Slots Strategy: Math or Luck?

You’ve often heard experts call casino games - games of chance, but top on the list is always slots. You need no skills to play this game, or so you are told, which explains why it is the most popular option at online and offline casinos. Granted, the return-to-player is also lower as compared to other more challenging options such as Blackjack.  

Modern slot machines have computerized reels where results are passed through a system that determines the winner randomly. This system, called Random Number Generator – RNG – selects low-paying numbers more times than their high-paying counterparts to give an online casino an edge over players. Once in a while, RNG will select a high-paying number, in which case luck would really be online, these selections are not frequent since they would bankrupt a casino. 

That having been said, is there a strategy a player can apply to make their chances at winning better or is it all up to luck? 

Luck and a bit of Math

You can help luck along by doing a couple of things. One is staying on the game, through controlling your money and watching how each spin behaves. You are looking at hit frequency as well as bonus rounds and how often they are churned. You get this information by staying on the game long enough. 

As you watch the machine and how its math is programed, you get to understand when to bet the maximum and when to put in just enough to cover minimums on the paylines. Staying at the table long enough will help you identify the way each spin behaves to increase your chances of winning. 

Another way you can control your bankroll – other than watching it closely as you play – is to find a legit no deposit bonus from an online casino of good repute. A bonus of this nature is quite hard to find since it does not put money directly into a casino’s pocket, and so you would have to comb the web to find one. It becomes much easier when you look it up from a site – like ours – that does a good thorough review of all casinos offering these no deposit bonuses only from safe casinos with up-to-date licenses and have their games audited for fairness. 

Type of Slot Machine

The type you are playing at could affect your chances of winning. Here’s a look at the various types and how they affect your odds or game outcomes.  

• Progressive Reels 

These reels call for big bets, so you only want to play here when you can comfortably bet the max. You get the chance to win a progressive jackpot while at the same time risking more money than if you bet minimums. You have to know how to select a progressive spinner since they are not the same. When playing games such as Megabucks with a potential top-prize of millions of dollars, you will be required upwards of $500 per spin to stand a winning chance. Of course, there are exceptions where players only bet $10 per spin and still made big bucks, but those chances are quite low. 

Games such as Wheel of Fortune have found the perfect balance with bonus rounds, making players feel better for betting big monies. With a progressive reel, bigger bets will get you better chances of winning large payouts. 

• Classic Reels 

They only have one payline, three reels, and no bonus features, but these classic spinners have stood the test of time. If you sit for a two-coin dollar game – say, Double Diamond by IGT – you will see the pay schedule that will help you determine how the game goes. The game will show seven winning combinations with multipliers that double the wins when it lands on the designated part of the reel.  

Now, classic spinners are known for their dry spells, to mean one of each seven spins is likely to hit it big. The rest of the time you will make nothing or very little, but the one odd payment – when it finally hits – will make the wait worth it. 

Now, whether to bet the max or to hold depends on the pay schedule that you should monitor all through. Since this type of reel has multipliers, you stand the chance of doubling your winnings when you land the winning combination. Ultimately, the decision should be solely yours after observing how the pay schedule behaves and movement of multipliers. 

• New-Breed Reels

These reels are a cross of progressive and classic reels that made a come-back to bridge the gap created by these two dominating the industry. With new-breed reels, players have two options; they can either bet in nickels or pennies. The nickel slots are basically five-line reel-spinners with high-frequency hits and low volatility. They allow players to place bets in all the paylines, which increases hit frequency and ultimately, the chances of winning. This presents the best way to up your winning chances when betting from 5-reel video slot machines. Since small hits will be quite frequent, you may only need about $20 with this type of machine. 

Penny machines are different since they borrow more from the classic reel format. They are higher in volatility, which means you may need to spend more to stay on the game longer. Since they have just as many paylines as nickel reels, you can maximize your hit frequencies by filling up all paylines. Payouts are quite small, so you will not break the bank when betting on these reels. 

Go Big or Go Home

Luck has a lot to do with how your game goes at the casino, but as we saw, a little strategy could make all the difference. It doesn’t hurt to take advantage of any deposit bonus that could stretch the dollar on the reels.