How Does The Slot Machine Work
A slot machine simply takes a dollar and gives 80-98 cents back (it's rare to find a slot machine with a payback of over 98%).
But, of course, it does this in the long run.
Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for. HOW MECHANICAL SLOTS WORK. Most modern slot games are played on video screens, whether in brick and mortar casinos or online. But slots with mechanical reels still have a loyal following, especially in the United States with its more than a century-old tradition of three-reel games.
Since playing slot machines seems insane on paper, what makes slot players spend so much money on these machines that are often referred to as one-armed bandits?
That'll be all the psychological factors.
Slot Machines and Psychology
A machine that just takes money and does nothing else would unlikely succeed, so the way slot machines have worked around that hurdle is offering a theoretical chance to win money, even if you lose money on the machine in the long run.
And that chance makes people play the machines. First of all, who wouldn't want to win a lot of money for basically doing nothing? That's appealing even if the odds were against you.
Additionally, people rarely realize just how much of a house edge slot machines have, and how much better it would be to play games like blackjack with optimal strategy.
Usually, the bigger the jackpot, the more players are willing to play the machine. After all, what's $50 spent on a machine that may give you a life-changing sum of money? (Co-incidentally, progressive jackpot slots, the ones that have more than a million dollars in jackpot prizes, give you the worst winning odds.)
Our desire to win big-time allows slot machines to play another psychological trick on us: the near-miss situations, which happen because slot machine reels are weighted differently (more about that lower on this page). It encourages us to keep on playing since we 'came so close' to winning life-changing money.
At live casinos, the most popular slot machines are often placed in the places where most people can see them. This takes an advantage of a psychological tendency called Social Proof (or as I like to call it, 'monkey see, monkey do'). Some say that casinos even place the machines with the highest hit frequency to where everyone can see them - I find this believable, but I have no proof.
Seeing lots of others play and win is one heck of a psychological trick. The sound of winning that a slot machine makes is affiliated deep in our mind with something positive, as is the sound of coins clinging and clanging against the metal disposer of the machine (the sound of money!). It's easy to see why someone walking in to space like that would be hooked.
So I thought it would be important to understand how slot machines work from a psychological point-of-view first - since psychological factors are what make us play slot machines - and now that you understand the basics of slot machine psychology, let's move on to the technical aspects.
Random Numbers and Paytables
When someone believes in a slot machine's hot and cold streaks, it's called Gambler's Fallacy, and for a good reason. 'Hot' streaks happen, 'cold' streaks happen in the sense that sometimes, when numbers are chosen randomly, they happen to be of similar sort for X times in a row.
It's like receiving pocket aces twice in a row at poker - it's unlikely (in fact, there's a X% chance it happens) but it does happen sometimes. Does that mean the deck of cards is 'hot'? Or when you flip a coin and you get heads five times in a row, is the coin 'hot'?
Of course not. When things happen at random, they do. They're unpredictable. Anything can happen, and at some point probably will happen.
But the point is, you have no way of knowing what the future holds for a slot machine. Every spin of the reels is an independent trial, which means the previous game has no influence on the next game. Everything starts over and the chances of winning are the same with each spin of the reels, regardless of whether someone's lost ten spins in a row or just hit a jackpot.
Why would anyone design slot machines that get 'hot' or 'cold' anyway? If they did, players could tell when to play and when not to play. It makes no sense. Casinos are much better off creating slot machines to which there are no 'winning systems' available.
So slot machines use a random number generator (from now on referred to as 'RNG') to, well, generate random numbers for each reel. These numbers are between one and a couple of billions (let's just say a lot of numbers).
And there's a symbol assigned to each number - for example, if the RNG would pick numbers between one and a billion, the game had ten symbols and each were as likely to come, there would be a 100 million numbers assigned to each of the symbols.
But lot machine symbols are never equally likely to come; the ones that pay the most are the hardest to get. Therefore different symbols have a different amount of numbers assigned to them. (The odds of winning the Megabucks jackpot are somewhere in the one out of 50,000,000.)
