Some times of day are better than others. This isn’t true. Casinos aren’t able to reprogram the. I see it quite often on forums and Google groups, when people talk about slot machines and using a player’s card. Someone inevitably says that they only win when they pull their card out, and that the casino controls the payback percentage based on whose card is in the machine. That’s not true. It simply isn’t. All things considered, with so many low house edge skill games to choose from, you really don’t have any incentive to grind slot machines. Blackjack offers a fraction of the house edge, and if you don’t like the idea of playing with other people and a dealer, video poker is a machine-based game that runs house edges of less than 1 percent.

The unwritten slots rules to live by

ByScobe’s Slant

Somewhere around 80 percent or so of casino players are slot players. They dominate the landscape. Casinos are monstrous forests of slots with a smallish village of table games. Prior to 1984 both Atlantic City and Las Vegas made most of their money at table games; after that year slots became the prince and princess; then the king and queen, and finally the emperor and empress of the casino empire.

Just travel around the country and visit casinos in state after state. Slots rule. Had slot machines not existed I doubt if casino gambling would have spread to almost every corner in the United States. Indeed, there are even some casinos that are all slot machines; I doubt you’ll find a casino that is all table games. (If you do find such a casino write me a line.)

Now with all those slot players spread throughout the length and breadth of our great nation, you would think that all of them would know the manners of their chosen delight and also what was true or not true about those machines. Sadly some small percentage of slot players violates these unwritten rules or hold totally erroneous opinions that they try to foster on other players. Here are some of the typical slots “nots” to know:

1. “I left the machine to go to the bathroom, came back and you won my jackpot! You stole it from me!” No one can win your jackpot because no jackpot is slated for you. The RNG (random number generator) is selecting sequences in less than a second and even if the person pushed your hand aside and pressed the “play” button what came up is not what would have come up for you. So do not, not, not think that anyone can steal your wins.

2. “That machine is cold. But that one over there is hot.” Sorry slot machines are neither cold nor hot. They may have been cold or hot up to this point but from this point into the future you cannot tell if a machine will warm up or cool down or be inconsistent. In point of fact, just based on winning decisions slot machines tend to be “cold” because players lose more decisions than they win. However, should a big hit or two occur, even though the player has lost many more decisions, he will still think the machine is hot. In such cases money talks, so do not, not, not think in hot and cold terms when it comes to the machines. They are just machines.

3. The Secret Button. My brother-in-law once informed me that an unemployed slot mechanic who hangs out on the beach with him explained that you could win on the slots by pressing a certain button in the back of the machine. That mechanic had been out in the sun too long. There is no “okay, give away the money” button at the back of any slot machine. It is not, not, not true. You have to be off your rocker to think that such buttons exist.

4. Changing the Game. Some slot players believe that machines will change their programming if someone has won too much money on those machines. Or they believe that if they use their players’ card the machine will tighten up or loosen up (take your pick) by so doing. Both are not, not, not so.

5. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Never ask a slot player whom you do not know, “So how are you doing? Are you winning or losing?” That’s bad manners. My mother used to tell me never to ask anyone how much they made at their occupation. My mother was right. Do not, not, not ask anyone how much they have won or lost. (The exception can be a relative or friend or spouse who might need something to gloat over.)

6. Don’t Hover. Do not stand over another player’s shoulders and watch them play (unless you are with each other). Do not kibitz with them either. Such a thing is uncomfortable for the other player. No one wants a stranger’s body easing up on them, then hovering over them, and annoying them with chit-chat. Most slot players enjoy a certain solitude when they play; that’s why some play the machines, to get away from it all. Do not, not, not intrude on their solitude.

7. Be Proud. Never feel bad when you tell a table-game player that you play the slot machines. You don’t have to be defensive about your choice of enjoyment. If you enjoy slots then that’s your game. I have heard too many slot players meekly say they play the slots as if that is somehow a character flaw on their part. Do not, not, not feel inferior because you prefer the machines to the tables.

8. Winners & Losers. Slot machine wins do not mean there is something special about you. You won; you are great; sorry, no. Slot machine losses do not mean you are a hopeless pariah; sorry, no. These machines are random; a monkey could play and win; a monkey could play and lose; Albert Einstein could play and win; Albert Einstein could play and lose. (Of course, the real miracle would be Albert Einstein doing either one since he is dead.) Do not, not, not think that winning or losing on the slots has any other meaning than winning or losing on the slots.

So there are eight “nots” that will stand you in good stead when you venture into the wonderful world of slot machines. Have fun!

