Thursday, November 18, 2010

Slot Truths

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to win at slots. There isn’t much strategy involved with the casino game, but that doesn’t mean it’s all based on luck. There are do’s and don’ts to winning at slots. Since it’s such an easy game, everyone thinks they’re an expert so a lot of strategies and tips get spread fast. Not all of the information is correct, especially if you read it online where anyone can write anything. Luckily for you, the writers for this site have years of online gambling experience and writing for strategy. These tips come from the professionals. Read on so you don’t fall prey to the most common slot myths.

Losses cannot be blamed on a bad slot. There is no such thing as a cold or hot machine. Each spin on a slot game has the same odds as any other spin. Your chances do not change because the slot has a predetermined payout percentage that was installed during the design. For online slots, a random number generator (RNG) formulates the outcome of each spin. Once you click the Spin button, the RNG already knows what will come up.

Progressive slots keep a running tab of how much money has been played. However, the jackpot, which is the moneymaker and main point to playing progressive slots, is still random. Progressives can be linked to each other and even at other casinos. That’s when you see the jackpots in the millions of dollars. Though a casino may advertise a high payout (maybe around 97-98%), that may only apply to select slots. Read the terms and conditions carefully before playing.

Playing the maximum bet on a slot won’t change your odds. As mentioned above, the odds don’t change no matter what strategy you use, similar to craps or roulette. The caveat is if you play less than the maximum bet, you don’t get the full jackpot on a win. Instead, you only get a part of it. So, always find a slot in your price range and play the maximum bet.

One last truth to playing slots is the order of the symbols on the reels before playing does not change the outcome of the spin. You can’t win based on the order of the symbols. It’s just the result of the last spin, plain and simple.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

How Online Slots Work

All right, all right. You probably know how a slot machine works. It doesn’t take a genius to put money in and pull the handle to make the reels spin. You don’t have to be a gambling expert to understand that a winning combination is when the reel symbols land on an active payline for a payout.

Understandably, slots are the most popular game at online casinos because of their simplicity and big payouts. People think of it as a way to easy money. And, slots are a well known commodity in the casino industry with their flashing lights and sounds.

As gaming technology advanced, slots became available at online casinos. You will find a lot more variety in slots online than at a land-based casino. Slots at online casinos are known as video slots, because they are basically video games. The reels and buttons are part of the software. They are more for visual appeal since they are the most recognizable parts of slot machines.

In the good ol’ days, reels spun until they ran out of momentum or were stopped by a timer. For online slots, a random number generator (RNG) determines the outcome of the spin. RNG’s are used for every casino game online. When a new slot is being designed, all the possible outcomes of the reels are inputted into the RNG. It protects the player from a rigged game. Once you press the Spin button for an online slot, the RNG randomly selects one of the outcomes to be that result. Even though the reels are spinning for a few seconds, the outcome has already been determined.

Many players think that if they press the Stop Spin button before the reels stop spinning, they can affect the outcome of the spin. This is not true because of the RNG. Once you click Spin, the random outcome has already been selected. A “random selection” may sound like an oxymoron, but the RNG truly does randomize the results.

The Stop Spin button actually hurts your odds. Since the spin ends sooner, the next spin will begin sooner. The more spins per hour, the more opportunities for you to lose money. The less time and money you put into a progressive slot, the less likely you are to win the big jackpot. Give yourself a chance and be patient when you play online slots.