15 Slot Machine Tips
One-armed bandits, fruit machines, and video slots, they are all different names for one of the most popular gambling genres, the slot machines. It is the number one choice for millions of casino players. This is true whether they are at a land-based casino or an online casino. The popularity of this type of game is no secret. Slot machines offer fast-paced gaming with exciting gameplay, fun themes as well as cool soundtracks and animation.
The main reason behind the popularity of any casino game is its winning capabilities, and when it comes to slots, they are tremendous. Slot machines come with massive jackpots. Some games come with progressive jackpots, which can start at the $1,000,000 mark, and they can only grow bigger from there. Millions of players around the world cannot resist the exhilarating range of slot machines at their favorite online casino. So, if you are a slot fan and you want to maximize your winning chances, then you are certainly in the right place. Here you will find a host of tips and info that will help you achieve just that.
Top 15 Tips to Maximize Your Winning Potential with Online Slots
While you cannot influence the symbols that appear on the reels, there are a few things you can do that can help you have a smoother and more rewarding experience. It is important to know that an online slot is a game of pure luck, and these tips aim to help you gamble smarter and get to know more about slots so you can have a better chance for a favorable outcome.
1. Picking the Correct Online Casino:
While some might think that choosing a casino cannot affect the slot outcome, it does affect your overall experience. For example, if you win a big jackpot and you picked a shady or a dodgy website, you might not even gain access to your winnings nor make a withdrawal. Therefore, you basically lost all of your money, even if you end up winning at the slots. So, you should always pick a reputable casino with a couple of years of experience under its belt. In addition, you should always vet the casino and do your research to make sure that there are no security and payout complaints against it. You will find plenty of websites that vet and review different online casinos and give you a full review and a top 10 list so you can pick a casino without going through the hassle of checking the casinos yourself.
2. Understand How Paylines and Ways to Win Work:
When picking a slot, you must understand how it works, especially the paylines. They are the paylines on which you will have to match symbols to claim a payout. So always check the paylines, how they work, does it offer payouts both ways, does it even have paylines? Do not rush into games because they look flashy but take your time to research the gameplay and the paylines and know your chances of claiming a payout.
3. Don’t Use What You Can’t Lose:
This is one of the most impotent tips, whether you are spinning slots, playing blackjack, or any kind of gambling game. You should always have your eyes on the bankroll to track your winnings and losses. Do not get sucked into a losing streak and doubling down, hoping you would win it back. Instead, take a small break, and do something else before you start spinning the reels again. You should always make it a rule that you don’t gamble what you can’t afford to lose. So always begin with a certain amount you can use, and don’t get past it with every gaming session at your favorite online slot and casino.
4. Understand the Slot and Its Bonus Rounds:
One of the most intriguing and rewarding features of advanced and modern slots is the bonus rounds. It could be as simple as a bonus payout or free spins. But, on the other hand, it can be a complicated round, with second-screen bonus games and more. Therefore, you should always read about the game and check the payouts table. That will give you an idea of the game’s bonus rounds and how to trigger them, so you can take advantage of the slot machine and all that it has to offer you.
Read more about all the features of online slots.
5. Look for More Frequent Payouts:
There are plenty of slot games out there that offer massive jackpots in the millions. But, on the other hand, you will need tremendous luck to be the winner of a big jackpot. Therefore, whenever anyone hits the jackpot of games like Mega Moolah, they make the news. Consequently, you should target games with smaller jackpots, as they usually get triggered more frequently.
However, because of the low RTP on jackpot slots, the best instead is to play high RTP slots with bonus games.
6. Join The Casinos Rewards Programs Whenever Possible:
Most reputable casinos offer free memberships to Slots Clubs. These slot clubs offer many perks and extra bonuses for their members. You will take advantage of cashback on slot bets, special offers, extra bonuses, etc. The membership might not be completely free, as some of them require minimum deposits with a special code to become a member. Regardless of the any to join these clubs, it is almost always worth it.
7. Simpler Games are Sometimes the Best:
While many players head to online casinos and search for the most complicated and flashy games, that is not always the best idea. These complex games usually cost the developers a lot of money to create, and therefore, they usually do not offer huge payouts, as they need to make back their money first. Thus, simpler games that can look quite traditional with simple features are where you might have better chances of winning.
8. Take it Easy and Take your Time:
Slots are fast-paced, and they are designed to be. They want to make players place as many bets as they can in the shortest period. It is common to get caught up in the fast-paced excitement of online slots, but you must resist. Take your time and relax and think of every decision you are making. Whether increasing a bet, a click on the max bet button, entering a bonus round, gambling your winnings, or so on, you must take it slow.
