Slots can seem pretty simple on the surface. Put money in, hit the spin button, and hope a winning combination comes up. But is it really that simple?
What should you not do at a slot machine?
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There are a few things that are worth thinking about when it comes to slots and making sure you’re not making any mistakes along the way.
Bet Above Your Bankroll
If you’re going to the casino with a small amount of money, and then begin taking big swings, you will likely run out of money before you can reach a bonus that would keep you in the game. It may be tempting to go big or go home, but in a given session, especially as slots get more volatile, you need more spins to reach these harder to get, but more lucrative, bonus rounds that newer slots are designed with.
What’s a good measure? A calculation we did awhile ago was that having 500x your bet size was a good barometer to minimizing you go home with nothing, and ensuring your money would last for a few hours. So if you bring $100, a 20 cent bet size falls in there.
Now, we know that may not be realistic on today’s slot floor given growing minimum bets, but if you opt to do $1, note you only have 100 tries to get a bonus, and the average game takes 120 spins nowadays to bonus (and growing over time), so even that could evaporate without anything substantial.
This is similar to someone going over to roulette or Blackjack and putting it all on one hand or spin. You could be walking out of the casino quite quickly if you don’t account for the volatility and variance these games have.
Not Meet ‘Cost to Cover’
Some games require you to bet up to a certain amount to be eligible for all prizes. Many Quick Hit machines require a max bet to access progressives; Megabucks requires a $3 bet to qualify for that massive progressive.
Whatever amount you need to bet to be eligible for all payouts is called “cost to cover,” and doesn’t necessarily mean you have to max bet, but but on many games does require more than the minimum bet to qualify.
Other examples include Dancing Drums, where you have to bet 88 cents to activate all five gold symbols and be eligible for the top symbol payouts and the Grand jackpot, and Double Top Dollar, which requires all lines to be active and then an additional credit for the bonus – bet even one less credit and that top bonus is not active at all.
Betting Below the Denomination Your Budget Allows
This one is a bit of the inverse of the first one. If you have a budget that allows betting bigger, and you’re only playing 1 cent denomination games, you may be leaving payback on the table in the long term.
Generally speaking, with each denomination step up on slots, there is an increase in the long-term payback percentage you’ll achieve. So, if you have a budget that allows for $3 a spin, you should check out if there’s games at 10 cent, 25 cent or even dollar denomination that accommodates your bet level.
We recommend you take advantage of it at least part of the time, to have a chance at making your money last longer or capture a bigger win now and then. We realize some players find those multi-line penny slot games more fun, but many games are becoming available at higher denominations now too, and some still make bets accessible for mid-level players.
Play Without a Players Card
Perhaps most important of all, you shouldn’t be playing slots without a players card. Because slots have a higher house advantage than most other games in the casino, slot players tend to be more generously rewarded in the form of comps. The only way a casino knows how much you’re playing, and in turn how much they’re willing to extend to you in comps to return, is by sharing that data via your players card being in the machine.
Some players are worried that casinos use that information to manipulate payouts or treat certain players better than others. They don’t, and don’t have to – the fact that slots have a better house edge means they’re highly profitable by just being set up and let them do their thing.
But by playing without a card, you forfeit offers and comps that generally equate to between 20 and 40 percent of your expected loss per visit. If you bring $100, that could be $20-40 back in comps – why would you give that up?
Takeaway
It helps to know a bit about the game to ensure you’re betting enough to qualify for all payouts, and avoid machines that require a higher bet for that than your budget will allow. Some games qualify for all prizes at minimum bet – if that’s what you need, they’re there for the taking. But just be sure you play with your players card.
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Flip the Switch is the page I turn to for the most honest and up to date information on slot play. I feel confident about going to the casino armed with knowledge about percentages, payouts, progressives and how bonuses payout. Plus myth busters that help me keep more of my money. Great job Brian and team look forward to your TV show!
Thanks so much Chelle for being a Flip The Switch regular! We’re excited to share what we have in store for the TV show – keep an eye out!
If I’m playing five lines on a slot. And l switch to three lines, just then the machine hits the five line. Does that mean had l not switched from the five line to the three, l would have hit that five line?
It’d probably be the same. Most of the time lines are simply turned on and turned off, but there can be occasions when the game changes based on the number of lines activated, so it can vary by machine.