Everybody wants to know how to win on slot machines. If only there was a secret formula or cheat code that could allow you to win slots every time, your bank account would swell and your dreams would come true.
Know your limits and play within your budget. Not setting a gambling budget is perhaps one of the. Scout out the most reputable online casinos. As a general rule, reputation comes before everything.
Alas, no such secret formula exists. However, that doesn’t mean there’s no way to win slots more often.
I’ve been playing slot machines since as long as I can remember. In the past decade or so, I’ve come to learn a thing or two about them. I’m going to share real, practical, and actionable steps on how to win at slots.
I’m not promising you’ll win a progressive jackpot and retire to live the high life.
All I’m offering is hard-won insights and some useful information which can help you avoid common mistakes and maximize your chances of winning.
A Word About Slot Cheat Codes
Before we go deeper into slot machine secrets and winning tips, I need to tell you what this article is not about.
I am what you’d call a natural skeptic. I don’t believe in things like lady luck and good fortune, I believe in probability and verifiable facts. That’s why I don’t put any stock—none whatsoever—in slot cheat machine codes and systems designed to help you win every time.
I recently read a short e-book called How to Win Gas Station Slot Machines Every Time. I was curious to see what the author had to offer. It turns out, it was full of clichés and empty platitudes.
- Waiting until someone had played for a while because the slot machine would be due.
- Finding specific games and tapping the buttons in specific sequences to unlock hidden features.
- Outright cheating by using mobile phone apps to read machine patterns and tricking the machine into paying out.
I chuckled to myself as I scanned the pages, knowing deep down that the author was a huckster and that nobody who used these slot machine cheats would gain anything.
Let me spell it out for you once, and once only: The companies which make slot machines, like Microgaming, are very rich indeed. They didn’t get that way by building games you can exploit.
In the next section, I’m going to teach you how slot machines really work. Understanding this vital information is the only way to win at slots more often.
How Slot Machines Work
There are still a few slot machines in Vegas and other casinos around the world which operate mechanically. But, these days, the majority of them are electronic. Trying to interfere with them physically won’t give you any advantage whatsoever.
Computer chips and algorithms known as “random number generators” (or RNGs) power modern video slots.
Without getting into complex technical details, these are algorithms which generate millions, and even billions, of numbers per second. When you hit the spin button, one of these numbers is selected, and if it’s associated with a payout, you win.
That’s pretty simple, right? There’s nothing overly complicated about it from a player’s perspective. Yet, if you think about it, you’ll realize that it means you can’t manipulate slot machines.
Setting aside philosophical arguments about whether true randomness really exists or not, you’re at the mercy of the algorithm. It could take a million spins before it pays out the jackpot, or it could happen three times in a row. It’s all based on the RNG.
Random number generators control both land-based and online slot machines. Gaming commissions check them to make sure they are random and fair. For online slot games, organizations like eCogra test the games while, in Vegas, it’s the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
If you understand the concept of random number generators, you understand the gist of slot machines. Let’s now move onto how to win on slot machines.
How to Win on Slot Machines — Tips and Tricks
I’ve created some general rules of thumb for playing slot machines. These aren’t 100% foolproof, but they do tend to be true. You should jot them down or remember them when you’re playing. You could think of this as slots wisdom won over many years of spinning the reels of fortune.
The Bigger the Jackpot, the Lower the Payback Rate
Every slot machine has what’s called an “RTP.” This is a percentage which tells you how much money the slot returns to players.
For example, if a slot machine has an RTP of 97%, which is high, then it will pay back $97 out of every $100 which players feed into it.
It’s important to remember that RTP is a theoretical number which explains the payback rate over the long run. It does not mean you will win back $97 out of every $100 that you play. It means that the machine returns this amount to all who play that slot. This includes all of the small wins as well as the jackpots.
Well, in my experience, slots with bigger jackpots, and particularly progressive jackpot slots, have a lower payback rate. I’ve seen jackpot slots with an RTP of 91%. That’s low compared to a game like Jack Hammer II by NetEnt which has an RTP of 97.07%.
Sometimes, you’re better off playing high RTP slots, even if they have a smaller jackpot. The chances of winning a progressive jackpot are slim, so you have to be realistic about the possibilities.
Yes, you could strike it lucky, but for every multimillion-dollar winner, thousands of players lost. If you want to win at casino slots, you’re better off with high RTP slots for this reason, you get more back in the long game.
Tip:One of the highest RTP slot machines is Mega Joker by NetEnt. It has an RTP of 99%. It’s a classic slot, and many people play it religiously because of the high payback percentage.
Don’t Forget the Bonus Features
Almost every slots player I know is blinded by huge jackpots. There’s a reason why casinos plaster the largest progressive jackpots all over banners across the web. They attract slots players like moths to a flame!