But the point is, the RNG assigns numbers to each reel and those numbers correspond with symbols that have been assigned to them. The RNG is not influenced by previous results; it deals a new, random set of numbers with every spin, regardless of what's happened.
Interestingly, the moment you press Spin or pull the lever, your fate has already been sealed. Spinning reels stopping one by one is just theatrics; they make the game more exciting and enjoyable.
Now, the slot machine must also know which symbol combinations are winners and how much they pay. For this, slot machines use EPROM chips. They tell the slot machine winning combinations and define the paytable.
When a casino wants to change the payback of a machine, they change the EPROM chip (or the settings of the chip). Not long ago casinos had to physically change the chip which was quite a bit of work, but now many casinos can change the settings of the chip externally.
There are rules, though. In Nevada, for example, casinos aren't allowed to change the settings four minutes before and after someone has played; this eliminates the myth that casinos change the settings while you're playing.
So either someone physically changes the chip or there has to be a four minute time window before and after someone's played. (While the settings are being changed, the slot machine screen should have a message stating that some sort of 'configuration' is happening.)
That's pretty much it. There are a lot of psychologal tricks involved, but technically the RNG assigns random numbers to each reel and the EPROM chip determines the winning combinations and paytables, which together determine the payback (or 'return') of the machine. The less it pays back, the more you're going to lose on the machine in the long run.
More About the Subject:
- Vegas Click: Michael Bluejay's comprehensive explanation of how slot machines work. In my opinion, the best one out there.
- Wizard of Odds: Michael Shackleford's slot machine advice -- the site also features an extensive FAQ section for slots.
- Gambling Captain: If you're looking for a short but insightful read on the basics of slots (or other casino games), this is a good site to visit.
“Hey there, Tex. You want some free money?”
If anyone ever says this to you, run away. There’s no such thing as free money and there’s always a catch when someone tells you that there is.
If there’s anything to be gleaned from movies about gambling, it’s that casinos are evil and they want to leave you with nothing…NOTHING.
But wait. What if movies aren’t like real life? And what if your main interest lies in playing the slots?
Here’s some good news, there are right ways to play pokies and come out on top. If you’re careful and calculated, you can avoid the typical pitfalls of casino life using some slot machine tricks.
Let’s go over some of the best practices when hitting the slots. Here are some dos and don’ts for making the most of your trip to the casino.
Grab a pack of cheap cigarettes and put your ugliest suit on, it’s time to gamble.
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Wait, Money Does Grow on Trees?
That thing at the beginning about running away when someone offers you free money?
Well here’s one case where it may actually work out in your favour. Let’s talk about the first thing you should do when trying to take advantage of the slots, use no-deposit bonus codes.
If you’ve ever been to Las Vegas, then you’ve seen what can only be described as casino heaven. The Vegas strip is a veritable pig pen of casino activity, and with so much competition between establishments, the different casinos need ways to get people into their building instead of someone else’s.
That’s where no-deposit bonus codes come in. These are essentially free money vouchers. The casinos use them to bring people in the doors, where they know that will power will eventually fade away along with the free money. So evil, right?
But if you’re smart and careful, you can take this free money and use it to make more money using some of the tricks we’ll outline here.
A Couple Slot Machine Tricks
Sure, most folks just waltz on to the casino floor and just start losing money, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you get to know the way that casinos work, then you’ll be at an advantage.
Or at least an advantage over the other gamblers. The casino always has the advantage. Remember, you’re in their house.
Loose Slots
Yep, there is such thing as a “loose” slot machine. This is an old-school term that basically means that a slot is more likely to pay out.
In the age of digital slot machines, the actual mechanics of the machine don’t cause it to pay out more, but machines today have random number generators (RNG’s) that do pay out at different rates.
Casinos always keep the machines that have higher payout rates away from the ends of the aisles and away from doorways. This is to keep gamblers from winning big on a machine and immediately taking their business elsewhere.
So always make sure to get into the thick of it before you settle down at a machine.
Bet Max
What? Bet the max amount? Isn’t that the quickest way to bankruptcy?
Yes and no. Machines nowadays have multiple bet lines so when you bet the max you can take advantage of multiple lines. The odds of you winning don’t increase, but the amount you win will greatly increase when you do win if you bet max.