Frank Scoblete’s newest books are Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo and Pai Gow Poker!;Casino Conquest: Beat the Casinos at Their Own Games!; and Slots Conquest: How to Beat the Slot Machines! Frank Scoblete and his partner Casino Player columnist Jerry “Stickman” teach private lessons in dice control. All books available from Amazon.com, at your favorite bookstore, or by mail-order by calling 1-800-944-0406.

I don't play. People that do seem to play because they make a big hit once in awhile and the like the 'show' the slot machines put on.
Add in that anyone can play if you are smart enough to insert bills and press a button and you have a game many people like.

My most recent casino visit I tried to play slots to understand why people play agame that will guarantee leave you walking out of the casino a loser, but I left not able to understand.

Every game in the casino has a way of making money for the house. Poker has a rake and all of the games have HA. Slots have a payback %.
What game does anyone play in a casino that guarantees that they will walk out a winner?
Yes, slots have a higer edge for the house than most games (but not all bets--some craps bets are high HA also), but you can win some days. This weekend I played craps and lost. I played 3 card poker and lost. I played Mississippi Stud and lost. I played roulette and lost.
I played slots and had an overall win on them.
Slots don't offer as good of a bet as other games but you can leave a winner. You can also leave a loser.

Hi Hardcore Slot Players,
I have a question. Why do you play slots. What do you get out of it? Is it exciting? Have you ever won big, IE won more in a month than you lost in a month? I ask this question because to me any game other than blackjack, with the exception of poker, seems a waste of time and money. I personally don't play poker because I don't know how to play but I know skilled players who can make good money playing. My most recent casino visit I tried to play slots to understand why people play agame that will guarantee leave you walking out of the casino a loser, but I left not able to understand. I played like 20$ on various machines and decided I would haverather bought 20 1$ scratch off tickets. So please enlighten me why you play.

1.) I play Slots because they are fun, it is amusing to try to figure out what aspects of a slot machine, 'Hook,' a player, whether it be near-misses, high hit rate, frequent Free Games, or a set Jackpot amount that automatically goes off when the Progressive amount is reached...such as the recently discussed G+ games.
Further, while it may seem oxymoronical, it is possible to play slots at an advantage. This usually involves a Progressive machine of one kind or another where the Progressive(s) have reached such an amount that combined with the Odds of hitting for the Progressive(s), every spin you take is done at an advantage. It is apparent that the Odds of hitting the Jackpot(s) still aren't great, but if you have a VP machine that pays out 100.0001%, then you play that at an advantage, inclusive to the Royal Flush, which is also an unlikely result.
2.) I have had two Jackpots, $1,250 and $4,088.xx, respectively.
3.) I have won more in my life than I have lost. It is unlikely that will remain the case forever.
4.) Most people go to the casino to waste time and money. The vast majority of people go there for the possibiity, not the expectation, of winning. I would suggest that the draw for the slot player is the potentiality of turning an inconsequential sum of money into a consequential, or even very consequential, sum of money. It only takes one pull. One time.
5.) If Slots GUARANTEED that you would walk out of thee casino a loser, then nobody would play them. Besides, if you are there for fun, and you have fun, then you have not lost. Do you, 'Lose,' money going to a concert if you have fun there?
The point when it comes to Slots is, the winners are just as important to the casino as the losers.
6.) The ER of scratch-off tickets is far worse than Slots. The odds of a winning ticket usually hover around 1:4, including break-even pays...a shitload of break-even pays. That which plays quicker, pays quicker. Then you have the cost of printing/distribution of the tickets, the vendor gets a cut, it's a terrible buy from an ER standpoint. You talk about the probability of hitting for $100 on a $2 ticket vs. a $2 slot pull, I suggest the pull is a better bet. I was playing QuickHits Progressives fairly exclusively one night at Max $1.50/pull, hit for $100 or more five times in one night, left nearly $700 ahead on the session. I probably played $2,000 or more in total pulls. I just don't think that's happening if you buy $2,000 in lottery scratch-offs with the same frequency. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.
7.) I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that $20 didn't get you any really good pulls or, 'Good looks,' when it comes to a big pay. It happens sometimes, you either missed the draw or the draw just doesn't appeal to you. Slots are not for everyone. Blackjack AP play is slow and methodical, the most you can win going Split-Split Double-Double-Double and winning all is 6x the Base Bet with 6x Base Bet at risk. It's pretty unlikely that you end up with such a hand, anyway. Slots are for people who like the variance, as is Video Poker, but VP generally pays better overall. Either way, you either want to approach it methodically by winning small amounts (relative to the bet) at a higher than expected rate, or card-counting AP play, or you want to take a shot at getting it the, 'Quick and Dirty,' way with VP and Slots. I like both, but Slots have the edge, probably because Lady Variance has been more attracted to me than she has most people. When I lose the 5K+ for life that I am ahead (my session amounts are low, so it would take many losing sessions) I might decide I'm not especially attracted to the hard and fast variance anymore, who knows?

