6 Slots Tips and Tricks to Help You Win at Casino Slots
Since young people would much rather play fast-action, rapidly advancing video games, and gambling laws for slot machines and roulette tables haven't changed much since the 1950s, look for casinos to build large video game tournament centers and allow people to bet on the action, similar to betting on college basketball. Casino Quotes Nicky Santoro: You put my fuckin' money to sleep. You go get my money or I'll put your fuckin' brain to sleep!
Everyone knows there are a number of casino tips and tricks to help gamblers have a fighting chance at beating the house –for example, blackjack players are able to learn basic strategy using tables while poker players can master the art of bluffing. Even good roulette players have a few strategies to help them win. But what about a good slot machine strategy? You’re in luck — there are real ways to increase your chances of winning at slot machine games.
Check out our tips and tricks for some sound advice on how to win at slots.
How Slots Work: Random Number Generators
Before you can begin conquering the one-armed bandits with your super slot machine strategy, there are a few things you need to know about how slot machines work. The best way to win at slots is to first understand how they are made, how they run, and how (and when) they are liable to drop a payout.
Slot machines run on random number generators (RNGs), which are computer programs tested and certified by a regulatory authority. The programs randomize where individual reels stop with every spin, so each spin is separate and totally independent from any other, making them completely random. The previous spins have no bearing on the next spin.
Based on that, it might sound a bit hopeless to figure out a slot machine strategy, but there are 6 ways to help you to win at slots –and we’ve listed them here so you can start winning big today.
Slot Tip #1: Learn to Move On
If you’ve been sitting at a machine for a while and you can’t remember the last time you had a winning spin, don’t wait around for things to hopefully swing back around. It’s just time to move on to another machine. The same goes for online slots games – if it’s been a while since your last win, you should probably move on to the next game. Your best option when you’re losing is to save your money for the next game in line and not throw good money after bad.
Also, keep in mind that not all slots are created equal. Some of them tend to pay off more frequently than others. Whether this is a function of the game itself, the software company, or both, it’s good to know that some slots are ‘tight’ (paying out less often) and others are ‘loose’ (more frequent payouts). Knowing which machines are loose increases your chances of winning at slots.
Slot Tip #2: Look for Loose Machines
One of the best slot machine tips: a loose slot is your best friend. They’re harder to find, but they’re worth searching for. In land-based casinos, loose machines are placed strategically. They’re usually located in highly visible areas where big wins are seen by many people, which encourages spectators to play. However, visibility isn’t always a good thing. Slot machines located in places with high visibility but constantly shifting traffic – such as airports and reception areas in restaurants – are some of the worst slots to play. It’s better to wait until you’re in an actual casino, no matter how eager you are when you get off the plane. The perfect spot to play slots is in a visible, slow-moving area with a great number of machines to switch among during cold streaks.
Online slots are obviously not arranged in neat rows in cyberspace. In the absence of a physical floor plan, there are still ways to determine whether or not a particular slot is loose or tight. The volatility rating of a particular slot determines how often—and how much—a game it pays out. Generally speaking, a low volatility slot pays out more often but in smaller amounts, while a high volatility machine pays out larger sums but not as frequently.
The volatility rating is usually listed in the stats of the online slot game. Each online slot game has a volatility rating: low, medium, or high. It’s really up to you which you prefer: long waits and huge payoffs, regular yet small wins, or a happy medium of both. You just have to ask yourself: do you gamble for the money alone, or are you in it for the thrill of the chase?
Slot Tip #3: Pay Attention to Paytables
Every single casino slot machine in the world has a paytable, and the best possible strategy on learning how to win at slots is to check that out before you sit down to play. Slot machines might look the same, but their rewards are definitely not. In the online world, paytables are usually located under the “Help” or “Rules” section of a particular game, so you are able to check them before you get invested. The paytables and paylines vary widely, so research and choose the best ones before you start throwing money into it and hoping for the best.
