If you’re going to play slot machines, you should understand how slot machines work.

You might find slots that advertise themselves as “penny slots.” Even though the name may make you think they cost a penny per spin, it’s not quite so simple. “Penny slots” mean that each pay line you’re betting on costs a penny. A pay line is a left-to-right pathway that connects symbols on the reels.

That sounds obvious, but you’d be amazed at how many people have no idea how these games really work.

In this post I explain how slot machines work in simple terms that anyone can understand.

What Is a Slot Machine?

Real money slot machines are the basic gambling machine at most casinos, and slot machines generate 70% to 80% of most casinos’ revenue. In some casinos, they make up even more than that. They’re called slot machines because you used to put coins in a slot to play them.

Slot machines differ from other gambling machines because of the way the outcomes are generated. A video poker game is also a gambling machine, but it’s not a SLOT machine. Neither is a video blackjack game.

What makes a slot machine game a slot machine game are the spinning reels.

In early mechanical versions of the games, you literally had big metal reels powered by springs and levers. They spun and landed on various stopping points when the kinetic energy that caused them to spin was all faded.

Modern slot machines use a computer program to determine the outcomes. The spinning reels are just for show, even on machines that LOOK like they’re using physical reels.

But many – if not most – modern slot machines just use a computer monitor with animated reels to determine outcomes.

How Does a Slot Machine Come Up With a Random Result?

Modern slot machines used a computer program to determine the outcomes. This program is called a “random number generator” or “RNG.”

Here’s how the random number generator works:

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It constantly “thinks” of a range of numbers. Each number corresponds to a combination of symbols on the slot machine reels and the payline. When you press the spin button, the random number generator stops on that combination.

But with a computer program, you could easily have a symbol that comes up once every 20 spins, another that comes up once every 5 spins, and another that comes up once very 10 spins.

These changes in probability can even happen from one identical machine sitting next to the other.

I’ll have more to say about that in this next point:

How Slot Machines Make Money for the Casino

All casino games give the house a mathematical edge. This is usually based on something simple – in blackjack, for example, the player has to play her hand first. In roulette, you have two green numbers, but the payout odds would be break-even if all the numbers were black or red.

With a slot machine, the house makes its money simply by paying out at lower odds than the odds of winning.

Each prize amount on a slot machine has a probability of happening. When you multiply that probability by the prize amount, you come up with the “return” for that combination.

Add all those returns together, and you get the total return for the machine.

That return is always less than 100%.

Here’s an example:

You might have a 55% probability of getting no win at all. This would apply to all non-winning combinations, so the return for any of the non-winning combinations would be 55% X 0, or 0.

You might have a 20% probability of getting a single cherry symbol that doesn’t match anything else on the machine, and that might pay off at even money (1 for 1). The return for a cherry-blank-blank combination would be 20% X 1, or 20%.

You then might have another 20% probability of getting a 2 for 1 payoff for any combination that includes a bar symbol and no other matches. The return for a bar-blank-blank combination would be 20% X 2, or 40%.

If you had no other combinations, the overall return on this game would be 40% + 20% + 0%, or 60%.

This means that on average, over a staggeringly large number of spins, you’d wind up getting back 60% of the money you bet.

At $3 per spin over 1000 spins, you’d have bet a total of $3000.

The odds say that you would have gotten $1800 in winnings, for a loss of $1200.

Of course, a real slot machine pay table would have more than three possible prizes, and at least one of those prizes would be large. The average slot machine has a 1000 for 1 jackpot for its top prize.

How Do Bonus Games and Other Slot Machine Features Work?

Modern slot machines have a staggering array of special features, too. One of the most prominent of these features are the slot machine bonus games.

Here’s how that works:

Some combinations of symbols result in a mini-game that you get to play. It’s called a bonus game. It might be as simple as getting 10 free spins, each of which is guaranteed a winner. It might be more involved, like getting to play a Space Invaders type game where each alien you shoot has a prize amount associated with it.

Scatter symbols are also popular. A scatter symbol is a symbol that triggers some kind of payout regardless of where it appears on the screen.

The 8-liners in Texas are a good example. A screen has three rows of symbols, for a 3X3 grid. It’s called an 8-liner because there are eight paylines.

