Slot Machine Strategy & Tips
The only strategy to playing slots is picking which ones are worth playing. In recent years the penny slots have become very popular. Unfortunately, many of the penny slots have many rows and lines. In order to win any progressive jackpot of value you must bet max each time. Sometimes max bet can be 160 pennies! That’s $1.60 a spin; Not exactly cheap, like one might expect on a penny slot. When the progressive jackpot is $100 is it really worth playing $1.60 a spin to win? Use common sense and always look at the jackpot, and the max bet required to win it. When the jackpot is not high enough to play max bet each time, then realize you are just playing for fun and make your money last. Don’t play max bet each round when the jackpot is certainly not worth it.
Many quarter slots have a 3 credit max bet. This means that max bet costs just $0.75 compared to some penny slots with a max bet of $1.60! Just because it’s a penny slot doesn’t mean it’s cheaper!
In one instance I inserted a $20 bill into a nickel machine. Before I was down at $10 I actually won the jackpot! I thought surely the jackpot, the best prize, must be about $500 to $2500. Then I looked up and noticed it was 2500 credits. 2500 credits x $0.05 = $125. I was a bit disgusted. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy to win. I was disgusted that I had put a $20 bill into a machine, to have a slim chance at winning $125, in the best case scenario. It just isn’t a smart bet. It was fun, but there are probably other machines that have better payout ratios for their jackpot. Nickel machines are still great when money is tight and you want your limited budget to last you a few hours.
Quarter machines and dollar machines are now my favorite. They are only my favorite when the max bet is only 3 credits or less and I have enough money to play max bet each time without spending my whole budget. Why are they my favorite? Well I actually have the chance to win lots of money on them. Isn’t that the point to begin with? I played a MegaBucks machine which costs $1, and to win progressive jackpot it takes 3 credits per bet. So $3 a spin is very pricey. Even if you just win one of the smaller jackpots it can be between 2 and 5 credits and a medium sized hit can net you anything from between $100 and $250! Well before my $20 dollars was eaten up I hit a medium prize and was magically at 260 credits, or $260. I didn’t have to hit the jackpot and I was able to crush my win on the nickel machine. Of course you won’t always hit and $20 doesn’t last long with max bet each time. But I treated that machine like the lottery as it’s progressive jackpot was over 18 million at the time. The point here is not to play the priciest machine you can find. Play machines where you can actually win some money if you do hit. I budgeted over half my money to quarter and nickel slots and just a small fraction of my budget was for $1 machines.
Video Poker
Video Poker is a great game to play. The Video Poker and Blackjack machines have better odds than most regular slots that just spin. Some machines let you choose how much you want to bet each time, $0.01, $0.05, $0.10, $0.25 or $1. I chose $0.01 when I was low on money and I was able to play for hours on just five dollars. The number of free drinks I got during that time was worth way more than the $5 I was playing. I switched to Blackjack when my money was getting really low. A friend of mine was able to make $2 last three hours playing Blackjack. Play video Blackjack if you don’t want to win or lose money very fast. Play Video Poker if you want a chance to actually win some prizes. Both are great games.
Don't slot machines have bad odds?
Nevada laws ensure that all slot machines where dice or cards are used must employ real life odds. So you have the same odds when playing video poker as you do when you are playing regular poker. Other places may not have to follow these regulations so be sure to check out the local laws concerning slot machines.
Slots can be fun and great, but don’t spend all your money at the slots. Budget your money and time and learn to have a fun time and walk away happy when you’re done. If you aren’t having fun, then don’t play! Like all gambling… it’s just a gamble. Never gamble what you can not afford to lose!
Many quarter slots have a 3 credit max bet. This means that max bet costs just $0.75 compared to some penny slots with a max bet of $1.60! Just because it’s a penny slot doesn’t mean it’s cheaper!
In one instance I inserted a $20 bill into a nickel machine. Before I was down at $10 I actually won the jackpot! I thought surely the jackpot, the best prize, must be about $500 to $2500. Then I looked up and noticed it was 2500 credits. 2500 credits x $0.05 = $125. I was a bit disgusted. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy to win. I was disgusted that I had put a $20 bill into a machine, to have a slim chance at winning $125, in the best case scenario. It just isn’t a smart bet. It was fun, but there are probably other machines that have better payout ratios for their jackpot. Nickel machines are still great when money is tight and you want your limited budget to last you a few hours.
Quarter machines and dollar machines are now my favorite. They are only my favorite when the max bet is only 3 credits or less and I have enough money to play max bet each time without spending my whole budget. Why are they my favorite? Well I actually have the chance to win lots of money on them. Isn’t that the point to begin with? I played a MegaBucks machine which costs $1, and to win progressive jackpot it takes 3 credits per bet. So $3 a spin is very pricey. Even if you just win one of the smaller jackpots it can be between 2 and 5 credits and a medium sized hit can net you anything from between $100 and $250! Well before my $20 dollars was eaten up I hit a medium prize and was magically at 260 credits, or $260. I didn’t have to hit the jackpot and I was able to crush my win on the nickel machine. Of course you won’t always hit and $20 doesn’t last long with max bet each time. But I treated that machine like the lottery as it’s progressive jackpot was over 18 million at the time. The point here is not to play the priciest machine you can find. Play machines where you can actually win some money if you do hit. I budgeted over half my money to quarter and nickel slots and just a small fraction of my budget was for $1 machines.
Video Poker
Video Poker is a great game to play. The Video Poker and Blackjack machines have better odds than most regular slots that just spin. Some machines let you choose how much you want to bet each time, $0.01, $0.05, $0.10, $0.25 or $1. I chose $0.01 when I was low on money and I was able to play for hours on just five dollars. The number of free drinks I got during that time was worth way more than the $5 I was playing. I switched to Blackjack when my money was getting really low. A friend of mine was able to make $2 last three hours playing Blackjack. Play video Blackjack if you don’t want to win or lose money very fast. Play Video Poker if you want a chance to actually win some prizes. Both are great games.
Don't slot machines have bad odds?
Nevada laws ensure that all slot machines where dice or cards are used must employ real life odds. So you have the same odds when playing video poker as you do when you are playing regular poker. Other places may not have to follow these regulations so be sure to check out the local laws concerning slot machines.
Slots can be fun and great, but don’t spend all your money at the slots. Budget your money and time and learn to have a fun time and walk away happy when you’re done. If you aren’t having fun, then don’t play! Like all gambling… it’s just a gamble. Never gamble what you can not afford to lose!
