There are theories abound when it comes to picking the best slot machine at the casino. The most common theories relate to brick-and-mortar casinos, but we'll also talk about choosing slots at gambling sites. Let's start with finding a slot at a traditional establishment.
Brick-and-Mortar Casinos
Generally, it's almost impossible to choose with any degree of certainty a slot machine that's going to be looser than another slot machine. This is because slot machines use random number generators (RNGs) to determine their results. A random number generator is just a computer program that cycles through thousands of numbers per second. Slot machines, roulette balls and decks of cards do not have memories. They don't keep track of what happened in the past. Every new game is completely, 100% random. Something to keep in mind is that modern slot machines aren't powered by mechanical pulleys, levers and weights. Today's slot machines are powered by random number generators.
Slot enthusiasts have come up with all kinds of strategies for finding the loosest or highest paying slot machines. The goal is to find machines that either pay out frequently or that are due to award a big jackpot soon.
Some of these theories include:
- Playing slot machines near busier parts of the casino
- Playing slot machines located in out-of-the-way places
- Playing slot machines after someone else left without hitting a significant payout
- Playing slot machines at certain times of day
I have some bad news. None of these theories has ever proven to be effective. One of the big problems is that casinos are not obligated to post the payout rates of their machines. There's no way for you to walk into the casino and find a machine that is 'looser' than all the others. It's all a guessing game.
One of the most endearing myths is that slot machines become due to hit after a while. This is why some people will stalk the slots bank and wait until someone gives up without hitting a significant jackpot. Their reasoning is that the longer a machine goes without awarding a jackpot, the more likely it is to give up a big jackpot in the future.
This theory is based on an old myth called 'gambler's fallacy.' Gambler's fallacy is the belief that certain outcomes become more likely after a string of misses. For example, it's a common myth that if the roulette ball lands on black 5 times in a row, it's just bound to land on red any time now.
The problem is that every spin of the slot reel (or spin of the roulette wheel) is an independent, random event. It doesn't matter what happened in the past. Slot machines, roulette balls and decks of cards do not have memories. They don't keep track of what happened in the past. Every new game is completely, 100% random.
Something to keep in mind is that modern slot machines aren't powered by mechanical pulleys, levers and weights. Today's slot machines are powered by random number generators (RNGs). Basically, these are computer algorithms that generate random numbers which are in turn used to produce a random outcome every time the reels are spun.
This kills the other theories such as putting in your coins in a certain manner, pulling the lever just right or hitting the 'stop' button at just the right moment. It also means that when you see a near miss, you weren't actually close to hitting the jackpot. The RNG determines the outcome instantly. Those near misses and reels that come to a gentle stop are just added effects for the sake of drama. Free slots android.
The only real form of selection you can use when playing slots is to choose between high paying jackpot machines and lower-paying games. Big jackpot games give you fewer small wins but offer the potential of a life-changing jackpot. The variance in these games is high and you'll go home broke more often than not.
Slots with smaller jackpots tend to hit more frequently. You don't have the allure of massive jackpots, but your odds of walking away a winner at the end of the night are better. There's not nearly as much variance when you play these games.
Online Slots
Most of what I explained above can also be applied to online slot machines. Just like their brick-and-mortar counterparts, online slots are powered by RNGs. There are no special tricks you can use to alter the odds of hitting a winning jackpot. Online slots are 100% luck.
Online slots also give you the option between high jackpot games that hit less frequently and smaller jackpot games that hit more often. Progressive jackpot slot machines are notoriously hard to hit but when you do get lucky, it's worth a ton of money.
Lower payout games give you a better experience in the short run as you watch your bankroll jump up and down over the course of an evening. In the end, both types of slots are about equal in terms of long term expected value. It's just a matter of personal preference.
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. Out of all the games in the casino, none of them is as much about pure chance as slot machines. Have fun, cross your fingers and remember to keep an eye on your bankroll.
How to pick the right slot machine at a live casino (or online).
Take a trip to any physical casino and you'll find hundreds if not thousands of slot machines lining the gaudy carpet. Getting the right amount of entertainment for your buck is the real goal. All responsible gamblers know this. But that doesn't mean you have to hide the fact that you really want to win a jackpot!
You've probably heard a lot of superstitions over the years. Bring a good luck charm, like a rabbit's foot or some special jewelry. Feel the machines; the hot ones are ready to spew forth their wealth! Wait for an old lady to leave a machine and take it; local seniors know the best slots! None of these are reliable ways to choose a good game. Winning slot machines really is more of a science, thankfully.