Every game in the casino has a way of making money for the house. Poker has a rake and all of the games have HA. Slots have a payback %.
What game does anyone play in a casino that guarantees that they will walk out a winner?
Yes, slots have a higer edge for the house than most games (but not all bets--some craps bets are high HA also), but you can win some days. This weekend I played craps and lost. I played 3 card poker and lost. I played Mississippi Stud and lost. I played roulette and lost.
I played slots and had an overall win on them.
Slots don't offer as good of a bet as other games but you can leave a winner. You can also leave a loser.

I understand that all games are exposed to the house edge, but slots with their high house edge couples with the fast rate of play means you will lose your money faster than anything else. Poker, Blackjack and Baccarat are games of skill with an element of chance. Slots is a pure random game of chance, it is really the best example of the adage gambling is a tax on stupidity yet so many people play slots and I don't understand why.I play mostly for entertainment value. I like the bonuses.

Why Don't Slot Machines Have Auto Play Online

I understand that all games are exposed to the house edge, but slots with their high house edge couples with the fast rate of play means you will lose your money faster than anything else. Poker, Blackjack and Baccarat are games of skill with an element of chance. Slots is a pure random game of chance, it is really the best example of the adage gambling is a tax on stupidity yet so many people play slots and I don't understand why.

Since when is Baccarat a game of skill?

1.) I play Slots because they are fun, it is amusing to try to figure out what aspects of a slot machine, 'Hook,' a player, whether it be near-misses, high hit rate, frequent Free Games, or a set Jackpot amount that automatically goes off when the Progressive amount is reached...such as the recently discussed G+ games.
Further, while it may seem oxymoronical, it is possible to play slots at an advantage. This usually involves a Progressive machine of one kind or another where the Progressive(s) have reached such an amount that combined with the Odds of hitting for the Progressive(s), every spin you take is done at an advantage. It is apparent that the Odds of hitting the Jackpot(s) still aren't great, but if you have a VP machine that pays out 100.0001%, then you play that at an advantage, inclusive to the Royal Flush, which is also an unlikely result.
2.) I have had two Jackpots, $1,250 and $4,088.xx, respectively.
3.) I have won more in my life than I have lost. It is unlikely that will remain the case forever.
4.) Most people go to the casino to waste time and money. The vast majority of people go there for the possibiity, not the expectation, of winning. I would suggest that the draw for the slot player is the potentiality of turning an inconsequential sum of money into a consequential, or even very consequential, sum of money. It only takes one pull. One time.
5.) If Slots GUARANTEED that you would walk out of thee casino a loser, then nobody would play them. Besides, if you are there for fun, and you have fun, then you have not lost. Do you, 'Lose,' money going to a concert if you have fun there?
The point when it comes to Slots is, the winners are just as important to the casino as the losers.
6.) The ER of scratch-off tickets is far worse than Slots. The odds of a winning ticket usually hover around 1:4, including break-even pays...a shitload of break-even pays. That which plays quicker, pays quicker. Then you have the cost of printing/distribution of the tickets, the vendor gets a cut, it's a terrible buy from an ER standpoint. You talk about the probability of hitting for $100 on a $2 ticket vs. a $2 slot pull, I suggest the pull is a better bet. I was playing QuickHits Progressives fairly exclusively one night at Max $1.50/pull, hit for $100 or more five times in one night, left nearly $700 ahead on the session. I probably played $2,000 or more in total pulls. I just don't think that's happening if you buy $2,000 in lottery scratch-offs with the same frequency. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.
7.) I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that $20 didn't get you any really good pulls or, 'Good looks,' when it comes to a big pay. It happens sometimes, you either missed the draw or the draw just doesn't appeal to you. Slots are not for everyone. Blackjack AP play is slow and methodical, the most you can win going Split-Split Double-Double-Double and winning all is 6x the Base Bet with 6x Base Bet at risk. It's pretty unlikely that you end up with such a hand, anyway. Slots are for people who like the variance, as is Video Poker, but VP generally pays better overall. Either way, you either want to approach it methodically by winning small amounts (relative to the bet) at a higher than expected rate, or card-counting AP play, or you want to take a shot at getting it the, 'Quick and Dirty,' way with VP and Slots. I like both, but Slots have the edge, probably because Lady Variance has been more attracted to me than she has most people. When I lose the 5K+ for life that I am ahead (my session amounts are low, so it would take many losing sessions) I might decide I'm not especially attracted to the hard and fast variance anymore, who knows?