You have three horizontal paylines, three vertical paylines, and two diagonal paylines.

You must activate each payline with a bet, and it’s possible to win multiple prizes on multiple paylines.

Think of paylines as being similar to the various patterns that bingo variants have.

Scatter symbols trigger wins regardless of where it is on the screen.

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Wild symbols are also popular. These are symbols which can fill in for another symbol that you would need to trigger a win on that payline.

If you play poker, you’re probably already familiar with the concept of wild cards. Just apply that concept to slot machines, and you understand how it works.

These are just a handful of the special features that are now available on modern slot machine games.

How Do You Win at Slots?

I wish I had a foolproof winning strategy for slot machines that I could share with you.

But I don’t.

No one else does, either, regardless of what they claim.

Slot machines are entirely random. You put your money in, and you take your chances. The only way to win on a slot machine is to get lucky.

You’ll find plenty of looney strategies that are supposed to improve your probability of winning. They’re all equally worthless.

One example is to find slot machine games on the edges of the banks near the walkways. The idea is that the casino managers want to attract players to the slot machines, and they do this by putting the looser games near the walkways.

Of course, this isn’t true in modern casinos. Even if it were true, it wouldn’t mean you were going to beat the casino. Such games would still have a mathematical edge for the house that you couldn’t overcome in the long run.

Another popular strategy I see touted is to look for hot or cold machines. A hot machine is one that has paid out several times in a row. The idea is that the game has gotten hot and is going to keep paying out.

A cold machine, on the other hand, is one that hasn’t paid out in a while.

If you have a 1 in 1500 probability of winning the top prize on a slot machine, that probability is the same regardless of whether the jackpot got hit on the previous spin.

It seems intuitive to think that if you just hit the jackpot, the probability of hitting it again on the next spin would be lower.

But that’s not the case.

It’s still 1 in 1500.

If you’re going to play slot machines, go into it with you eyes open and understand that it’s going to cost you money in the long run.

Don’t fall for lame, looney slot machine strategies.

Conclusion

Slot machines can be a lot of fun, but they’re like other casino games:

They’re more fun if you have some understanding of how they work.

After reading this post, you’re better educated that at least 80% of the slot machine playing public.

Do you want to start winning? Are you familiar with the secrets to one of the casinos best games?

Penny slot machines are a great way to get started at the casino. You can learn a lot by starting with lines and fast bets. But, do you know the best ways to win at the penny slots?

It takes some small tricks and a whole lot of betting to start winning. If you want to know the best ways to get there, keep reading for everything you need to know.

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1. Don’t Let Promises Fool You

You need to be mentally prepared to win at penny slots. The game is fun and addicting which is exactly why so many people lose. Rather than come up with good strategies and budgeting wisely, most beginners launch into the game until their money is gone.

You can use self-control to avoid losing at penny slots. All penny slots look like innocent games stacked with attractive lights. If you look past the sirens call, you can learn the best methods for beating the slots.

For example, if you set your bankroll low then you’re more likely to save money or make a profit. This might seem counter-intuitive, but expecting constant wins is what leads most players to fail. You can avoid losing by using your wits to set out several safe bankrolls.

A Strategy That Works

Start by picking games that let you pick your lines and coins. This will give you more freedom to play and make money.

Next, avoid the biggest attention-seeking slots. These are more likely to have crazy low odds. They will also cost you more money.

Choose games that let you play your style of slots. Finally, when you start getting on a roll, count all your coins and gather yourself. If you follow these steps you’re more likely to win than half of the people around you.

2. Bet Low on Big Stacks

Betting low can help you learn the best way to play a particular slot machine. Firstly, you lose less money. Secondly, you can spend less money on jackpots for certain machines. This strategy leads to more attempts for greater rewards.

For example, you can use low betting strategies on wild games to win major jackpots. Essentially, wild games give you the best odds for winning big on a budget. These are the games you want to play when warming up or if you’re done for the night.

You might also want to put aside money for low and high betting nights. That way you can choose when you want to safely take risks.

3. Plan Before Your Bet

Plan your bets before you sit down at a game. Start by counting your money and setting a limit. Don’t worry, you can win at more slots this way.

