Best Odds In Slot Machines

Players who prefer slot machines to other casino games do not gamble simply for profit, but they also want to have a good time playing. So in order to play the game for longer and benefit from your favorite slot games we recommend you to follow some slots tips that have been developed by experienced players. They will help not to lose at slot machines or online slots of different types and become a real long-term winner regardless the size of the bankroll.

Quick Slot Tips

Slot

For this article, I’ve poured through the seemingly endless slot machine tips and tricks out there, done a bit of experimenting myself, and come up with a list of the simplest, most effective ways how to win at slots. Slot machine tips that really work! Effective slots strategy means giving yourself the advantage. That leads us to tip number 1. Find out what slot machines actually returned to the public in all U.S. See which states have the best-paying casino slot games and which have the lowest-paying casino slots. Includes slot machine payback statistics for all U.S. Casino/resorts, riverboats and Indian casinos.

Best Odds In Slot Machines

If you are going to visit a land or online casino to get the rush and thrill of slot machines do not forget to follow some basic slot recommendations. Even if you do not use any special slot machine strategies you can still end up a winner every time you gamble. So, below we explain some do's and don'ts when you play slots.

DOsDON'Ts
1.Manage your bankroll and stick to betting limits.1.Try to win lost money back.
2.Bet Max at progressive slots.2.Play high-roller slots with a small bankroll.
3.Choose loose slots with high payback percentages.3.Believe in slots myths about cold and hot machines.
4.Look for extra slot bonuses and casino comps.4.Play traditional slots with minimum features.
5.Study paytables and choose slots with the highest payouts.5.Play at first slot machine you find at a casino.
6.Relax and have fun when playing slots.6.Get frustrated or angered when you lose a spin.

Advanced Slot Tips

Best Odds Slot Machines Las Vegas

Now let's consider all the slots tips in more detail. The following advanced recommendations from the real pros are not obligatory but are considered to be the most effective methods of winning when playing online and offline.

1. Manage your bankroll.
To built up a gaming strategy, the slot player must first of all decide on the bankroll and the size of bets. The smartest tips are to stretch the betting amount, pocket all the winnings, know when to stop and never try to win money back, because you can lose even more.

2. Set up betting limits.
Choose the slot machine according to your bankroll and betting limits. Remember, slots is a gambling game, therefore make sure you treat it wisely and choose a machine according to the amount of money you can afford to wager. Otherwise you risk to reach the 'quit point' very fast.

3. Bet Max at progressive slots.
When playing at the progressive slot machines, bet the maximum amount of coins and bet on all the paylines. It will be a pity if you have the best combination but don't win the jackpot because you haven't Bet Max.

4. Look for extra slot bonuses.
Choose a machine with extra bonuses and special offers such as bonus free spins or bonus rounds. Such games are not only fun but also provide more chances of winning cash.

5. Play only loose machines.
Not all slot machines are based on the same RNG, therefore always look for loose slot machines with the highest payback. Most casinos advertise the slots payback percentages. However, if you cannot figure out the payback statistics remember that as a rule $5 (or higher) slot machines provide the highest paybacks of up to 99%.

6. Practice slots for free.
Before playing for real money, practice a lot in order to know all the game options and learn how to win at slots. You can try our free slots or play slot games in fun mode at online casinos.

7. Check the paytable before the game.
Carefully study the slots paytable before you play to make sure that you know which combinations will win you money and to have an idea of what you are paid out for. Don't rush to play at the first machine you see but look for the slots with the highest payouts.

8. Don't believe in slots myths.
Do not believe in the widespread slots myths. Don't forget that there is no such thing as a hot or cold machine, therefore pick the one you like and enjoy the game. Remember also that there is no 100% effective system of beating slots and any strategies offered you for buying are useless.

9. Benefit from slots comps.
Most casinos provide casino comps for slot players in the form of free lunches and dinners, hotel rooms, tickets, bonuses, etc. In such way you can save money for playing rather than spend big sums on accommodation and meals.

10. Ask the professionals.
In case you have any questions about the rules, payouts, bonuses or other options, feel free to ask the casino support as they are there for you 24/7.

  • Appendices
  • Slots Analysis
  • Miscellaneous

Introduction

The following table ranks the Las Vegas casinos according to the looseness of their video display reeled nickel slot machines. The returns are based on a sampling of five different types of machines. The data collected goes back as far as October 2001 so the information is a bit dated.

Las Vegas 5 Cent Slot Survey

RankCasinoAverage
Return
1Palms93.42%
2Gold Coast92.84%
3Sahara92.81%
4 (tie)Bourbon Street92.63%
4 (tie)Imperial Palace92.63%
4 (tie)Slots a Fun92.63%
7Key Largo92.60%
8Western92.57%
9Ellis Island92.56%
10El Cortez92.56%
11Orleans92.56%
12Circus Circus92.56%
13Gold Spike92.55%
14Fitzgeralds92.54%
15Fiesta - Rancho92.53%
16Arizona Charlie's East92.51%
17Barbary Coast92.50%
18Terrible's92.49%
19Arizona Charlie's92.49%
20Hard Rock92.47%
21Town Hall92.47%
22Longhorn92.47%
23Riviera92.23%
24California92.14%
25Lady Luck92.10%
26Nevada Palace92.06%
27Plaza91.94%
28Luxor91.92%
29Paris91.92%
30San Remo91.88%
31Excalibur91.84%
32Palace Station91.84%
33Ballys91.82%
34Las Vegas Club91.76%
35Four Queens91.75%
36Texas Station91.71%
37Casino Royale91.67%
38Boulder Station91.55%
39Aladdin91.5%
40O'sheas91.48%
41Hilton91.40%
42Boardwalk91.28%
43New York New York90.99%
44Horseshoe90.96%
45Sam's Town90.89%
46Santa Fe Station90.87%
47Flamingo90.86%
48Golden Nugget90.85%
49Stratosphere90.8%
50Tropicana90.71%
51Golden Gate90.64%
52Silverton90.57%
53Main Street Station90.56%
54Westward Ho90.40%
55Fremont90.37%
56Castaways90.36%
57Monte Carlo90.24%
58Stardust89.97%
59Frontier89.91%
60MGM Grand89.81%
61Harrahs89.32%
62Treasure Island89.32%
63Mirage89.3%
64Caesars Palace89.05%
65Mandalay Bay88.87%
66Rio88.72%
67La Bayou88.26%
68Mermaids88.26%
69Bellagio87.42%
70Venetian86.66%
71Airport85.02%

