OK, you’ve got your bankroll together, and are trying to work out which slot machine to play. In previous articles we have discussed how to choose the right machine in terms of how much it is to play, and finding the optimum amount per spin, split between pay-lines and credits, to maximise your chances of winning. However, is there anything you can do to enhance your chances?
Unfortunately, online, this is very difficult indeed. The games are controlled by a RNG (a random number generator) which means that they are totally random and none of the tricks that work with the old-school land-based pokies work. You can’t squint through the glass at the end of the third reel and see how full the coin-tubes are online. You can’t enter “the code” to reset a pokie that you have just won from online either. If this was an article about how to decimate pokies from the 1990’s then there are all sorts of tricks, but the reality is that the only way to beat online slots is to get lucky. You can narrow your chances slightly. If you are playing a progressive slot, then it is more likely that you will win when the jackpot hasn’t just be won, than if it has. Having said this, the jackpot could pay out two jackpots in a row, in theory but the odds are certainly against.
The key is to look at the payout ratio. This is usually displayed a percentage, and on a very basic level, the percentage correlates to how much the machine will payout on average. If the payout is 97%, then for every dollar you put in, you get ninety-seven dollars back. Of course, this is an average payout, so sometimes you will get over 97% back, and other days you will lose your bank roll. That is gambling.