If you aren’t planning before you bet you risk losing focus. You’re at the slots to have fun, but if you want to win, be strategic about your bets.

Here’s a good example. If you see a big payoff, count the heads of your coins and do the math. What are you willing to bet for the odds set before you?

Think like a strategist and keep your coins counted. These two values will help you win any night.

How Do Coin Slot Machines Work

4. Small Payoff Tricks

Even penny slot machines with the best odds can trick a novice. All people feel good when after a series of hits and instant payoffs. Few beginners take these hits as a sign they are running out of money.

You can avoid this slippery trick by watching your input and output. Be diligent about the number of spins you have and don’t forget where you are. It might feel brilliant to get instant gratification, but you should be in control of that feeling.

Here’s a trick for the trickster: watch and listen to the number of lights and sounds a penny slot shouts at you. If you do this, you’re more likely to spot where you’re making your money back.

Why? It’s common for people to get carried away by the sounds of success. If you want to get better at penny slots, you’ll want to keep your suspension of disbelief.

5. Caution Over Maximum Spin

Penny slots lure beginners into choosing many lines. When you first play you might feel ready to reach for bigger spins. My advice is to approach every penny slot with caution.

When you’re first learning how to play penny slots it’s a good idea to count your change ahead of time. Don’t jump to a big spin until you know the exact amount you started with. Remember that slots like these convince beginners to spend their money quickly.

In fact, one of the fun parts of penny slots is how fast you can bet. You use less money than with other games and can spin high as you want. All of these are signs that should direct beginners toward caution and reservation.

How Do Slot Machines Work

6. Help Screens Matter

Start by learning the rules to any given slot. The instructions should be simple and you can often find them on the help screen.

The help screen is helpful for learning the game and avoiding mistakes. If you don’t want to fool around with them I suggest researching slots you want to play ahead of time.

Food for Thought

Penny slots, like any slot machine, use an RNG (random number generator) to throw up symbols. This means your odds per spin are set randomly. However, the number of random combinations changes depending on the slot you play.

It’s important you know this before betting too strong. If you understand the mechanics of the game, you’re more likely to make smarter bets.

Moreover, penny slot machines don’t cost a single penny. Don’t go into a game expecting to spend nothing, instead, look up the exact cost per spin. This might seem obvious but it’s essential to setting strategic bets that help you win.

7. Think Like A Penny Slot

You can find penny slot machines with the best odds by experimenting with your lines and bets. Before you spin, try switching up your bets and number of lines. This will make the slot constantly readjust its outcome.

Imagine that you’re playing a game made using a different language. The best way for you to learn the ins and outs is to play with your options. Penny slots are similar to arcade-style fighting games in more than one way.

For instance, when you’re playing a fighting arcade game, you don’t want to choose the same button layout every time. This lowers your chances for getting critical moves and confusing your opponent.

The same applies to slot machines, something you will learn by pressing buttons randomly and playfully. You can raise your chances of success even higher by pressing several buttons at once.

A Suggestion

If you use this experimental style you might bet too much by accident. You can avoid losing your money by keeping a careful eye on your bet after choosing new combinations. Make sure to know your limits before playing with total freedom.

Moreover, repeated patterns are one of the main reasons why people lose at slot machines. If you seemingly random odds of winning, playing with random techniques can be a smart counter-move.

Time for You to Win at Penny Slot Machines

Penny slot machines can be the most fun you’ll have gambling. You might even win big after using the techniques mentioned in this post.

You’re more likely to win or break even if you stay cautious. Save your big risks for the moments when you have the cash to put down. Furthermore, if you want to win big while spending a small amount, choose wild games and mix up your playing style.

Penny slots require a good mentality to win. They can be an unstoppable amount of fun and give immediate results for almost no effort. This is exactly why it’s important for you to build a strong strategy.

Speaking of strategy, you should explore the other methods to win at the casino. Don’t keep yourself locked to the slots when you have other options to try. If you want to have fun winning money then you need to read on.

Your next step is to check out all the other resources on casino games. From sports betting to poker, it’s your time to beat the odds. Keep reading for the tips you need!