Slots are amongst the most popular casino games throughout the world, both in land-based and online casinos. Slots are almost entirely down to chance, meaning there is very little strategy. 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. A progressive slot machine is one that pools all the money from everyone that’s played it since its last jackpot. There are also multi-slot progressive jackpots that pool a few different machines to tempt people with enormous payouts. Keep It Random, Y’All. Random slots obviously look a bit less enticing, as they have a fixed jackpot. Slot Machines Strategy. If you’re searching for a winning slot machine strategy, let me disappoint you right from the beginning: there is no winning slots strategy. There’s a reason why casinos make the bulk of their profits from slots, and it’s because the game is always going to favor the house in the long run. Although you are not able to influence the outcome of the spin, one slot machine trick is to max your wagers. Betting maximum credits is the best slot machine strategy, because you do hit that winning payline combination you’ll receive the maximum amount of reward.

  1. Slot Machine Strategies That Actually Work
  2. Winning Slot Machine Strategies
  3. Slot Machine Strategies For Winning
  4. Slot Machine Strategies Online
  5. Slot Machine Strategies Penny Slots
  6. Slot Machine Tips

Slot machine strategy has existed in one form or another for as long as the game itself. Even in the early days when primitive slots were played in barber shops and cigar stores instead of casinos, patrons would do their best to figure out an advantage over the house.

While the slots industry has experienced massive change over the decades, they’ve managed to stay one step ahead of players looking for an edge. Slot machines remain the biggest revenue producer for online and land-based casinos, so even the most advanced slot systems have failed to make a difference.

What Is a Slot Machine Strategy?

A slot machine strategy is any method that attempts to eliminate the house edge and give the advantage to the player. This can take the form of a method of observation, or it might involve complex mathematical calculations and computer simulations of endless spins. In years past, it could have been as simple as tying a string to a quarter and playing an unguarded slot with limitless credits. The methods seem endless and indicate just how far some gamblers will go to come out on the winning side.

Slot Machine Systems

Slot Machine Strategies That Actually Work

The most popular slot machine strategy involves the use of various systems. While each system differs in execution, all have the same goal: allowing the player to take more money from the slot than they put in.

The simplest slot machine system is known as the “zig zag,” and it doesn’t require the player to be a math whiz or make any kind of calculations. Instead, the player walks the floor of the casino looking for slots with non-winning matching symbols that form various patterns. The idea is to find a slot that’s about to get “hot,” and this is achieved by finding reels that are slowly becoming aligned in a winning pattern.

Strategies

The Martingale, another popular gambling system, requires the player to double their bet following each loss. The idea is that the player will eventually win, and the payout from the increasingly larger wagers will make up for all the credits that have been previously lost.

Other systems also exist, but all of these methods are ultimately flawed. While they do succeed in providing hope to unlucky gamblers, they are ultimately undone by a tiny miracle of modern technology. Which leads us to…

Can Slot Machines Be Beat?

The simplest answer to this question is “No, slot machines can’t be beat.” Despite the superstitions held my multitudes of players around the globe, modern slot machines cannot be beat by gimmicky systems and strategies.

There’s one reason why slots can’t be outwitted, and this is referred to as the “random number generator.” Installed in all modern slots, this algorithm generates anywhere from hundreds to thousands of numbers per second. The result is that each spin of a slot machine is entirely independent of any other, and the computing power involved assures that even the most advanced human brain won’t be able to predict the outcome.

If you don’t believe the previous statement, I submit the profit margin of casinos as additional evidence. Slot machines make up the bulk of any casino’s profits, and the reason is that the house always wins in the end. Sure, they give up huge paydays on occasion, but the amount of money put into the slots always outweighs the payouts. If a slot machine strategy could erase this advantage, casinos all across the country would be forced to close their doors because of players on a continual hot streak.

Winning Slot Machine Strategies

Slots Advice

It is not my intention to discourage anyone from playing slots. In fact, I visit my local casino at least once a month, and I always have a great time. No, my goal is to make players realize that playing slots is an exercise in probability, and there’s nothing a human being can do to overcome the random number generator. Therefore, the best strategy to employ involves chilling out and having fun.

If you’re looking for more substantial slots advice, I also recommend paying close attention to your bankroll. This is a key strategy for any casino patron, as it will allow you to play longer and avoid the undue stress of losing more money than you can handle. Just calculate how much you can afford to lose, and then make sure to keep your total wagers under this limit. Also, never carry an ATM card with you into a casino, as the temptation to go over budget is often too much for some players.

Slot Machine Strategies For Winning

Slot Machine Experts

I’m appalled by the large number of individuals who offer “winning slot machine advice” for a fee. These folks have no problem lying and cheating to line their pockets with money, and they often prey on the desperate and the gullible. While they promise to teach you all kinds of insider strategy, in reality they have nothing to offer that can’t be found for free on the Internet. And once you factor in the randomness of slot machines, their claims sound especially ludicrous.

