Best Slot Machine Tips

When it comes to slot machines, no matter which specific game or version it is, while it is primarily down to your luck on the night that will determine your overall earnings, there are still a few tips that can help you bring in as much cash as possible without having to break the bank. 

These tips are crucially important for beginners to slot machines or those who have lost money before and don’t want to keep pouring more and more into the machine without earning much of anything back. 

If so, maybe it’s time to switch up your strategy so that you can have a more enjoyable and worthwhile time with the machine. Here are some of the best tips to try out next time you’re ready to test your luck on the slot machine. 

Are Slot Machines Entirely Down To Luck?

While many people will say that your earnings from a slot machine will be entirely based on how lucky you are, and while part of this is true, most slot machines will usually be programmed to strike a balance between being completely random for each individual play, while also offering some incentives each time such as free spins in order to keep the player engaged and wanting to bet more. 

In fact, you can notice this when you will almost always get a free spin or a bonus in your first few spins and win a small amount of money before not getting these spins again for a much longer period, which is usually the standard pattern for most slot machines. 

While many machines will offer these bonuses as you play, all slots do work on an RNG algorithm, meaning that each spin resets your chances with the outcome being entirely random and determined by the machine as soon as you have pulled the arm.

While it’s impossible to get an exact read on any machine because of this, there are other strategies you can use that will enable you to be more confident that the machine you are using will grant you the earnings you want. 

There are multiple ways you can get an insight into how exactly the specific machines work and how often it usually gives out big amounts of money to those who use them, so while luck does play its part, there are still a few methods you can try out to stack the odds slightly more in your favor. 

10 Best Tips To Try When Using Slot Machines

With that being said, rather than throwing your hard-earned money into the slot machine and hoping that you get something in return, try implementing a few of these tips and tricks that will help you to earn more money each time you play. 

These tips can be applied to beginners and experienced players alike and are a great way to help you feel more confident about a machine and maximize the chances of winning so you won’t have to blindly up your stake without knowing how likely it is that you will earn something back.

Understand The Slots

While this may sound obvious to those who have been using slot machines for a few years, there are still many people who will liberally throw their money into a slot machine without first taking the time to understand how the game works (see also “How To Withdraw Money From A Slot Machine“). 

Maybe this is because the slot looks colorful and flashy, or that it is themed after a game show or tv series that someone is fond of, whatever reason it may be, it’s an easy way to lose money. 

It’s worthwhile taking a look at the paytable associated with the specific machine as this will show you all the symbols, how they work and how much you will earn when they link up.

The game’s paytable will also tell you about any bonuses and extra symbols that could grant you bigger earnings which is always useful to know so that you can keep an eye out for them each time you pull the handle.

It will also let you know which symbols are scatters or wilds that can be used in place of other symbols to obtain winning combinations which always makes winning big easier. 

Another quick and easy way you can get accustomed to a specific game is by searching for a demo of it being played by experienced online players who will go over the reels, symbols and themes in one concise video which can easily be found by searching the slot’s name into a search engine. 

Choose Games That Fit Your Play Style

While they all serve the same purpose, there’s a reason people will still prefer to use certain machines over others, and why many people won’t budge from a machine once they’ve found the one they like, with this all coming down to playstyle. 

Ask yourself, are you looking for a slot that will give you small earnings each spin without you needing to pay much for each game (see also “What Is The 5 Spin Slot Method?“)?

Or are you someone who wants to try their hand at chasing the jackpot and don’t mind spending the extra cash? Even if you’re somewhere in between both of these, there will always be a slot machine directed toward your playstyle. 

Slot machines that use pick’em bonuses are the ones that will most often grant you smaller wins more frequently rather than offering the player a huge jackpot.

The reason for this is that pick’em machines will allow the player to choose a game icon every few spins, or even every spin, to reveal special bonuses. 

The benefit of these pick’em types of slots is they give the player a certain amount of strategy which is very intuitive and easy to master.

These types of machines will often have high hit frequencies, granting many small wins that give the player an extended amount of playtime but a lower chance of hitting a jackpot. 

On the other hand, three-reel games will almost always have a lower hit frequency which means you will lose some money on more spins, but also have a much bigger chance of hitting a jackpot.

While some of these three-reel games can sometimes feature a free-spin mechanic, slots that make free-spins their main bonus usually lie in the middle of winning big and earning smaller rewards each spin, so it’s important to be honest with yourself and what you want to aim for to know which machine is best for you. 

Find Simple Machines

It’s often said that the more complicated the game, the lower your odds are of winning big, which is why the simpler machines that don’t come with too many rules and icons are often the ones that many people argue provide a better chance of winning you big earnings. 

When a machine is stacked with too many rules, icons, multipliers, reels, and symbols, it can mean there are far more requirements for you to actually win a decent sum, and while many casinos will use this to make a machine look more flashy and appealing, it also makes the odds of winning anything a lot higher most of the time. 

Straightforward and simple slots are therefore usually more reliable such as the ones that only have three reels and a single-line bet.

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t also get to grips with and try some of the more complicated machines from time to time, but if you want a machine that will be more generous with payouts, it can be worth sticking with the more streamlined machines. 