How to Pick the Right Slot Machine
For the most part, I'm going to focus on live casino slots; those located in a real, physical casino. I'll also touch on the digital (online) variety before I'm done, so keep reading for more info on that.
There are three factors to consider when choosing what machines to play. The cost, the position, and the jackpot size.
Cost to Play
Most casinos offer slot banks in a scaling range of coin denominations. You have your penny slots, nickel slots, quarter slots, and dollar slots. Which one do you think is more likely to pay out a jackpot? If you said the $1 slots, you're right. The higher the cost to play, the higher the payout percentage (amount machines pay-out compared to take-in, over years of play).
The scary part is that casinos know how people's minds work. Most players think $1 is a lot to play per spin, so they drop down to the $0.25 machines. It's not so damaging on your bankroll, but still expensive enough to pay far better than the cheap-o games, right? This is where the casinos get you! Those quarter slots are actually the worst of all!
The average payout percentage for slot machines on the Las Vegas Strip, by coin size, is:
Penny Slots = 90.82% RTP
Nickel Slots = 91.88% RTP
Quarter Slots = 89.98% RTP
Dollar Slots = 92.63% RTP
Position of Slot Machines
Location, location, location! That statement doesn't just apply to real estate. The positioning of a slot machine can have a huge impact on its payout percentage. Picture this… A slot machine is located in a far shadowy corner of the casino. Someone wins a jackpot on it. The bells chime, the lights flash. How many people in the casino are going to notice? Just those in the vicinity of that corner, right?
If that machine were centrally located, perhaps near the table games area, a lot more people would know about it. Some table games players might even switch to slots for a while hoping to mimic that win. Casino managers thought of this long before I did. The highest paying slots will be centrally located among the masses.
Jackpot Size Matters
There are two basic types of jackpots – static jackpots and progressive jackpots. A static jackpot pays a specific amount for triggering a specific feature or symbol combination in the game. A progressive jackpot is won in the same way, but the prize slowly grows larger and larger until it's won, similar to a lottery drawing.
As much as you want to win that larger, ever-growing prize, you're better off steering clear of progressives. Their payout percentages tend to be much lower; often paying 85-86% at live casinos.
Winning Slot Machines Online
As promised, I'll take a moment to touch on the topic of online slot machines, too. These games are different in some ways, so it's not the same as picking the right slot machine at a live casino. The big difference is that internet casinos don't have massive bills to pay each month. They can afford to give up more in payouts, and they do.
Online slots have an average payout percentage of 96.2%. That's far higher than any of the games in Vegas. Changing your coin size rarely effects the payouts, either. Most games you can play for a penny, or a dollar, and get the same payout ratio. Progressives are the exception. The more you spend on those, the higher your odds of winning the jackpot. But like land-based casinos, the payback percentage on progressives are worse. Unless you've got plenty of cash to spare, don't bother with them.
#1 Canadian-Friendly Casino for 2020
Something to keep in mind is that modern slot machines aren't powered by mechanical pulleys, levers and weights. Today's slot machines are powered by random number generators (RNGs). Basically, these are computer algorithms that generate random numbers which are in turn used to produce a random outcome every time the reels are spun.
This kills the other theories such as putting in your coins in a certain manner, pulling the lever just right or hitting the 'stop' button at just the right moment. It also means that when you see a near miss, you weren't actually close to hitting the jackpot. The RNG determines the outcome instantly. Those near misses and reels that come to a gentle stop are just added effects for the sake of drama. Free slots android.
The only real form of selection you can use when playing slots is to choose between high paying jackpot machines and lower-paying games. Big jackpot games give you fewer small wins but offer the potential of a life-changing jackpot. The variance in these games is high and you'll go home broke more often than not.
Slots with smaller jackpots tend to hit more frequently. You don't have the allure of massive jackpots, but your odds of walking away a winner at the end of the night are better. There's not nearly as much variance when you play these games.
Online Slots
Most of what I explained above can also be applied to online slot machines. Just like their brick-and-mortar counterparts, online slots are powered by RNGs. There are no special tricks you can use to alter the odds of hitting a winning jackpot. Online slots are 100% luck.