Slot Machine Strategies Online

Now that you have a basic idea of how slot machine strategy works, you can make an informed decision as to whether or not it’s worth your time. Video slots can provide hours of entertainment, and they’ve become especially adept at mesmerizing patrons with advanced gameplay and authentic clips from movies and classic television shows.

For some players, however, being entertained isn’t enough. If you fall into this category, you may want to try out some of the slot machine systems to see if they increase your winnings. Just remember: the house always has the edge.

Slot Machine Strategies


When playing slots, there are no decisions to make after the reels start spinning. Without these human elements to worry about, the rules of slots are simple enough on the surface — put some money in the machine, press the “SPIN” button, and wait to see what happens.

In reality, though, you’ll notice that the modern slots you can play have evolved from the old 3-reel “spin and stare” dynamic.

Today’s slots use advanced video technology to shower players with an endless stream of graphics, animations, and sound effects. These modern slots have been designed to offer side-screen bonus games, free spins, scatter pays, wild symbols, and even skill-based elements like target shooting, memorization, and trivia.

When you throw in payline counts that can run from one to 100, a new payout format that ups your “ways to win” to 243 or 1,024, and topline progressive jackpots that require a precise wager amount to be triggered, it turns out slot players have a lot on their plate.

With so many rules to factor in, successful players try to apply certain slot strategies to give themselves a fighting chance against the house.

The idea of slot strategy might sound like a misnomer, but only when you don’t have a good grasp on the game’s nuances.

To help you navigate the maze of rules and strategies needed to thrive as a modern slot enthusiast, check out the list below for a bunch of slots strategies that most players don’t know much about.

Machine

1 – Betting the Maximum Number of Coins Is Always the Best Approach

Take a look down below at the Wheel of Fortune slot machine from IGT and pay close attention to the placard below the wheel and jackpot amount display.

As you can see, this version of the wildly popular Wheel of Fortune game distinguishes between “1st Coin Winners” and “2nd Coin Winners.”

On the left, as you’re reading the paytable, notice how the 1st Coin Winner table offers a top payout of $10,000 if you land three Wheel of Fortune logo symbols. That’s a pretty sweet return on a $5 per spin bet, which is this particular machine’s coin denomination.

But over to the right, those 2nd Coin Winners score much more than 10 dimes — they trigger Wheel of Fortune’s famous progressive jackpot.

At the time this photo was taken, IGT’s $5 Wheel jackpot kitty had climbed to $3,070,893 and change.

Slot Machine Strategies Penny Slots

That massive haul clocks in at 307 times what you’d win for a single coin wager, and all you have to do to earn it is bet a second $5 coin.

And I do mean “have to” because even when you line up three Wheel logos perfectly to trigger the jackpot, you can’t collect the seven-figure payday unless a max bet was in play.

On a $5 machine reading “Play 2 Credits” like the one in the photo, a max bet obviously comes to $10. Other versions of the Wheel of Fortune game read “Play 3 Credits” instead, but no matter how many credits the max bet comes to, just multiply that number by the coin denomination to figure out your per-spin cost.

Betting the max on today’s top-rated online slots is also the only way to activate the game’s full complement of bonus features, including side-screen games, prize multipliers, free spin rounds, and stacked or wild symbols.

Without these features in play, you’ll be spinning with one hand tied behind your back, as the game’s payback percentage plummets without all of those additional ways to win.

And on a final note, don’t let that $5 -> $10 example scare you off the max-betting path. You can always find the same game using a lower coin denomination nearby, and online slots make it easy to toggle between bet sizes with a few mouse clicks. You can bet pennies, nickels, quarters, or dollars. Just make sure you’re always multiplying that coin denomination by the machine’s max bet to unlock the biggest jackpots and best bonus features.

Slot Machine Tips

2 – You Can Track Progressive Jackpots to Ensure You’re Always Playing for Max Value

Speaking of the Wheel of Fortune progressive jackpot, the top prize amount is seeded with a different starting amount — based on coin denomination — right after a lucky winner cashes in.

Slot Machine Strategies

For the $0.25 machines, that starting seed is $200,000, and players must max-bet three coins ($0.75) to be eligible. The starting seed climbs to $1 million on both $1 and $5 machines, which both require a two-coin max bet.

But check out the list below, which highlights the most recent Wheel of Fortune jackpots at the quarter stakes, and see if you notice a curious disparity in payout amounts.

Recent Wheel of Forture Jackpots (Quarter Stakes)
DATECASINOJACKPOT
2/22/2019McCarran Airport$485,673.54
1/22/2019Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino$262,696.85
1/15/2019Excalibur Hotel and Casino$406,718.17
12/14/2018Cosmopolitan Hotel & Casino$1,023,743.22
9/21/2018Palazzo Hotel & Casino$374,769.07
9/3/2018Green Valley Ranch Casino & Hotel$294,780.30
8/25/2018Harrah’s Las Vegas$254,347.80
8/19/2018Rio Hotel & Casino$265,866.77