The majority of people who log in to online casinos are doing it to sit down at a slot machine. While slots may be the most popular games in a casino, they’re also the subject of numerous rumors and myths.
This article aims to dispel the myths and give you the best online slots tips we can give you. The goal is help you understand how slot machines work, how they win and how to avoid losing more than you intended. Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?
The (brief) History of Slot Machines
Slots were originally invented as a novelty. Casino owners spend a fair amount of their time figuring out how to increase player retention. Just as important convincing high-rollers to play at your casino, is finding ways to keep those high rollers at the tables once they arrive.
One of the biggest hurdles in this were the high-roller’s wives. While many gamblers can happily spend an entire day sitting at a table, a gambler’s spouse will typically grow bored after a couple of hours.
Slot machines were originally invented to give the high-roller’s wives something to do, a distraction to keep the players playing and the money flowing.
Little did they know, their plan would work better than anyone could have imagined.
Not only did slot machines serve their purpose in this, it quickly became evident the machines had more potential for the casinos than the tabled games ever could.
While beautiful machines in their own right, these early slot machines have little-to-no resemblance to today’s current offerings. Today’s physical slot machines function the very same as online slots, only you’re using their machine instead of your computer to spin the reels.
How Slot Machines Work
Real world and online slot machines function the same way. They are both controlled by a computer, a random number generator and a set of rules. It doesn’t matter if the slot has physical spinning reels or is entirely digital, the actual functionality and integrity of the machine is identical.
The instant you press spin (or pull the lever) the computer generates a random number output which corresponds to the end-state of the reels. The actual spinning of the reels is simply to add suspense for your benefit.
Because the random number is only “generated” at the instant you initiate the spin, the result is entirely dependent on the moment of the button press. Had you waited another second before hitting the button, the result would have been entirely different (okay there is a chance it would be the same, but the odds are too insignificant to deem legitimate).
This is repeated for every spin. This means the result of the previous spin is completely irrelevant to the current one. This piece of information is crucial for dispelling many online slot machine myths.
Slot Machine Myths
There are many slot machine myths, and while you can find hoards of slots players who will adamantly disagree with what you’re about to read, what follows is absolutely the truth.
The Due Theory
The Myth: A machine which hasn’t paid out recently is more likely to award a jackpot than one which has not.
The Truth: This myth stems from a misunderstanding of probability. If a machine’s odds of hitting a jackpot is 1 in 100, and it doesn’t hit for 99 spins, the 100th spin is still just as likely to hit the jackpot as the first spin was. As far as the machine is concerned, each spin is a first spin.
Secret Combinations
The Myth: Playing certain combinations of bets or buy-ins will make you more or less likely to win. For example you’re more likely to win if you just bought into a machine than or if you make larger bets.
The Truth: When it comes to the spinning of the reels, the machine has no idea if you just bought in, are betting the minimum or are betting the maximum. The size of your bet only matters when it checks the end-state of the reels against the rule set for that machine.
Some Machines are More Likely to Win than Others
The Myth: Some slots are hot, and will pay out more than others.
The Truth: This is half truth, half myth. The standard variance of luck attributes to the “feeling” of machines being hot or cold. A machine will never choose to make you a winner or a loser, but it is possible to make it more likely for you to be a winner. An example of this are slot machine banks which pay out more jackpots as more players are actively playing. At no time are the results “faked” the only change is how likely you are to win.
For example let’s say you’re rolling a die. You have a 1 in 6 chance at getting a 6. If we want to make you more likely to win we replace the 5 on the die with a second 6. Now your roll and the result is still entirely random, the die will still fall on one of six sides. The difference is you now have a 1/3 chance of winning.
Learn the Rules
The final tip for online slots is to learn the rules. Some machines have bonus features which can only be activated by betting at or above a certain threshold. Most machines have multiple “win” lines, each line needing to be bet to become active.
The only thing worse than not hitting a slot machine jackpot, is hitting a slot machine jackpot on a line you’re not playing. The most common slot tip is to play maximum lines, at a denomination low enough for each spin to be affordable for you. Maximize your chances or winning, without letting your bet amount mushroom out of control.
That’s it, that’s every slot tip you need to maximize your chances of hitting the big one. Good luck, and have fun.