Don’t Always Chase The Jackpot

While it’s always tempting to go chasing that jackpot, especially when the number is in full view at the very top of the screen, it’s also an easy way to lose money quickly and isn’t a very responsible way to use the slots. 

A better strategy is to alternate between lower-paying machines and then only play for the jackpot on rare occasions, maybe for a big and special celebration or if you’re visiting a popular casino and likely won’t return again. 

It can also be worthwhile paying attention to how high the jackpot is and comparing this with other machines since the higher the number, the less likely it is you’re going to secure that amount of money without making a loss. 

Scout For Machines That Have Big Payouts

As mentioned previously, many experienced players will stick to a certain machine, and while this can be because of their preferred playstyle, it can also be because they know the machine pays big more regularly than others from their own experience. 

Before you start inserting your coins into a machine, it can therefore be worth asking around to see what machines players consider “cold” and which are “hot” at that moment. 

While slot machines are not programmed in a way where they will become hot or cold at a certain time (see also “How Are Slot Machines Programmed?“), there are some machines that can be programmed to be a lot more stubborn in how much they pay out, which is why it is always best to ask around to see which are best to avoid so that you don’t throw away your money. 

Check Which Machines Have The Highest RTP

Doing your research on a machine before you use it is a great way to know how reliable the machine is in terms of how likely it is to pay out, especially if you look up the Return to Player (RTP) percentage which can easily be found by typing in the slot’s name and RTP in any search engine. 

These statistics describe the amount a slot pays back to the players over a large number of spins and represents the amount of money a player can expect to win back from their bets. 

While these stats won’t guarantee that you earn a certain amount of money with each and every spin, seeing as there is still a lot of luck and chance involved in each bet, the RTP of a specific slot machine is calculated over a gigantic sample size of simulated betting rounds, meaning these stats are still a very reliable way to gauge how promising a specific machine can be to use. 

The higher the RTP rate, the better chance you have of making a small profit, so a machine with a 97% RTP is much more likely to reward a player with earnings as opposed to a 90% RTP machine, for example. 

Take Advantage Of Offers And Bonuses

Many casinos will allow you to sign up for an account where you will be automatically entered into a player rewards program.

This essentially means that you will receive special bonuses and promotions that will appear in your email from time to time which are always worth using.

A lot of the time, these bonuses will allow you to test out a game before you can cash anything out, providing a useful way for you to get to grips with the symbols and icons, and figure out whether you like the feel of the game or not. 

Not all casinos offer the same bonuses, so while some will allow you to have a free few spins to test a game out, others can include different benefits such as a higher rate of receiving a free spin, so it is always worth making use of these bonuses and offers when you can while still remaining in your budget and not overspending for the sake of the promotion. 

Start Small Rather Than Big

The truth of slot machines is that (see also “What Is The History Of Slot Machines?“), while it can seem like you’re going to earn much more the longer the session goes on, for every machine you’re as likely to win earnings early as you are later on, so rather than splashing too much money on a machine all in one go, a far better strategy is to start small and then gradually increase your stake depending on how long you play. 

While this will reduce the win potential, seeing as your returns won’t be too big, the money you do earn from these spins will still net you a small profit which you can then use on bigger stakes either later in the same session, or for another day. 

This makes each game far less stressful as you can start the session only focusing on betting small amounts and can then use your earnings to place a higher stake to try and earn more money, rather than forking out huge sums of your own money right away. 

Never Expect ‘Due’ Payouts

A common mindset many people will adopt that is a big reason why so many people will become addicted to slots and spend too much money is when they expect a “due payout” which is the idea that the player deserves a big cashout soon because they have been playing for so long and have already spent enough money on the machine. 

While there are a few factors that can determine how loose or stubborn a machine is with its payouts, slots machines still run on Random Number Generators (RNG), meaning that there is no such thing as a hot and cold streak.

Therefore, the machine won’t respond to a player by granting them earnings if they have been playing for a certain period since every spin will reset the chances, so it’s always advised to avoid this mindset so that you don’t end up spending more than you need to. 

Know When To Stop

While there are many ways that you can try and predict which machine will grant you the most earnings, because of the random nature of slot machines, nothing is guaranteed, which is why it is always important to know when you’ve spent your intended budget and when to walk away from the machine. 

This could be in the form of a time limit, a certain amount of spins, or putting aside a specific amount of money that you want to use on the machine without dipping into the rest of your bank account. 

Slot machines are meant to be fun, and while these tips can help give you an upper hand when you come to spin and test your luck, it doesn’t mean that things are guaranteed to go your way, so it’s always important for every slot player to know when to either give up and try another day, or take their earnings rather than gambling them for even bigger wins. 

Summary

While you won’t be able to influence the slot machine yourself, as long as you know what kind of machine suits your playstyle, which is projected to produce the biggest earnings through their RTP, and take advantage of offers and promotions, you will be able to have a slight advantage in winning those big earnings. 

Try out these hints and tips next time you visit a casino or take a spin on a virtual slot machine (see also “Do Casinos Tighten Slots On Weekends?“) to help you win those big cashouts in a more strategic way rather than going in blind. 

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