I’m not. The odds of winning the jackpot on any slot are low. Instead, I focus on lucrative bonus features. Some of the biggest wins I have ever had came from slot machine bonus rounds.
Here are a few which I feel are particularly worth looking out for. If a slot machine has one or more of these features, I give it serious consideration.
Free Spins
- Free spins are one of the best slot machine bonus rounds. When you enter them, you’ll automatically bet at the value you were betting in the base game. If I haven’t triggered the free spins feature after 20 spins, I usually increase my bet size in anticipation. It has to trigger eventually, and I want to reap the rewards to the maximum extent when it does.
Multipliers
- Multipliers can be part of the base game, or they can be part of bonus features. For example, a free spins feature can have a multiplier. I always look for slots with multipliers of up to 3x or higher. I then play with larger bets than I usually would. One big win with a 3x multiplier can be as good as a jackpot.
Cascading Reels
- This is probably my favorite feature in slot machines. When you create a win, the symbols disappear, and new ones take their place. If you win once more, the same happens again. Some slot machines mix cascading reels and multipliers together. Sometimes, the multiplier gets bigger every time you create a new cascade. An example of such a slot is Gonzo’s Quest.
There are lots of other great slot bonus features. Bonus wheels, picking games, and progressive jackpot bonus rounds also offer a chance to win big. The point is, you should always study the paytable of a slot machine, play it for free, and try to figure out its bonus rounds.
Of course, if you can find a slot machine offering lots of great features and a big jackpot, that’s the golden ticket. I’d always double-check the RTP on such a game, though. Usually, the greater the risk to the casino, the lower the RTP is.
Manage Your Bankroll by Leveraging Slot Volatility
Want to know the first game I play every time I log into the casino? It’s almost always Starburst.
Why so? Because Starburst is a high volatility slot. I rarely, if ever, experience long dry spells on this game. The wins are frequent, even if they aren’t life-changing. And I find that Starburst often helps me boost my balance. Once it’s suitably boosted, I move across to a higher volatility slot for a shot at bigger wins.
You can read an in-depth article on slot machine variance and volatility here. I’ve created a short and easy version for you below:
Best Slot Machines To Win On
- Low volatility slot machines pay little wins frequently.
- Medium volatility slots pay mid-range amounts semi-frequently.
- High volatility slots pay bigger wins less frequently.
For example, I never play high volatility slot machines when using free spins bonuses which offer only 10 or 20 spins. Experience tells me that on a high volatility game, I could easily experience 10 or 20 spins without a single win. I know that when the win does come, it will be explosive. But those slots aren’t best suited for this kind of bonus.
To leverage slots volatility, play low volatility slots when you’re down on your luck and only have a small bankroll.
They can also be extremely useful when trying to meet wagering or rollover requirements on a bonus offer. However, when you have a suitable amount of house money, switch over to higher volatility games with bigger potential wins.
Please remember that this is not a foolproof plan. Sometimes, the RNG just doesn’t spit out the right number, and no wins occur. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes, and you’ve got to accept that before you start playing a slot machine or expecting to win on slot machines.
Conclusion
I promised you logical, sensible tips for winning slot machines, and I hope you feel that I’ve delivered. All of what I’ve written above is fact-based, and none of it requires you to believe in hocus-pocus or to resort to cheating.
Winning slot machines is all about reducing the house advantage, knowing how to give yourself the best shot at the biggest payouts, and avoiding the common mistakes that too many players make.
That’s all I can offer you, and no matter what they say, it’s all anybody else can offer you, too.
Now that you know how to win more often, check out some of the best slot machines online.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Tips For Winning Slot Machines In Penn
Looks can be deceiving. Most people think of slot machines as being mindless games of chance, but it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Expert gamblers can dramatically raise their odds of winning by utilizing skill, strategy, and technique.
The internet is full of various articles containing slot machine tips for beginners, but the information contained in most of them are of dubious quality at best. As in all things in life, it’s always best to trust an expert. So to help new players out, we tasked our in-house team of experienced slot machine specialists with putting down these essential tips and tricks for winning in slot games for 2020!
Slot Machine Tips for Beginners: Choosing an Online Casino
Choosing the right online casino for playing slots is incredibly important. In fact, it’s probably the most crucial decision you will make during your online slot machine journey. Frankly, all articles about casino slot tips for beginners should start with this issue. And it’s bewildering that so few do.
At the end of the day, your strategy and slot playing technique won’t matter if the online gambling site you’re using isn’t playing by the rules. By choosing a licensed and regulated venue, such as CasinoChan, you’re choosing the safety and security of not only your bets, but also your payment information and personal data.
Tips to Win at Slots Most of the Time: The Right Machine
Most tips on how to win in casino slot machines center around choosing the right machine. And for a very good reason. Although you may not notice it on an individual playthrough, an unfair slot machine can pocket up to 10x more money than a fair one. So it shouldn’t be all that surprising that a lot of online slot machine strategy boils down to simply choosing a good slot machine.