Excluded Casinos

The Suncoast and Rampart Casino in Summerlin do not allow playing slots and taking notes at the same time. I can not include any casino that prohibits the method in which I gather data.

Location Averages

Best Odds In Slot Machines

The next table shows the average return by location.

Returns by Region

LocationAverage
Return
Off strip92.07%
Downtown91.66%
Strip91.47%
Total91.74%

The above sign can be found across the street from the Palms. Although I did the study Anthony Curtis published it in the LasVegas Advisor, which is how it become well known. The'...' in the sign encompases quite a bit of information,which was conveniently left off the sign. Actually the study only says that the Palms had the lowest nickel video slotsof the casinos surveyed in Las Vegas. The small print at thebottom says, 'Independent study conducted between November2001-February 2002 on Austin Powers, Fortune Cookie, Reel'em In, and Wheel of Fortune games. They left off LeopardSpots, and the study began in October.

Observations

There seemed to be no truth behind slot placement myths. Machines on the end of a bank did no better on average than those in the middle. There was also no correlation between return and proximity to such things as the main door, table game pit, high traffic areas, and low traffic areas.

Most casinos were very consistent in their slot returns.If one nickel machine had a return of x% then all others like it also returned x%. However some casinos did mix up loose and tight machines, most notably Treasure Island and the California casinos.

Methodology

Best Odds In Vegas Casino Slot Machines

A kind and anonymous source provided me with par sheets for the games in question. The EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) chip is what tells the machine the order of the symbols on the reel, in some cases how the stops are weighted, how much each winning combination pays, and any other pertinent information about how much the machine pays.It is up to the slot manager to select which EPROM chip to order according to the return percentage desired. On atypical game there might be about 8 different possible return percentages, ranging from about 85% to 98%.

Best Odds Slot Machine Fire Red

Each of the different par sheets has five sets of distinct reels. On video display slots the stops are not weighted; in other words all stops are equally likely. The distribution of each symbol on each reel is what determines the theoretical return of the machine. For example a higher paying machine may have more of the higher paying symbols.

On the machine itself three consecutive symbols arevisible on five different reels. By comparing actualobservations of results to the par sheets it is possible todetermine which reels the machine uses, and thus which par sheet and which return. There are various three-symbol combinations that appear in at least one but not all par sheets. So if one of these combinations occurs on an actualmachine it narrows down the possible par sheets. By playingenough the player can narrow down the possible par sheets tojust one.

To help identify the unique combinations I wrote a computer program for each game, which had the exact reel order of all 5 reels of all the par sheets. The program then counted the number of par sheets with each possible three-symbol combination. If the number was greater than 0 and less than the maximum then that combination was identified along with the associated par sheets it belonged to.

It is then a matter of simply playing the game and comparing the outcomes to the list of partially unique combinations. It only takes about 5-10 plays per machine to narrow down the possibilities to just one par sheet.

The averages in the table are actually an average of averages. For each kind of machine at each casino I took an average return. Then I took the average of these averages over the five kinds of machines I tested for.

Slot Machine Definition

There is some confusion about what constitutes a 'slot machine' or 'slot.' My definition, and that of most gamblers, is a gambling machine with either actual spinning reels or video representations of the them.

People in the gaming business and regulators generally refer to a slot machine as any gambling machine, including reeled slots, video poker, video keno, video blackjack,etc.. For purposes of statistics both casino managers and regulators combine all the electronic gambling machines together. For example, the Slot Chart in Casino Player magazine and reports by the Nevada Gaming Control Board do not isolate just reeled slots but consider all electronic games a 'slot.' Therefore my return percentages should not be expected to agree with those reported by the casinos or regulators. As far as I know mine is the only source to isolate just the return of reeled slots.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Rob Feldheim for helping with the slot play and record keeping. Rob helped me with most of the casinos on the east side of town and part of downtown. I would also like to thank par Sheet Pete (not his real name)for providing the par sheets, without which this project would not have been possible.

Internal Links

Go to slot machine appendix3B (Jean/Primm slot returns).
Go to slot machine appendix 3D(Henderson slot returns).
Go to slot machine appendix 3E(Las Vegas quarter and dollar slot returns).
Go to slot machine appendix 3F(Montreal slot return).
Go back to slot machines.

External Links

The main-stream media has covered this study in depth. Here are links to some articles.

  • Turning'em loose, an article that appeared in the Las VegasReview Journal on May 19, 2002, about the possible effectsof this study.
  • One-Armed Bandit or Robin Hood?, an article by myself for Contingencies Magazine explaining the methodology, results, and weaknesses of the study.
  • Play by the rules and the one-armed bandits will still win. Boston Globe article about slot machines, in which my Las Vegas survey is mentioned and my advice quoted. (cache)

Written by: Michael Shackleford