This was a great answer and pretty much what I was looking for. I'm not saying that I would buy scratch off lotto tickets and win but to me the slots didn't do anything for me. I won a few pulls, the lights flashed and music played but I'm not an animal that can be conditioned to continue gambling just because lights go off and music plays, I found that to be insulting.While I was playing I was asking other slot players if they ever won money, and alot of them gave stories similar to what you said. They had won jackpots and won more in a lifetime than lost, but that isn't really winning. If you won a 1000$ jackpot 5 years ago, but lost 600 in the past few months than you are actually losing.Good answer though, thanks!

This was a great answer and pretty much what I was looking for. I'm not saying that I would buy scratch off lotto tickets and win but to me the slots didn't do anything for me. I won a few pulls, the lights flashed and music played but I'm not an animal that can be conditioned to continue gambling just because lights go off and music plays, I found that to be insulting.While I was playing I was asking other slot players if they ever won money, and alot of them gave stories similar to what you said. They had won jackpots and won more in a lifetime than lost, but that isn't really winning. If you won a 1000$ jackpot 5 years ago, but lost 600 in the past few months than you are actually losing.Good answer though, thanks!

Why Don't Slot Machines Have Auto Play On

1.) I understand your point, as stated, it's not for everyone, though I would be hesitant to reduce those who play Slots to animals. It's pretty simple, if someone (and my win goal is less) says, 'I will walk when I am ahead $500,' then they would simply rather have a shot at that sitting down with $50 in the Slot Machine rather than taking $50 to the Blackjack Table to be lost in two hands (or maybe even one) betting Green, or to try to grind it out betting straight Red, or Red&Press at certain amounts. Other than AP Side Bets, I've always felt that the Side Bet players are Slots/VP players in disguise, they see that Big Time pay...and they want it.
Most people see that Fire Bet, know it's a bad bet, and toss a Red or a White(s) at it, why? They want that big pay. They're essentially playing a Slot Machine, except it is at the table and the bet takes longer to resolve, while they are playing Craps. Other than the mechanics of the bet itself (Reels v. Dice, One Pull c. Multi-Roll) tell me what the difference is? There isn't one.
2.) I disagree with your second statement in its entirety. There's an AP BJ player here that got absolutely slaughtered for six months out of one year and still pulled out in the high five-figures for a year. You ask someone a question about life, they say, 'I'm ahead,' you say, 'No, you're really behind,' how are they behind? You can break it up into one hour, one day, one week, one month, one year or life. You're either ahead or behind that period. If you're ahead for life, you're ahead for life, there are no two ways about it. If you're ahead for a week, you're still ahead for the week, even if you lost your last spin. Are you losing for the week at BJ when you lose one hand, but are ahead $500?

Why Don't Slot Machines Have Auto Players

Why Don't Slot Machines Have Auto Play Games

I understand that all games are exposed to the house edge, but slots with their high house edge couples with the fast rate of play means you will lose your money faster than anything else. Poker, Blackjack and Baccarat are games of skill with an element of chance. Slots is a pure random game of chance, it is really the best example of the adage gambling is a tax on stupidity yet so many people play slots and I don't understand why.

$25 blackjack at 100 hands/hour and the average 1.5% edge of a normal player earns the casino $37.50/hour. Multi-line slots at 25 lines, 5 coins/line ($1.25/wager) at 400 pulls/hour at 6% hold earns the casino $30/hour. Single-line quarter slots at .75/pull at 400 pulls/hour at 8% earns $24/hour. There are a lot of factors that go into house win rates and it's certainly not true that machines always win faster than tables.
Everything in a casino has a chance of losing. Making specious distinctions between blackjack and slots on the basis of how much you win or how much your skill impacts your average results is just rationalization. If it makes you feel superior or intelligent to play blackjack and not slots, go for it. The casino is there to provide entertainment, and feeling superior is highly entertaining for certain people.
But going to a casino is not the way to achieve a guaranteed income, regardless of what you play. And if you're not having fun gambling (whatever 'fun' means to you) then you shouldn't be gambling either -- again, regardless of what you play. Your value judgments elevate blackjack (and baccarat?) above slots, which is fine, but that's not an objective metric. They're just different forms of gambling, and all ultimately house-favorable games. If you want guaranteed income, spend more time at work. Patronizing a casino is not supposed to be work, it's supposed to be the entire opposite of work.