s look at how slot club card points work. Most casinos let you exchange them for cash, which you can then use to spin slots. Usually, 1,000 points will earn you $10, but the exact ratio differs by the casino. These points stack up quickly for frequent players, and even casual players may get enough points for free food and drinks to enjoy while searching for your winning machine. This might not refill your bank account, but a free perk is a free perk.
Avoid Progressive Jackpots
If you haven’t spent a lot of time in casinos, chances are you don’t know about progressive jackpots. These are winnings that increase every time someone takes a specific slot machine for a spin, meaning that every spin carries a random chance to win the jackpot. The longer the jackpot remains unclaimed, the bigger it gets. In most casinos that include this option, progressive slots work by taking a percentage of each wager and adding it to the jackpot.
Winning a huge progressive jackpot may seem like a dream come true, but you’d be smarter to stay away. Just think about it: The casino has to take the progressive jackpot cost out of somewhere, and it certainly won’t be their own pocket. In other words, the money comes from the players’ end.
Slot Volatility
The right machine is an integral part of any strategy. To identify the winning slot machine, you have to think about its volatility. Measure the risk involved when playing each slot and choose the one that suits your preferences the best. As you might expect, there are low-volatility slots and high-volatility slots. On the former, your chances of winning are higher, but your winnings are significantly lower. On the latter, the odds of winning are lower, but the rewards are higher.
There’s no absolute right or wrong choice here: Your playstyle will determine what options comprise the best video slot machine strategy. If you’re a big spender passionate about spinning slots, high volatility games may be exactly what you’re looking for. On the other hand, if long gambling sessions are your thing, you can opt for low volatility slots. Luckily, ascertaining the volatility isn’t hard. Type the name of the slot game you’re playing into any search engine, and it will do the job for you. The longer – if more interesting – way of getting the same result would be to try all the games to identify the winning slots yourself.
Be Careful with High-Limit Slots
It’s essential to get familiar with all the slot machines at your disposal. Knowing how each of them works will determine your strategy and potentially increase your chance of winning.
When choosing what to play, most people believe that it only makes sense to play the slots that can win them the most money. While this certainly sounds nice, there’s a reason why the jackpots on high-limit machines may seem too good to be true. In most cases, high-limit slots won’t fit in a sound strategy at all. These slots let players invest as much as they want, going up to hundreds of dollars for a single wager. They may offer great rewards, but the odds of you losing all your money after a single spin are far greater.
“High rollers” are another important topic. This term refers to players with lots of money to burn, who tend to place enormous bets. High rollers enjoy playing on high-limit machines – something to keep in mind when determining how to win at slots. Casinos love high rollers, as they not only spend a lot of money but also serve as an example for other players to do the same and win big. This is precisely why casinos often post lists of the most recent big winners and their jackpots.
Popular Slots Secrets
If you’ve browsed the web while trying to come up with slots strategies, you’ve probably heard talk about secrets to winning large amounts of money. While there are no such secrets in actuality, there are casino slot-machine secrets seasoned players rely on to increase their chances of winning. Before going for a spin, the common thing to do is to look up a specific game’s developer. Being familiar with companies that design slot games often comes in handy, as some of them are famous for creating games that deliver big wins. Knowing who developed the game you’re playing might not guarantee that you’ll win, but it’s a smart thing to look into when choosing your machine.
There are other popular tricks to winning on slot machines pros use. For instance, they will often take advantage of the free spins they get from the casino. Free spins give veterans a chance to test slot games they’ve never played before and see if they like the odds those games offer. It’s also the perfect way to test out new strategies and determine how to play with actual money. Free spins are often awarded to new players as an incentive for them to stick around. You can use free spins to learn how to play slot machines before you invest any cash.
Play Games with High RTP
Return to Player (RTP) is another important term to keep in mind when spinning slots. It’s the percentage a given machine will pay back to players over time. If you want to increase your chances of winning, you should play on the machines or online slot games with the highest RTP. Some slot games pay more than others, and being aware of RTPs before you start playing is vital. Luckily, you don’t have to spend hours searching for the slot machines with the best odds for winning or getting payback. A quick online search will do the trick, but unlike determining volatility, you can’t figure out a machine’s RTP by merely trying it out.
We’ll also help you identify the best slot games to play right now. Most online casinos offer similar games, of which some are known for having a higher RTP. These are precisely what you’re looking for. Some of the slot games to look for are Texas Tea, Pirate Gold, and the Himalayas: Roof of the World.
Know Your Chances
If you’ve ever asked, “Are slot machines rigged?” this is the section for you. Simply put, they aren’t. Still, the house edge is always higher than that of a player, and a casino will never be on the losing side. This doesn’t mean you can’t win money spinning slots, but it does mean that all jackpots come from the players’ end. Slot machines are programmed to use a Random Number Generator when determining the outcome of each spin. In other words, you don’t have to worry about slot programming – sheer luck determines whether you’ll win or not.
To develop the perfect strategy for slot machines, you also need to play in the right casinos. Remember how we said that slot machines aren’t rigged? Well, that only goes for reputable casinos certified as provably fair for their visitors. However, there are plenty of scammers out there, with programmed slot machines that don’t pay out and disappear the next day. While the casino industry and legislature closely monitor what goes on in the gambling world, it’s sometimes impossible to prevent internet wrongdoers from scamming people. Playing exclusively at reputable casinos is one of the most important slot machine tips.
Player Connection
Connecting with other players is one of the newest strategies for spinning slots. Quite often, players will work together to identify the best slot machines or online slots to play. If you’ve ever been to a casino, you’ve probably seen players giving a machine a whirl, failing to win, and moving on to a different one. We already mentioned how important playing on the right machine is if you want to increase your chance of winning. Meeting other players and figuring out which ones to trust is quickly becoming one of the critical secrets to winning on slot machines.
Things are a bit different with online slots. For starters, you can’t physically be there to watch other players spin slots. But you can find out which games pay the best. Online slots communities are constantly growing, and you can find a treasure trove of valuable information by joining one. For example, there are Reddit threads in which users discuss which slot games have the highest payouts, which online casinos to play at, etc. Gathering all the information you can get is crucial if you want to know how to win at slots, and other players are a precious source of knowledge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which slot machines pay the best?
Not all slot machines pay the same, and knowing which machines bring great rewards is extremely important when spinning slots. Decide on your budget and look for machines you can afford to play on. $1 slot machines pay better, but they also come with much more risk. Penny slots might be a better option if you have a lower budget. Finding the one that works for you is one of the tricks to winning on slot machines. Unless you’re a high roller, stay away from slots with progressive jackpots, as their huge rewards carry huge risks, too.
Is there a trick to winning at slots?
Slots at reputable casinos use RNGs to determine the outcome of each spin. This means that luck has the most significant influence on whether you’ll win or not. In other words, there are no surefire tricks for winning at slots. What you can do, however, is devise and implement the right strategy and significantly increase your chances of winning. These strategies usually include understanding slot systems and finding the games that suit your playstyle. You can learn more about developing the right process in the guide above.
Is there a strategy for playing slots?
Most experienced players always rely on strategy, in addition to luck, to help them win when playing slots. No method guarantees winnings since fair games of chance largely depend on the luck of the draw, but there are things you can do to help yourself. For starters, it’s essential to determine how much money you’re ready to spend and how much risk you’re comfortable with before you start spinning. Before you try to invent something on your own, try to find out all you can about slot machine strategies and implement the ones that best suit your preferences.