Different machines have different volatility levels. Machines with high volatility are quicker to run you out of town, but the winnings will be way better. Low volatility machines pay out less money at a higher frequency. Keep this in mind.
Play Classic Over Video
Those big flashy video slots with all the fun graphics and loud music? They aren’t just there to entertain you. They’re there to take your money.
The video slots are there to draw people in, and it works. But the casino’s cost of running and maintaining video slots is much higher and they take up tons of space compared to the other machines, so the payout is almost always lower.
Stick to the boring old slots. There’s less to look at but you might just leave them with heavier pockets.
Random or Progressive?
Temptation is the name of the game at the casino, and progressive slots are really tempting.
A progressive slot machine is one that pools all the money from everyone that’s played it since its last jackpot. There are also multi-slot progressive jackpots that pool a few different machines to tempt people with enormous payouts.
Keep It Random, Y’All
Random slots obviously look a bit less enticing, as they have a fixed jackpot. They do, however, pay out those jackpots more frequently. Pick your poison, but often good things come to those who wait.
Pay Tables
Take a look at the pay tables of different machines to compare. A pay table shows the payout for each combination of symbols/amount bet.
Pay tables can be an indicator of a machine’s volatility, and doing a little comparison rather than just sitting down randomly at a machine can help you in the long run. It’s better to take your time and find the right machine that your research tells you is more likely to pay out.
Talkin’ Bout Practice
Did you know that practice always makes perfect? Well, not perfect in this case because it’ll never be perfect. But there are websites where you can try out some of your strategies, look at pay tables, multipliers, and other game features without losing your hard earned dough.
Check out a practice site to try out different games and learn about the nuances of each slot machine. There is a lot of variance between machines when it comes to free spins, bonus rounds, and multipliers, so it will benefit you greatly to familiarize yourself before you do it for real.
Try Math
Listen, these god-forsaken machines were built on math. And if you really want to beat them, you have to fight fire with fire. This requires a lot of time and brainpower, but it is possible to give yourself a chance.
There are loads of math based strategies available online. While they certainly don’t guarantee success, they at least allow you to feel like you’re in control over the game. Get a good pocket-sized calculator, a notepad, and a pen and go get yourself some money.
Know When to Give up on a Machine
This is an easy one. Sometimes you just have to know when to give up if a machine isn’t paying out. It’s not exactly following your gut, but more like letting the results dictate what you do.
You never want to end up like the old person sitting at the same machine for hours on end in their sweats, smoking cigarette after cigarette, dumping all of their excess money into the slots.
And what was stated earlier rings is all too true. The slots will always win in the end.
The easy way to avoid this is to have the willpower to walk away and find another machine. You can do it.
Bounce Around
Not staying too long at one machine is one of the more obvious tips. But if you have the option, bouncing around to different casinos is another good move.
Casinos are all vying for your business, and as mentioned earlier, they will offer you different perks to get you in their clutches. Why exploit the generosity of just one establishment when you can get free spins, chips, and bonuses from two? Or three? Or four? Don’t limit yourself.
Have Limits
No, but do limit yourself though. If you’re not having a good day at the races, pack it in early.
It’s really easy to go down a dark gambling hole, and that’s what the casinos want you to do. But you can always go back, so don’t be discouraged.
Set a limit for yourself on how much money you are willing to spend at this place, and fastidiously stick to it. Yes, the next spin could change your life, but what if it’s actually about 150 spins from now? Be careful out there.
Good Luck
The bottom line in all of this is that this is all luck based. If you are playing the slots and using slot machine tricks expecting to win, you’re doing it wrong! There are lots of so-called “experts” telling you how to play the pokies, but the best advice is to not let the pokies play you.
All that you can do is employ some of these strategies and hope for the best, and you’ll be in a better position than if you just go in blind. Even the most seasoned and strong-willed gambler is at the mercy of the slot machine.
How Does A Mechanical Slot Machine Work
In any case, good luck to all and visit our pokies blog for more articles about all things pokies or look at one of our many gambling guides to gambling in Australia.