You can also do a bit of homework (aka Googling) to find the RTP (Return to Player) rating for a slot machine before you play it. By looking at the RTP percentage rating for a particular slot, you can see exactly what kind of advantage the slot has over the player. A rating of 97% or higher is a loose slot, 95% – 96% is average, and below 94% RTP is a tight machine. Just remember, a tight machine pays out rarely, but when it does, it pays big.
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Slot Tip #4: Jackpot or No Jackpot?
Progressive jackpots are recommended by some gamblers while others say to avoid them at all costs. The latter group argues that anything that looks that good always comes with a catch. While the ludicrous amounts of cash on offer are enticing, the potential for big rewards is coupled with low payouts. Those millions in the jackpot had to be built up somehow, and it isn’t by being generous with payouts.
On the other hand, playing for a progressive jackpot could be the only way to win millionaire money playing slots. The odds of winning a jackpot are similar to those of winning the lottery, but that’s the fun part, right? If you can control your bankroll and playing pace, the progressive jackpot offers a slim chance of walking out of the casino with money lining your pockets—and then some.
It all comes down to how much risk you are comfortable with. Our progressive jackpot slot machine strategy? Go for whatever type of slot you are comfortable with. If you want to play for kicks and you’re more than happy with winnings that are a little less than extraordinary, don’t worry about searching for games with a progressive jackpot. But if you’re looking for a chance to win big and shoot for your dream of taking your yacht to the Caribbean, then go right ahead.
Slot Tip #5: Bet What You Want
Most slots players will tell you to bet the maximum amount every time if you want to avoid losing to the casino in the long run. The truth is that your chances of winning on most slots won’t change based on the size of your bet. The only difference is pretty simple: the bigger your bet, the bigger the rewards when you win. This becomes especially important in online slots, where there are features and bonuses added to make the rewards even bigger.
Bet whatever you can afford and don’t worry about going for the maximum bet every single time. Also keep in mind your bankroll, which should be pre-determined before you start playing. Only gamble with what you can afford to lose and you’re guaranteed to have fun –without breaking the bank.
Slot Tip #6: Use Your Free Trial
Before you pay for the real deal, it’s always a good idea to take advantage of any free trial offered. Most online casinos give players the chance to try the majority of their slots games for free before they ever have to put down real cash. A popular no deposit website also provides players with an opportunity to check out the paytables, paylines, bonus features, and progressive jackpots without risking anything.
Slots of Vegas offers a no-download, instant-play feature that gives players the opportunity to try out over 80 slots games, along with table games, video poker, and specialty games –all completely free. Head over to the Instant Play section at Slots of Vegas and put our slot machine tips to the test today!
Introduction to Why Slot Machines Say Bar
Why do slot machines say bar on their reels? Well, to understand why this tradition came to be, we’ll have to delve into slot machine history. First of all, these gambling devices weren’t always called slot machines. Slot machines were originally referred to as a one-armed bandit, then later in Great Britain as a fruit machine.
A slot machine gambling device is activated by pulling a handle or pushing a button. This can only be done after coins, tokens, cash, or casino credits has been entered. Consequently, reels with symbols begin to spin. When done spinning, the symbols shown lined up along pay lines are used to determine the payout, if any.
Reel symbols are often traditional, including stars, bars, numbers, and various pictured fruits. Fruits can include cherries, plums, oranges, lemons, and watermelons. The number seven is also very popular. And, finally, then there are bar reel symbols.
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Bar Reel Symbols
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Fruit reel symbols were first used in slot machine by the Industry Novelty Company in 1909. This was quickly followed the next year by Mills Novelty Company of Chicago, recently inherited by Herbert Stephen Mills. But, with a slight addition.
Mills added the photograph of a chewing gum pack along with the fruit reel symbols. Soon after, these photographs of a chewing gum pack were replaced with a stylized bar symbol.
Slot machines have a very rich history. Within gaming device circles of the time, it was well known that Charles Augustus Fey of San Francisco refused to sell or lease the design of his first coin-operated slot machine, the Liberty Bell, which he invented around 1887.
