Much more than just a poker blog...
Poker is a game of skill. More and more people are learning that by now. You can go online and find countless articles about winning strategies – what cards to play from what position, who to bluff, when to bluff etc. But what about slot machines?
Slots [2] account for more in casino revenues, usually more than ten times over, than poker. Certainly, given their popularity there has to be more to it than button clicking.
Well, there is.
First off: bankroll management. This does not apply specifically to slots, it’s true across gambling as a whole. You have to have a very clear idea of your budget. What is the amount you could lose that would still not affect your day-today life? Once you have figured out that number, make sure you do not put a disproporionately big chunk of i tat stake in a given game. For every spin, much like a sports bet, you should wager about wager 5% of your bank roll at most. But for most of the time, I should be less. Never go ’’all-in’’, and put your entire bankroll on one spin!
Don’t pay attention to streaks. If you’ve been losing a lot lately it doesn’t make it any less likely you’re going to have a hit the next turn. Don’t panic, just keep to your strategy – but of course, learn from your mistake.
Everything we listed above so far goes for all kinds of gambling. Now let’s move on to slot machines specifically.
What you need to know that each slot machine has a so-called „payback percentage”. This means it is set to give back a certain percentage of the money it took in winnings overtime. It can be around 80%, which is considered low, or over 90% even, which is very high.
These percentages will show over the course of thousands and thousands of spins therefore it is very hard to make out what is the payback percentage for a given machine. But there are some general truths to them all: for example, the higher denomination, the higher the payback percentage, usually. That’s why you are better off playing for $1 a spin than four ¢25 spins.
Online slots also offer some features that you can take advantage of. Some online casinos, for example, host competitions for their users where you get to collect points while playing slots, akin to a poker room’s rake race. There is usually a guaranteed prize pool, and the higher you rank on the leaderboard, the bigger share you get from it, evidently.
Overall, slots aren’t all that different from any other kinds of gambling, be it poker or sports betting, luck does play a role, but with the right strategy you can maximize your chances of winning.