Let’s start with the basics. The two most important attributes of a slot machine are its RTP figure and its variance.
Return-to-player (RTP)
Put simply, a slot machine’s RTP is the percentage of money it’s programmed to return to its players. For example, a machine with an RTP of 98% will, on average, return $49 on every $50 you put in it, whereas a machine with an RTP of 80% will only return $40 on those same $50. This is why experienced players tend to gravitate towards machines with the largest possible RTP percentages. We highly recommend you do the same.
The next thing to keep in mind is variance. If you have a limited budget, it is best to stick to low variance machines, because they pay much out more often. High rollers, on the other hand, may try their luck on a high variance machine to take advantage of the chance to receive a larger payout.
Online forums and specialized websites are perfect places to find information about slot machine RTP and variance, as well as other tips on how to win in video slot machines.
Best Slot Machine Tips and Tricks for New and Seasoned Players
Now that we got the basics of slot machine choice out of the way, let’s take a look at some slightly more advanced online casino slots tips and tricks. When compared to the concepts we mentioned above, these are not as black and white. You need to evaluate them on a case by case basis.
Online Slots Tips and Tricks: Stick to Simple Machines
We get it. Complicated slot machines full of extra mechanics and bonus games are fun and engaging. But since you’re here because you want to find out how to beat video slot machines, we’ll have to tell you that it’s in your best interests to avoid this type of slot machine.
The hard truth is that a machine won’t ever pay out more than its return-to-player rate, and the money for those extra mechanics has to come from somewhere. And it comes from making you lose bets you otherwise would win. In essence, when playing on these machines, you’re always paying for mechanics that you will not always trigger.
Mystery Joker from Play’N Go is a perfect slot to stick to when trying to win at slot machine games.
Online Slots Tips and Tricks: Choose Higher Denomination Machines
It’s very interesting that most articles about online casino slots tips and tricks don’t talk about this. We reckon it’s because this is a hard pill to swallow, especially if you are playing casino games on a restricted budget. But since we’re here to share the best casino slot tips & tricks with you, we’ll say it: the return to player numbers on high denomination machines are a lot higher than those on their low denomination counterparts. This is because high stake machines tend to be favored by high-rollers, a group of people the casino views as their top-tier clients. To entice these well-endowed clients to return back to their venue, casinos put higher payout percentages on high denomination machines.
Voodoo Gold slot from ELK is a high-stakes game with a max bet of $1000, which increases the chances of winning by a large margin.
Online Slots Tips and Tricks: Set a Hard Limit on Your Bets
Being a good slot machine player is about winning in the long run, not winning every single time. Knowing when to let go and stop a losing session is extremely important. It doesn’t matter how much you win in a lucky session if you’ll just blow it the next time you play because of carelessness. This is why we recommend setting a hard weekly or monthly limit on your gambling hobby.
Extra Tip: Avoid Slots Based on Licensed Franchises
It’s also often a good idea to avoid slot machines that are tied to a movie or video game license. This is because, in order to afford the hefty license fee, these slots typically have to have lower return-to-player figures.
Game of Thrones, Narcos, The Matrix and Vikings are just some of the branded slots that would be better to avoid when trying to find a winning slot machine strategy.
Other Gambling Tips for Slots
Lastly, let’s talk about slightly more advanced concepts. These will come in handy later on in your slot machine journey. With time, you’ll be able to use these casino slot machine tips to win big and win often.
Tips to Win at Slots: Progressive Slot Machines Tips
Read three articles about online slot machine tips and you’ll likely hear three conflicting perspectives on progressive jackpot slots. Some people love them; others hate them. At the end of the day, it all boils down to these two truths:
- It is undeniably more exciting to play when there’s a possibility of winning a big jackpot. Ultimately, this excitement can raise the amount of enjoyment you get from playing the game.
- At the same time, you are extremely unlikely to ever benefit from this mechanic, and yet you still end up paying for it from each of your bets.
It’s up to you to decide what’s more important to you as an individual.
Tips to Win at Slots: Scatter Slots Tips
As of late, scatter slots have become extremely popular. These online slot machines have special scatter symbols that trigger certain actions, such as a bonus game or an instant payout. Scatter slots can potentially award players very large payouts, but, like all feature-rich games, they’re best suited for players with larger bankrolls.
Tips to Win at Slots: Using Free Spins & Bonus Rounds
If you’re an experienced slot machine player, this will be self-evident to you, but you should always maximize the gains you get from deposit bonuses, free spins, and other types of online casino promotions.
Not taking advantage of these offers carries high alternative costs, because you’re essentially losing out on potential free betting money. CasinoChan players can find all of the currently-relevant bonuses in the Promotions & Bonuses section of our website.