In the world of business everyone wants a guarantee. They want to be sure if they take a chance at a proposal or another product or service, that it is going to pay off. This is one of the ways that businesses protect themselves. In slots, many gamers ask for the same guarantee. They want to know that if they wager $50, they aren’t going to lose the whole thing. Is this possible? When it comes to slots the honest answer is, “no.” Slots are unique in that they are games totally built on luck so you don’t have many guarantees with them. Sure programmers try to develop ways in the games to offer you the biggest chances of a return, but they can’t dictate luck. The games are built on the RNG, random number generator and this is what dictates every outcome. You can’t influence it or change it. So why do people still play the games with so much excitement?

People who play slots are the people who understand that luck is either with you or it isn’t. It isn’t always a bad thing to not have control over an outcome either. Slots gamers know that they can jump from game to game and still formulate a strategy. Sure they can’t overcome a specific game, but they can limit their bankrolls, jump from one game to another if the old one was losing and test out new games at anytime. The games are some of the best because of their variety too. You aren’t going to easily get bored with slots gaming today. Developers know how popular the games are and are putting hundreds of man hours into building new features, bonuses and payouts into them. If you do come to a casino with a little luck, you will find that slots games can be highly lucrative. Even if a game doesn’t payout the big jackpot to you, you still are going to find it to offer a great gaming experience and offer you hours of fun wagering at the casino. Don’t discount slots just because they are games of luck. Rather, test your own luck at them and see what the outcome is—you just might find that you are the next big winner if Lady Luck is on your side.

One of the terms that comes up a lot in slots gaming is the “payout rate.” This is a term that tells you how often the game is programmed to payout to players. If you are a slots gamer, you should get used to at least noting the payout rates of games you pick. It won’t take long and it is posted on the machine so you can immediately scan it. You want to pick the machines with the biggest payout percentages of course—remember that there is no such thing as “beating the house” so when you can sway the odds in your favor, do so. Even if that swaying is only a few percentage points, it still can help you to increase your overall outcomes and help you win. Normally machines have anywhere from 80 to 98% in payout rates. You can see that that is a lot of leeway in there. Make sure you pick the biggest payout returns.

If you see a game that has a payout rate of 97%, and you were wagering $1 per spin, you can expect to win back $9.70 for every ten dollars you wager. On the other hand, if you are playing on a game with a payout rate of 85%, then you can expect to win back $8.50 for every ten dollars you wager at that machine. Novice gamers ask, “Then why don’t I get that much back?” Here is where math comes in. The payout rate is based on the long-term. If you could stand there for a year straight and just spin the reels, you would see that the payout rate is accurate. The problem is that it doesn’t work for the short-term time spans that most gamers have. The payout rate means this is what the machine is set to pay out over the entire lifespan of the game. No one has the time to wait though so rarely do people hit the payout rate unless they hit the big jackpot. Still—slots games are some of the most popular games you are going to find in land based and online casinos these days. People love the gaming experiences they offer and are willing to just play for fun regardless of what happens.

In the world of slots gambling, there are a lot of false beliefs. Some people believe that they can tell if a machine is about to pay out. Some people believe that they can influence a machine with some form of superstitious activity, i.e. bringing a “lucky” dollar to the gaming floor or wearing a “lucky” sweater. These are nice sounding ideas but they are not true. A slot machine is run by one thing: the RNG, or random number generator. This is a mechanism deep within the machines that tells it where to place the reels. The RNG picks numbers and then the reels “spin” to the right symbol. There is nothing you can do to influence the RNG or change it! This is why the games are such fun– because they are solely games of luck and you can have a lot of fun with them.

Although it is the RNG that runs the games, that doeesn’t mean you don’t have some strategy to the games. No, you can’t influence what happens inside the games, but you can influence how you pick games. One of the best strategies to have is to always pick games with the highest payout percentages. You can find this information on the pay schedule and table of the game. It tells you exactly how often the machine pays out. You want to make sure you pick a game that pays out as often as possible to increase your chances of a win. Remember that in slots gambling everything is about your chances and increasing them accordingly. You can’t increase the payout percentage or where the reels land, but you can assure you are working with a decent game and continue to find ones that pay out a lot. Finally, when it comes to having a strategy for slots, be sure that if a sltos game doesn’t pay out you walk away and find another game. This is a common mistake for people to reason that with “just one more spin” the machine is going to turn around. It most likely isn’t. Save your money and go to another game. This is the best way of assuring yourself a win and minimizing losses.

In the world of slots gaming, it’s all about payout percentages. Let’s say you are in a casino and see two games. They look similar and have the same wager requirements. Their themes are close in style and visuals. Their symbols are also almost the same. Does that mean they are the same style of game? Not necessarily. Every slot game in the casino is going to come with instructions. You don’t have to read every word, but you should at minimum skim the payout percentage of every game. In the above example of similar games, one game may have a payout percentage of 97.6% and the other game may have a payout percentage of 98.3%. Now the difference in payout may seem small, and it is, but it still means a lot in the world of wagering. A game’s payout percentage means that over the long-term this is how much a game pays out. For example, a payout percentage of 98% means that the game pays out 98-cents on every dollar. On the other hand a game with a payout percentage of 93% means that it pays out only 93-cents on every dollar. Do these measly few cents really mean something?

