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How To Play Slots

THE BASIC RULES & TIPS FOR WINNING AT THE SLOTS

Slot machines have been around for over 100 years. Yesteryear's mechanical contraptions have given way to computer-controlled towers dominating the floors of most land-based casinos, and with the rise of the Internet, to a marvelous variety of virtual wheels, levers, buttons, graphics and sounds. But a few things have remained constant over time, and knowing these rules of thumb can help improve your play.

Whatever happened on the last play will not affect the outcome of this play. The chance of any given symbol appearing is random. The chance of hitting a jackpot is the same whether or not you haven't seen one for days, or if you just hit one. The game is not "rigged" by having a predefined routine of payouts and busts -- a random number generator determines where the reels stops each time play is initiated. So don't worry if you've just won big -- if you're enjoying the game, you can still win again. And if you haven't won in a while, you might be on the verge of a big payout

The chances of different stops on the reel appearing are not necessarily equal. Although there may be, say, 40 different stops on each reel, each one may not have a 1 in 40 chance of appearing, there may be differences. The house might want to show lemons more often than jackpot bars, and will set the program accordingly. So don't estimate your odds based solely on how many stops exist -- check the payout stats for the casino

Some of the video display slot machines have a feature in which a bonus rises the more the player plays it. When the reels stop in a particular configuration the player wins the coins in the meter. These kinds of slots have variable states. In other words the higher the state the greater the expected payback. Examples of this kind of machine include Piggy Bank, Car Race, Temperature Rising, and Double Diamond Mine.

It is possible to have a positive expected value playing slots if you only play variable state slots in very high states. Sometimes casual players will walk away from a machine in a high state. However this secret is long since out and competition for these games can be severe, fistfights have been known to occur over them.

Myths

Below are some of the biggest myths about slot machines.

Slot machines stop on any possible set of stops with equal probability

As explained above this is not true of modern single line slot machines. Some stops are much more likely than others.

Slot machines are programmed to go through a cycle of payoffs. Although the cycle can span thousands of spins once it reaches the end the outcomes will repeat themselves in exactly the same order as the last cycle.

This is not true at all. Every trial is random and independent of all past trials.

Slot machines are programmed to pay off a particular percentage of money bet. Thus after a jackpot is hit the machine will tighten up to get back in balance, and when a jackpot has not been hit for a long time it is overdue and more likely to hit.

The only part of this that is true is that they are designed to pay off a particular percentage. However the laws of probability dictate that the longer the machine is played the closer it will come to its target payoff, even with every trial being completely random. A jackpot is equally as likely to be hit on every spin, regardless of past outcomes.

Hot/cold coins are more likely to yield good returns.

The temperature of the coin does not matter. It also does not matter how long it has been since the coin was last played.

Machines pay more if a player card is not used.

The mechanism that determines the outcome of each play does not consider whether a card is used or not.

If I use a slot card the casino will report my winnings to the IRS.

The use of a slot card will not change your tax liability. If you win $1200 or more in a single spin (including the original wager) then the casino will report the win whether a slot card is used or not. Any smaller win will not be reported whether or not a slot card is used. The casino does not add up the smaller wins and report them to the IRS. Aside from the big wins, the player is on the honor system to report a net win over the entire year.

Remember: there is no easy way to win.

There are lots of people selling the "secrets" of winning at slots and promise easy winnings to the buyer. Don't waste your money. There are only two ways to beat the slots without cheating: (1) Play variable state slots (as explained above) in high states and (2) play progressive slots when the meter is unusually high. Based on what I have seen those authors promising easy money at the slot machines are not exploring these methods but instead rambling on with a mixture of correct and incorrect information, neither of which will give the player an edge. Here are just some examples: