Online Slot Tips
Online slot tips are all over the place. It seems like everywhere I go someone claims to have the secret for winning at slots. They don’t. The odds are fixed. Betting systems won’t help. Timing strategies for your spins won’t help. Your lucky rabbit’s foot will not help. Nothing you can possibly do will change your odds. Your odds on a particular slot game are the same on every single spin and every spin is independent of the rest.
Like slots at brick and mortar casinos, online slots are controlled by a random number generator (RNG). The RNG uses a complex algorithm to determine which symbols will appear on each reel. The RNG produces hundreds of combinations every second, even when the slot game is not being played, which makes trying to detect a pattern useless. There is no such thing as a hot slot or a cold slot. A slot is never due. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, here are my online slot tips.
Though there is no strategy that will make you win more often or win more money, there is one that will cause you to lose money slower: bet lower amounts. I know, it seems like common sense, but it does not occur to everyone. Most online slots are multi-line slot games, where you can bet on more than one line and each line that you bet on requires an extra wager. Therefore, the more lines you play, the more money you bet on each spin. Since the odds for slots are in favor of the house, in the long run the more money you wager the more money you lose. Therefore, in order to conserve money and make your funds last longer, you should always bet the minimum. It won’t be as satisfying when you do get payouts, since they will be smaller, but you will get to play for longer.
Another online slot tip is to make sure that whatever game you play is safe. Like their land-based counterparts, all online slot software should be tested by a regulatory body to ensure that they are fair to the players and are safe from programs that could be harmful. Only play a slot game that presents proof that is has been tested by and been given the approval of a legitimate regulating authority, such as a government agency or a third-party like eCOGRA. If you can find no proof of the safety of the online casino and the software being used, do not play that game.
The next tip flies in the face of my “bet the minimum” tip. If you are going to play a progressive slot, always bet the maximum. I don’t recommend playing progressive slots. Instead of being played for fun and occasional payouts, they are designed for players to vie for the large jackpot. Since you only receive the full jackpot if you bet the maximum (otherwise you only get a percentage), then you only want to play a progressive slot if you are comfortable betting the maximum every time and knowing that most likely you will lose all of your money and have nothing to show for it. If you bet the minimum and actually hit a multimillion-dollar jackpot, but only take home a prize in the thousands, you will be second-guessing yourself for the rest of your life. Therefore, if you are going to play the progressive slots, be sure to bet the maximum.
My final tip is a simple one to put into play. Have fun. Remember that playing the slots isn’t about getting a big payday. It’s a fun game, just like Checkers, Uno or Chutes and Ladders. If you treat it like a game rather than a way to make money, you should have a good time.