9. Keep Track of Bonus Codes and Promos:
Plenty, if not all, casinos reward their loyal customers, as well as the new players. The rewards most likely come in the form of bonus codes that you can use while making a deposit, and some of them are dedicated to slot players. Other promotions include no-deposit bonuses, cashback, and free spins on certain slots. So always keep an eye on these promos as they can increase your balance substantially, which helps you place more bets for more winning chances. See some exclusive online casino slot bonuses here
10. Jackpots Might have an Unofficial Threshold:
Online slot machines are not a science, and you cannot count cards like blackjack as they are games of absolute luck. On the other hand, you would want to keep track of how large a jackpot usually is before it is triggered. That might give you a rough idea of when to place bets so you can maximize your chances of winning.
11. Different Online Slot Machines Have Different RTPs:
Each slot machine has its own RTP (Return to Player) percentage. So, for example, if an online slot machine has an RTP of 95%, it means that for every 100 credits you place in bets, you would get 95 credits back. Of course, that can happen in 10 spins, 100 spins, or 1000 spins. Therefore, when you are picking a slot, do not only decide on a slot according to its visuals or bonus rounds but its RTP as well, as that literally translates to more winning chances. The average of most online slots is 96%, so always go for games that are 96%+. You can see a list of the highest paying slots here.
12. Play the Demo Version First:
Like any game of absolute luck, slots, there are limits when it comes to strategies and increasing your odds of winnings. Unlike other classic casino games like poker or blackjack, slots are entirely random. On the other hand, there are still some trends that you can find, as well as predictions that can slightly increase your winning chances. Therefore, it is always advised to play the slot’s demo version before playing it for real cash. Almost every casino offers a free-to-play version of most of their slot machines. So, it is advised you spend your first gaming session at any new online slot on the demo version. That will allow you to understand the game, its bonuses, and its perks before you place real money bets.
13. Denomination Size does Matter:
Slot machines that offer higher denomination in terms of bets often are higher-paying ones. So if your budget can afford to place a big bet on these slots, you will have a better chance of triggering a massive reward.
14. Progressive Slots Might Sometimes be the Answer:
While we talked about how you can trigger the smaller jackpots more often, you should head to progressive jackpots if you are after the big bucks. Many jackpot games have jackpots that can begin at the one-million mark, and they can only go higher from there. As a result, they do not get hit often, but when they do, there is a lucky player who becomes a millionaire overnight. Here are 3 of the most popular and classic progressive slot machines on the market today.
Microgaming’s Mega Moolah:
This one has to be the most popular progressive slot ever to grace the online casino world. Thanks to its jackpot that always starts at the 6-digit mark, it has made more millionaires than any other slot. In addition, it has an African theme with multiple jackpots. As an example of Mega Moolah payout potential, in 2015, a lucky player was able to cash in nearly $20 million. That is only one of the many times the progressive jackpot has turned a lucky player into a millionaire in a split second.
Major Millions:
Yet another Microgaming Progressive jackpot and it is also known for its generous prizes. It has a 3-reeled and a 5-reeled variant, and they are both equally rewarding. You will need to line up 3/5 of the Major Millions symbols after using max bet, which will help you trigger the mega jackpot of Major Millions.
Hall of Gods:
Microgaming might be one of the biggest names when it comes to progressive jackpots, but it is not the only one. Net Entertainment is also one of the big players in the market. Its contribution to the scene of high-paying progressive jackpots must be the Hall of Gods. It is a Greek-mythology-themed video slot machine with 20 lines and a bonus round. That bonus round enables you to get a shot at triggering the Mega Jackpot after placing the max bet.
15. Read our Other Slot Machine Guides
It is also a good ides to read our guide on how to win at slots
Video With Slot Tips From Gambling Expert Mike
A Quick Guide to Spinning Slot Games for Beginners
If you are a new player, here is a quick guide for beginners that will help you spin the reels of an online slot for the first time. Of course, if you are a beginner, it is better to try following these steps first on a Play for Fun version of the slot you are trying to play. When you are ready to play for real money, you can look at our list of best slots for beginners.
Step One: The Paylines
Check how many paylines the slot has and their location. Then, you will choose how many lines you want to "activate." That means they will be a part of the gameplay and help you create a winning payout. Of course, every payline you activate will increase the stake.
Step Two: Spin the Reels
Click on the spin icon, and that will start the gameplay. The symbols will start spinning, creating combinations on the lines and reels of the game. You will then grab a reward according to the combos you created on the reels.
Step Three: Claim Payouts
If you get at least three similar symbols on the same line, and according to the rules of the paylines, you will claim a payout. Some slot machines offer different rules for payouts; some can pay horizontally and diagonally. You can know more about the paylines and their respective payouts at the payouts table of the slot.