In the world of gambling those “measly few cents” do mean something. It is true that no matter what you do the House always wins. You can wager all day, all week or all hour and the House, most likely, is still going to come out on top. It is how gambling is built. You aren’t going to find anything in the world of gambling that is going to sway that into your favor over the long haul. Anyone who claims to have a “sure fire” way to overcome those odds, is lying, trying to sell you something, or both. This is why those measly few percentage points mean so much. The best you can do with wagering is work on building your odds by the small points here and there. These small points are going to help you to win and if you get lucky, they just might put you over the edge. Never discount those small ½-points here and there. They can add up to make you a great return on your wager.

In the world of slot machines “odds” are everything. First of all, as you probably know slots are geared by the RNG, or random number generator. This is an inner mechanism that tells the reels where to land. The randomness of the mechanism is what makes slots impossible to influence. There are two things in a slot stop- the actual stop and the virtual stop. A regular slot machine has just one virtual stop that corresponds to the reels needed for the jackpot. If a machine uses the number “32″ to process its random number generator that means the chance for the big payout is 1 out of 32. The odds though of getting that on a 3-reel game would be calculated via 32×32x32 or 32,768. Now of course bigger games have bigger odds– that is why a larger game has less chances of a win. Some have 64, some have 256 and some even have 512, so you can imagine how many combinations there are and how it changes your odds considerably. Slots games are no longer simple, but rather have become increasingly complex with gaming changes.

A slot machine random number generator is also what dictates its overall payout percentage. This is calculated by third-party gaming regulators who work to make sure games are fair and paying out when they should. If a machine, for example has a payout percentage of 97%, that means that over the long run, the game is going to pay out 97 cents for every $1 that is wagered on it. This is something that casinos play with, so be sure to check a game’s payout percentage. It isn’t uncommon for casinos to push the payout percentage to 95, 93 or even 90%. It’s no secret why gamers are at a loss and why the house always wins. Though casinos can install machines with lower payout percentages, it isn’t easy to just switch out the mechanism like some gamers think. There is a rumor that casinos play with the payout percentages and sway them to their advantage. The truth though is that it isn’t that simple. Casinos are highly regulated and that means changes like that would have to go through regulators who have no advantage in changing the odds.

If you are a fan of slots, then you no doubt have come up with some various tips experts share. Some are good and some aren’t that helpful but the bottom line is that you are dealing with a random game. Everything within a slot machine is dictated by the random number generator. That means that no matter what you do, you are going to come up with a result that is totally detached from your ”strategy”. In fact, in slots gambling there isn’t any strategy really to speak of.

Despite the lack of strategy, you still have some things you can do to increase your chances of a win. First, always be sure to read the payout percentages of games. Make sure that you are playing on the games with the biggest payouts. For example, one game may have a 95% payout percentage and another game may have a 97% payout percentage. Though that seems small—just two percentage points—in reality it isn’t. In slots gambling you want to inch your way up for a win and that inching is going to come about in small increments. You aren’t going to find one sure-fire thing to do that allows you to increase your odds by fifty percent! If that was possible, then gambling wouldn’t be gambling as we know it!

Another thing you can do is play progressive games. With progressives though, remember to always play the maximum coins. If you don’t, you most likely won’t be eligible for the big win. Every game requires players to activate all the lines. Imaging getting a great combination of symbols and then not being eligible for the million-dollar payout because you only played two lines! Overall gambling on slots is a lot of fun, but you have to know what to do to maximize your chances of a win. It isn’t a strategy per se that is going to get you a better track record, but you still can do some things to change your odds. It’s the small changes of odds that are going to change your outcome and give you a better probability of a win.

The rules manufacturers have to follow regarding programming the blank stops have changed dramatically over the years. The blank stops above and below the jackpot symbol used to correspond to more virtual stops than other symbols. This made near jackpot misses would often show up and trick the player into believing they are getting closed to winning the jackpot.  These programs are no longer allowed on the market.

In today’s gambling world the slot machine’s RNG is what ultimately determines the payout percentage.  The RNG is consistently tested by third-party gaming regulators to insure it is paying back a minimum percentage of funds that are deposited into it.  For example, a machine with a payout percentage of 96 would be paying out 96 cents for every dollar put into it by bettors.  With only a 4% profit, it is easy to see why the casino always wins. The odds are always in favor of the house—no matter what game you are playing, what casino you’re playing at or what luck-generating activities you use prior to playing. Nothing really matters but the payout percentage of the machine.

In the more competitive gambling markets like Las Vegas and Atlantic City, the payback percentages are often going to range from 90% to 97%.  Since there is greater competition, not to mention strict regulation laws that require a minimum payback for each machine, players have good chances of finding bad slot machines than normal. The bottom line is that more people go to those popular slots parlors so the casino doesn’t have to create a better payout percentage to bring people in. They have the customer base. Smaller casinos however, have to create more competitive rates. They have to extend the payout percentages to attract new players and keep old ones coming in regularly.