Online slots also give you the option between high jackpot games that hit less frequently and smaller jackpot games that hit more often. Progressive jackpot slot machines are notoriously hard to hit but when you do get lucky, it's worth a ton of money.
Lower payout games give you a better experience in the short run as you watch your bankroll jump up and down over the course of an evening. In the end, both types of slots are about equal in terms of long term expected value. It's just a matter of personal preference.
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. Out of all the games in the casino, none of them is as much about pure chance as slot machines. Have fun, cross your fingers and remember to keep an eye on your bankroll.
How to pick the right slot machine at a live casino (or online).
Take a trip to any physical casino and you'll find hundreds if not thousands of slot machines lining the gaudy carpet. Getting the right amount of entertainment for your buck is the real goal. All responsible gamblers know this. But that doesn't mean you have to hide the fact that you really want to win a jackpot!
You've probably heard a lot of superstitions over the years. Bring a good luck charm, like a rabbit's foot or some special jewelry. Feel the machines; the hot ones are ready to spew forth their wealth! Wait for an old lady to leave a machine and take it; local seniors know the best slots! None of these are reliable ways to choose a good game. Winning slot machines really is more of a science, thankfully.
How to Pick the Right Slot Machine
For the most part, I'm going to focus on live casino slots; those located in a real, physical casino. I'll also touch on the digital (online) variety before I'm done, so keep reading for more info on that.
There are three factors to consider when choosing what machines to play. The cost, the position, and the jackpot size.
Cost to Play
Most casinos offer slot banks in a scaling range of coin denominations. You have your penny slots, nickel slots, quarter slots, and dollar slots. Which one do you think is more likely to pay out a jackpot? If you said the $1 slots, you're right. The higher the cost to play, the higher the payout percentage (amount machines pay-out compared to take-in, over years of play).
The scary part is that casinos know how people's minds work. Most players think $1 is a lot to play per spin, so they drop down to the $0.25 machines. It's not so damaging on your bankroll, but still expensive enough to pay far better than the cheap-o games, right? This is where the casinos get you! Those quarter slots are actually the worst of all!
The average payout percentage for slot machines on the Las Vegas Strip, by coin size, is:
Penny Slots = 90.82% RTP
Nickel Slots = 91.88% RTP
Quarter Slots = 89.98% RTP
Dollar Slots = 92.63% RTP
Position of Slot Machines
Location, location, location! That statement doesn't just apply to real estate. The positioning of a slot machine can have a huge impact on its payout percentage. Picture this… A slot machine is located in a far shadowy corner of the casino. Someone wins a jackpot on it. The bells chime, the lights flash. How many people in the casino are going to notice? Just those in the vicinity of that corner, right?
If that machine were centrally located, perhaps near the table games area, a lot more people would know about it. Some table games players might even switch to slots for a while hoping to mimic that win. Casino managers thought of this long before I did. The highest paying slots will be centrally located among the masses.
Jackpot Size Matters
There are two basic types of jackpots – static jackpots and progressive jackpots. A static jackpot pays a specific amount for triggering a specific feature or symbol combination in the game. A progressive jackpot is won in the same way, but the prize slowly grows larger and larger until it's won, similar to a lottery drawing.
As much as you want to win that larger, ever-growing prize, you're better off steering clear of progressives. Their payout percentages tend to be much lower; often paying 85-86% at live casinos.
Winning Slot Machines Online
As promised, I'll take a moment to touch on the topic of online slot machines, too. These games are different in some ways, so it's not the same as picking the right slot machine at a live casino. The big difference is that internet casinos don't have massive bills to pay each month. They can afford to give up more in payouts, and they do.
Online slots have an average payout percentage of 96.2%. That's far higher than any of the games in Vegas. Changing your coin size rarely effects the payouts, either. Most games you can play for a penny, or a dollar, and get the same payout ratio. Progressives are the exception. The more you spend on those, the higher your odds of winning the jackpot. But like land-based casinos, the payback percentage on progressives are worse. Unless you've got plenty of cash to spare, don't bother with them.
#1 Canadian-Friendly Casino for 2020
Royal Vegas is our editorial pick for safe Canadian gaming. Currently offering a good range of Canadian deposit options, everything from prepaid gift cards, to eCheck, instadebit and visa/mastercard. That, and a world-class gaming experience, with countless table games, strong variety, and even live dealers. The brand has been in the business for a decade long.
How To Pick The Winning Slot Machines In Las Vegas
Visit http://RoyalVegas.com
