Most people look at the vast array of slot machines at the casino
and think they are all alike. They see a handle, coin slot and
flashing lights and figure one is as good as another. What they are
missing is a lot of valuable information that can help determine if
and how they play a certain slot machine.
Not all machines are the same and the way to separate one machine
from another is to learn how to "Read" a machine by looking at the
pay out schedule on the front. Lets take a look a typical slot
machine and see what information can be found.
First of all you will find the denomination of the coin needed to
play that machine. I don't know how many times I have seen a person
drop a quarter into a machine only to get a confused look when the
coin drops through and back into the tray. Upon closer observation
they discover that they tried to put a quarter in a dollar machine.
This is the first thing you should look for.
There are several types of machines that you should be aware of:
Multiplier: This machine
has a pay out for a certain symbol and the number of coins played
multiplies it. If the machine pays 5 coins for three lemons when you
play one coin, it would pay 10 for the second coin and 15 for three
coins played. This machine does not penalize you for not playing
maximum coins. If you plan to play only one coin at a time, this is
the type of machine you should look for.
Bonus Multiplier: This
machine operates the same as the multiplier except that it offers a
bonus when you play maximum coins and hit the jackpot. Three 7's may
pay 1,000 for one coin, 2,000 for two coins and 10,000 for maximum
coins. You need to decide if the bonus is worth playing the extra
coin.
Multiple Pay-line:
These machines have more than one line of play. Each
coin activates a particular line. If you hit a winner on a line that
is not activated, you will not receive anything. The older machines
used to have three lines but the newer video slots can have up to
nine lines.
Buy-a-Pay:
These are the most misunderstood machines in the
casino. Each coin activates a different pay out. You need the
maximum coins to activate the largest jackpot. One example is the
"Sizzlin 7's" machines. The machine will pay on cherries, bars and
sevens. The sevens pay 1,000 coins. If you play one coin you can
collect only on the cherries. If you play two coins you can collect
on cherries and bars. You need three coins in to collect on the
Sizzlin 7's. If you hit the jackpot with one coin in
YOU WILL NOT WIN ANYTHING!!! Do not
play this machine under any circumstances unless you are playing the
maximum coins.
Progressive Slots:
The progressive slots take a certain percentage of the
money played and add it to a pool for the top jackpot. "Megabucks"
or "Quarter Mania" are examples of machines from several casinos
linked together to offer a life changing jackpot. Keep in mind that
the percentage of the payback on the lesser wins is lowered to allow
for the big prize. Some casinos have machines linked together within
their own casino to offer mini-progressive jackpots.
NEVER PLAY A PROGRESSIVE WITH LESS THAN
MAXIMUM COINS!! There is a story circulating that a lady
hit the "Megabucks" when the jackpot was 20 million but because she
only had one coin in she collected only $5,000. While this is an
"Urban Legend" there are other cases of people losing out on
lesser progressive jackpots because of short coin play.
All of the slot machines have the information you need posted on
the front. Before you sit down to play, take a minute to "Read" the
machine. This will make you a knowledgeable player and help you
determine which machine is best suited for you.
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