When it comes down to it, slot machines are all about luck. If you have heard of what you can do to overcome Lady Luck, you probably have been had. The RNG cannot be influenced or predicted. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise. Remember that the games are all random and in the end, that is what makes them so popular with gamblers worldwide.

Computerized or virtual reels with electronic stops are what determine the chances of hitting a winning symbol combination, and hopefully give you a shot at the big jackpot.  Since the virtual stops correspond to a fewer number of actual stops, the odds of each symbol combination are determined by the number of virtual stops per actual stops. It depends on what type of machine you are playing at when it comes to determining what your actual odds of winning are. They will change as you play through various games.

For example, a “regular” slot machine will only have one virtual stop that corresponds to the big jackpot on the actual reels. If a machine uses the value of 32 to process its RNG, random number generator, then the chance that the jackpot image will land on one reel is one in thirty-two. If you want to calculate your odds of hitting the big jackpot, or getting a win from all three reels, then the mathematical calculation would be 32 x 32 x 32 or 32,768.  Your official odds would be 1 in 32,768.

Sure that’s good info, but a lot of people go right after the big jackpot. I mean- that’s why we play, right? We all read about the lucky winner who stopped by a slot machine at random, played a few spins and voila– hit the big jackpot. The win was life changing and now the lucky winner can pay off their house, pay off debt or buy some fantastic new item to add to their lifestyle. The slot machines that have those huge payouts will have a greater number of virtual stops and that’s what makes they harder to win on. Some can have 64, 256 or even 512 of those virtual stops to overcome before the machine hands you a huge payout. The bigger virtual stops just means that the actual odds of hitting a symbol combination are not based on the amount of actual stops on the reels, which is what many slot players falsely believe. It’s important to get to the bottom of false beliefs when it comes to slots– and there are many out there!

Part two coming next.

There are many myths in terms of slots play. One lady recently wrote into a gambling website advice column for a suggestion. The lady was an avid slot machine gambler and was looking to maximize her own odds at winning. She insisted that the way to do so was to bet big…quickly. Her theory was that if you bet big, you are opening up the door for odds to sway in your favor early on. She never approached a slots game without her trusty $100 and rarely had that $100 last long.

Part of her mentality though was that betting the $100 was exciting. It made her feel like she was in Las Vegas as a high-roller. She was able to start wagering a good amount of money and mentally she could picture that “big return” coming her way within a few spins of the reels. Though she played her $100 the reality was that it only lasted a few times and then her bankroll was done and she was done playing.

She is a classic myth gambler. The myth gambler is some one who truly believes that their ideas about gambling are true, despite no logical or experimental proof to back them up. In actuality, slot machines do not operate intelligently. They can’t “tell” when a player begins with a $100 wager or a $0.50 wager. There is a random number generator, or RNG, that decides each reel spin and dictates where it lands. That’s the only “truth” in slots play. Well—that and the payout probability. Depending on what game she is playing, there will be a posted payout probability. It normally it is anywhere between the 95-98% range. The problem with her theory is that the 95-98% range is how often statistically the machine pays out over a long period of time…not just the time it takes to wager $100.

In the end her biggest payoff may be the excitement she’s built up for herself regarding her $100 bet. She said herself that it makes her “giddy” to take that one bill and bet it all. That may be the issue right there. If she’s satisfied by throwing down her $100 bet, losing it, and then going home, then maybe that is the system that works best for her. But her theory of increasing her chances as a result of it are complete nonsense.

The payout rates of online slot games tend to be higher than those of in-house games. The reason for this is that land-based casinos face huge overhead costs and have to use the majority of their revenues for covering them. Regarding revenue they can’t compete with virtual casinos because online casinos don’t have the huge expenses of maintenance, landscaping, management, and utilities.  For this reason, sometimes it’s great to log onto a virtual casino and play slots. The payouts tend to be higher and the promotions are too. If you are going to log in for game play, here is some valuable information regarding your odds of winning.

When you are getting ready to choose a slot machine, look at the payback percentage. Not every slot game has the same payback. You want to play on games you’ll enjoy regarding theme and user-friendliness, but also that give you the best chance of winning some money. After all, that’s what’s gambling is all about!  Check out the payback percentage each machine has and try to maximize it.

It is critical to be realistic however about the payback percentage. For example, if that percentage is 95%, don’t be fooled into thinking that means it will pay you money 95% of the time or it pays back 95% of what you wager. That’s not what the payout percentage is about.  The number actually represents how the machine pays back money over an extended period of time. It’s based on every dollar that is put into the machine. It could take up to a year for a machine to pay back to its 95% advertised payout.

Normally machines are programmed to give a payout of anywhere between 95-98%. Of course, you want to look for the highest number you can find, so go with the 98% if it is available. If a dollar-machine has a 97% payout over one million reel-spins that means it will pay out $970,000 to player and $30,000 will be kept by the casino.

The world of slots is a world of luck, but by using the payout percentage to your advantage, you can still up your chances of a big win. The great news is that online casinos are highly competitive and create specials to benefit their loyal players. Visit a few and see what they have to offer. You just might be able to find your favorite game, at a good payout percentage, and win big while having fun.