In spite of the fact that the iGaming is quite a mysterious place to dwell in thanks to randomizers, strange odds, spontaneous moments and erratic moves, this does not mean there is no strategy at outrunning online venues with their ringing thousands of slot machines. Common beliefs claim that only poker and some Blackjack variations are relatively easy to get estimated and tactically thought out, whereas slot machines remain a hidden spot with lots of smudges and smears. Rough math tells that a standard 5×3 fruity with just 8 symbols in the paytable is able to show approximately 35 (!) billion outcomes on the reels not mention machines with 10, 12 or even 15 different icons to drop from above and extended gaming grids – and the point is that barely half of combinations would bring good prizes. This is why many sceptics and science-minded gamblers do not believe in slots.
Nonetheless, there are numbers of general approaches, handful tips and some imaginative ideas to maximize your performance at, not totally outclassing, but at least frequent winning. Slots machines are, first of all, machines with programmed brains, and turning a blind eye to randomizers and related engines, it is left a scheduled pattern. Take, for example, this slot – http://slotmine.com/sphinx-3d/. A reliable source states that this progressive machine gives one Coin Bonus harshly on 60 spins. In other words, the machine would generally activate the bonus right after sixty rounds in the base game taken. This information, though, is not for big audience and usually developers and venues carefully conceal details except for occasional RTP publications. But the gist here is as follows: any slot machine can be calculated and measured.
Three newbie-styled game plans
Before we head straight into sophisticated schemes, there will be a little bit of debriefing with easy-to-follow courses so that you could feel the vibes and acquire shallow-knowledged skills.
Budget control freak
Advantage: strategy allows not to bite the dust, demolish the bankroll and helps stay concerned about your slot ‘revenues’.
Difficulty: you may easily relapse and go back to reckless betting.
The prime skill every slotter must have is the ability to keep tabs on money they process throughout a game. This strategy has nothing to do with actual slot-machine taming, but it is as essential as drinking water. Begin with estimating your current bankroll. Let’s say you have just deposited $200 and now wait for getting the best out of it. Take a little pause and decide whether you are ready to put into action the whole sum or just some part. Say, you allocate $50 for live casino tables and the rest goes for slots. Then decide whether you are ready to spend the whole sum on a single machine. If not, stick to a number. So, for instance, your limit is $50 for a machine. In case you fall outside the prescribed value, immediately quit and go on with another slot. Do not let your inner greedy leprechaun lead the play.
No video reels
Advantage: you save a great portion of your bankroll by avoiding attractive entries.
Difficulty: classic slots, in comparison to video beauties, are tedious and boring, so they may put you off gambling in general.
Unfortunately, it is bright and vibrant slot machines with Batman, Dirty Dancing and funny setups what tend to be extremely greedy. Undoubtedly, they are attractive, fun to play and may keep you tuned for hours, but their return policy sometimes border on robbing. You’d better stay away from colourful bonus boosters.
Give it another chance
Advantage: theoretically the strategy allows to influence the behavior of a slot machine.
Difficulty: does not work with all slots.
Finally, there is a little wacky system which, though, sometimes is proven to accelerate winning rates significantly. It goes like this: choose a nice machine and hit for the maximum wager. If you keep losing for 10-15 rounds in a row or bet more than win continuously, run another slot and play for a few rounds with small stakes. Then come back to the ‘luckless’ game and reach for medium bets. By this simple action you heat the machine up and raise odds at getting nicely rewarded.
Two effective but difficult techniques
After you learned the ropes and got a little habituated, it is time to head into more advanced methods and try out being smart. The following strategies are better to be applied simultaneously because they share the common method.
Dynamic betting
Advantage: fixed betting lowers RTP while dynamic distribution allows to shift odds.
Difficulty: requires large bankroll, patience and might make you skip the good flow.
There are multiple departments in dynamic betting system: three-to-one, high-low, arithmetic, geometric etc. We’re going to look at a classic arithmetic pattern which owes the title to the mathematical formula. The thing is that you’ve got to start with the minimum wager. After each round raise the wager by one bet step. For example, you place 0.01 coins in the beginning and the next stake goes like 0.02 coins and so on. Reach the maximum and then return to the bottom value again.
Standard deviation
Advantage: allows to theoretically control slots and get the maximum out of them.
Difficulty: might crack in the middle of the road.
While you diligently change bets every round, do not forget to keep tabs on bonus-base ratios. Machines usually trigger bonuses and related incentives once in a certain while: if there are freespins, they tend to get activated after a rigid number of regular spins. Take a pen with you and hover like a helicopter for some time. Calculate the general proportion and do not forget to constantly change bets. When you are 15 rounds away from the theoretical bonus, reach for ‘close to maximum’ stakes and keep raising them. Do not exit the game until you hit the bonus.
Take-home message
Slot taming needs practice, wise head and fair casinos with audited machines. You’d better start at searching for a reputable gambling operator first and scanning through RTPs before even running a game. Sometimes strategies do no work despite your fairest effort, but you should not get upset and cry somewhere quiet: relax and come tomorrow.