Tips for playing the pokies

What are you waiting for - have a flutter now!

The amount of times we've left the pub with literally hundreds and hundreds of dollars in our pockets is phenomenal.

It doesn't take a genius to realise that Pokies and Slot Machines make money - that's what they're there for - however it does take someone with a little more up top to realise when a machine might pay out, or when it's "on a take".

If you've heard stories that Pokies do not go through some kind of 'cycle' and that the next spin is completely random, then we believe you're misinformed.

How many times have you seen people in the Gaming Lounge feeding note after note into the bill acceptor? Some people do not learn! Pokies go through stages of taking money - as they go through stages of paying out. That's what makes them so exciting.

Ask yourself another question - how many times have you heard or seen a machine seemingly providing a flurry of features, many with re-triggers? It happens! Pokies go into a “payout” mode.

Pokies go through cycles of taking and paying out. Don't believe the hype - this is how it works...

So, how can we determine when a Pokie is in the mood?

The truthful answer is we can never 100% predict exactly when it's in paying out mode. We can be 99% sure and we'll be right 99 times out of 100, but just by following some simple rules, you can be on a winner most times.

These rules apply exactly to online pokies and slots as well. We urge you to follow them when you play online after leaving this website.

1) Pokies DO go though cycles of paying out. Therefore, they have periods of taking money. Rule one is simple: If it's not paying out, don't keep shovelling bills into it thinking it's about to turn. It won't. Cut your losses and move on to a different machine.
(2) Change your stake often. Sounds simple, but when you bet for example 5 credits per line, the Pokie calculates the return it will provide for that spin based on your stake.

By changing the stake regularly (we used to do it every single spin) you can get a feel for what it's likely to do. It may want to pay out big. It may only want to pay smaller amounts, but whatever happens, when you change stakes, you'll start to understand if it's going to pay big, small or not at all.

3) Gamble on 50/50. Most pokies offer a "double up" feature for any win. For example, if you win $5 on one spin, you can play double or quits, usually on the turn of a card (red or black). This is your only opportunity of a completely random chance of winning. What we mean is that Pokies work on a payout % (eg 95%). The turn of a card on this feature is entirely luck and is completely 50/50.

It doesn't take a mathematician to realise if you did this every time the odds would be tilted in your favour slightly.

(4) BIGGEST TIP! Play Pokies on the Internet! Online Casinos have Pokies and slot machines with better odds than those in pubs or hotels. Fact. Simple. Think: The Pokies down you local are designed to take money to support the establishment. Online Pokies have a higher percentage payout because the overheads for an online casino are far, far less! Do yourself a favour and play Pokies Online!
(5) Take your pay outs and make them safe! This is important. If you cash out a win of say $200 from $100 worth of spins, put $100 away, in your back pocket and forget about it.

This is just as easy with online pokies as you can request a pay out at any time. Then if you want to continue playing, add some more money, but don't touch your winnings!

Follow these golden rules and we reckon you'll do ok. What are you waiting for - have a flutter now!