So, how did Mills get the design from Fey? There are two theories. First, that Fey cooperated with Mills to spread the use of slot machines. After all, Fey is known as the “Father of Slots” both for his invention of the coin-operated device as well as popularizing its use.
The second theory is Mills somehow “obtained” a Liberty Bell as a result of a San Francisco saloon robbery in 1905. Less than a year later, Mills produced a new version of the Liberty Bell called either the Mills Liberty Bell or Operator Bell.
During my review of the history of early slot machines, there are also suggestions the bar symbol may have another origin story. It is generally accepted that the bar symbol is a stylized image of a chewing gum pack, as well as a company logo.
According to some historical sources, however, the company having that logo may have been the Bell-Gum Fruit company.
A Bit More History
As mentioned, slot machines have a very rich history, especially in their early days. Besides Why Do Slot Machines Say Bar, there are a few other interesting historical items of interest.
In 1916, another historic slot machine innovation created by the Mills Novelty Company was the jackpot. When a specific combination of reel symbols resulted from a bet, the slot machine would empty its coin hopper of all coins as a prize.
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The Mills Novelty would later go on to produce slot machines with wooden cabinets, rather than the original cast iron construction materials.
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Photos of early slot machines are online at Cyprus Casino Consultant, Casino Observer, the International Arcade Museum, and elsewhere. I especially enjoy photos of antique slot machines in my copy of Slot Machines: A Pictorial History of the First 100 Years by Marshall Fey, grandson of “the Father of Slot Machines” Charles Fey.
The Cyprus Casino Consultant website shows 4 slot machines on a waist-high counter top. They appear to have wood cabinets and are each perhaps 30 inches high by 18 inches wide. In metric, that’s about 76 centimeters by 46 centimeters.
Each slot machine is of the one-armed bandit variety, meaning they appear to are activated by first inserting a coin and then pulling a large lever on the right side of the machine. Each of these models appears to accept coins at the top, as well as dispense coins for winners at the bottom.
The Casino Observer website also shows 4 slot machines. Two of these machines are some of the first slot machines, from about 1890, while two others are more modern, ~1940s. The two older slot machines receive coins, but only the poker machine appears to not be able to dispense coins. This poker machine has typical card suits as reel symbols and a cast metal-type cabinet.
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It appears to be missing its one-armed bandit lever, perhaps due to damage, or it never had a lever. One older slot machine with coin dispenser capability is clearly identified as a “Liberty Bell”. It rests on cast feet located on each corner. The reel symbols show three Liberty Bells, but its “pay table” shows card suits – not fruit or bars.
The International Arcade Museum website shows a single slot machine. It’s a very old slot machine showing the symbol of the Liberty Bell on its front next to three reels showing Liberty Bell, bar, and fruit reel symbols.
This is probably a “Liberty Bell” by Charles Fey, but must be a slightly later version due to it having obvious fruit and bar reel symbols. It also has a cast metal-type cabinet and the distinctive “feet” of a Liberty Bell. It also has a small tray for coins, suggesting it has automatic payouts.
Charles Fey manufactured about 100 Liberty Bell slot machines for distribution in and around San Francisco. However, there are few of them remaining in existence. The scarcity of Fey’s Liberty Bell is a direct result of a natural disaster occurring shortly after their manufacture: the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
Summary of Why Slot Machines Say Bar
Starting in 1907, Bell Fruit Gum slot machines were manufactured by Industry Novelty Co. They were followed by the Mills Novelty Company in 1910.
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The reels on these slot machines included cherry, melon, orange, apple, and bar symbols with non-cash payouts in the form of fruit-flavored gum, allowing machine owners to avoid prosecution under the anti-gambling laws of that time.
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The cherry and bar symbols became traditional to slot machines, and are still commonly used today. The bar symbol was a company logo, originally a photo of a chewing gum pack before being stylized as a bar.
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