Back in the days before online slots, the slot machine was typically pretty simple. The traditional three-reel type of game seen throughout Europe and Australia in pubs. Match up two or three or a kind on the center of the reels, and the player wins. The first innovation to the traditional “pub fruity,” “pokie,” or “one-armed bandit” was the introduction of “Paylines,” allowing different symbols on the reels to be lined up in different ways other than right across the middle.
Today, online slots games can have up to 100 paylines; most have 20-30 and, while the single-payline three-reeler still proliferates nicely in the internet format, the majority of games have five reels and at least nine paylines.
Other traditional features of the slot machine have even been improved upon on the internet: Video animation literally impossible in a real-life casino enliven many a game. Progressive jackpots, augmented by slots players at several online casinos simultaneously, can be larger. And though the typical online casino has 150-400 slots, downloading just three or four casinos can give the slot player has literally thousands of titles to choose from without leaving the comfort of home.
While themes and technology surrounding the slot machine may change, one thing has been the same since Las Vegas had three casinos: Slots are the most popular game in the house. Online, too.
Slots strategy: The reality of spinning reels
Of all the games in the casino, surely the most volatile is slots. Despite the fact that any online casino has a “win rate” of 95% or so, this doesn’t mean that 19 of 20 casino trips results in a winning venture. (If only!) While the biggest single wins are to be had at the casino’s slots, the number of smaller losses that go into making up those massive progressive jackpots are quite numerous.
Therefore, one strategy for slots exists. Ready? Here it is:
Budget!
More specifically, make a budget and then stick to it. Heck, you might even want to take the ultra-conservative tack, keeping with your set bankroll even on a win. Personally speaking, you’ll probably want to make that bankroll the same amount every month, so as to get used to playing with that much cash every time.
One excellent way to stretch that online slots dollar is through tournament play. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of slots tournaments happen every week online and entry is generally in the $5 to $10 range. Not only is this an inexpensive, easily predictable, set amount to play with (thereby eliminating all the guesswork), the casino often gives you a play bankroll of $10,000 or so. So maybe you can’t play the online casino slots with that kind of scratch, but it’s a blast to pretend.