I am not shy about calling out people for poor behavior and the same goes when it comes to slot machines.
We all know that slot machines are in fact machines, but sometimes I can’t help but to think either the universe or some mythical slot goblin is out to play tricks on me. These thoughts creep in after a game is being a little too stingy with the payouts despite offering up tons of bonus symbols or full screens of wilds.
Those tricks, you see, are designed to keep players like you and me engaged even if it is a losing session. Recently I had a rough session at a casino and started to make a mental list of the various things that kept happening. This included things like just missing the bonus by one symbol, getting blocked by useless bonus symbols, and being subjected to dozens of suspense animations without any actually coming to fruition.
I’ve listed my least favorite slot machine behaviors below. Let us know what you find to be particularly rude in the comments!
One Off Bonus Triggers
We’re going to start things off with the obvious. One of the most obvious and commonly seen “rude behaviors” displayed by slot machines is when the game will drop two of the three required bonus symbols on reels one and two without landing the third on any of the remaining reels.
When the bonus symbols drop in reels one and two, they often block any chance of a lucrative linehit. To add insult to missed bonus opportunity, oftentimes the game will tease you further by deploying one of their favorite engagement tools – a suspense animation. This suspense animation is designed to keep you engaged and make you feel like you have a real chance at the bonus. When you think about it, the game already knows the outcome of the spin when you press the button. Adding in the song and dance of a suspense animation is just rude.
Double Snub
If you thought missing out on one bonus was painful, it is particularly annoying when a “double snub” plays out. Most games have at least two bonus features. Games like Ultimate Fire Link, for example, have both the Free Spins feature and a Hold and Spin feature. You need three of the Free Spins symbols to kick off that specific feature and you need to get four orbs to launch the fireball Hold & Spin feature.
A double snub occurs when the game makes you think you are close to triggering a bonus by giving you a mix of the required symbols. In this situation, the game will provide just enough of each type of bonus trigger to avoid actually launching one of the bonus options. Using our example of Ultimate Fire Link, this would look like landing three of the fireballs (you need four) and two of the free spins symbols (you need three) on one spin.
There is something particularly insulting about a screen chockfull of various bonus symbols, without anything happening.
Progressive Fakeout
One of my all time favorite games, and more than likely one you’ve played, is Dragon Link. Dragon Link is actually guilty of most things on this list, but it remains a mainstay due it’s easy to understand play mechanics and big win possibilities.
Sometimes these big wins come courtesy of one of the progressives listed at the top of the cabinet. These progressives, depending on your bet size, can be rather large. For instance, my favorite bet is $5 on the dollar denomination. On Dragon Link, the Minor at this bet level is a cool $1,250. Whenever I see a word, especially something bigger than the Mini, I get a little too excited to see if the other five orbs will land. On a recent casino adventure, I got the Minor to drop followed by four other orbs. I took a moment to sit there and look at the orbs before silently cashing out and walking to the opposite side of the casino.
There’s something about being just one additional orb off that really makes it feel personal.
Useless Wilds
There are few things more beautiful to a slot player than a full screen of wilds. Unfortunately, sometimes you can encounter a situation where you have full reels of wilds on reels two, three, four, and five but unused bonus symbols on reel one can block you.
Continuing with our example from above, I most commonly see this on Dragon Link or similarly designed titles. Because Dragon Link has the ability to drop full columns of orbs (the Hold & Spin trigger), you can, and probably have been, blocked by these orbs on more than one occasion.
In this scenario, what would otherwise be cause for celebration is a reason to cash out and head out.
Takeaway
No matter how rude a slot might be, it is incredibly important for me to say “DO NOT SLAP MACHINES.” Button slapping, screen punching, or shaking entire cabinets will NOT influence how a game is playing. The best course of action is to cash out and either find a new game to play* or head home.
* If you decide to stay and find another game to play, make sure to pick something far away. I always move away from rude machines so I am not nearby if the game starts treating others nicely.
