Slots

The first rule of thumb in playing the slot machines is to play the maximum coins. Players who wager
one coin at a time are giving up at least one percent of the payback by not qualifying for the jackpot.
If you can't afford to play five coins in a dollar machine, play the quarter machines or even the nickels,
but play the maximum coins. It gives you the best chance of winning.

You think you've found a "loose" slot machine. Good. Take your bankroll and play it through the
machine once. Do not replay any coins/tokens that you have won. After you have played your
bankroll through the machine, take any winnings and quit. This method will practically guarantee
that you will leave the "session" with some money (if not an actual jackpot). If your slot machine
seems to be on an upward trend--you may opt to play your winnings (up to the amount of your
initial bankroll) through the machine once more. Playing the same machine beyond this point,
however, is risky.

And the last tip for those who have high discipline If you get a good hit don't waste your good luck
and surrender to statistics... play another couple of turns and go celebrate somewhere else...

The following are features that you should be familiar with when playing the slots. They apply to
almost all slot machines:

The payoff display will tell you exactly how many coins you win when various symbols appear on a
pay line. Modern slot machines have a great variety of symbols but don't let that confuse you. The
machine is programmed to pay out a certain number of coins for each possible combination of symbols.
The payoff determination is made the instant the reels are engaged. See section on symbols.

Maximum coin play is indicated on the display panel. The usual number of coins varies from machine
to machine but the standards are; two coins, three coins, and five coins. Some machines take up
to eight or more but those are the exceptions. Three coin machines are the most prevalent.

Coin play values range from 5 cents through 25, 50, $1, $5, $25, $100 and yes, in some high roller
casinos, even $500 machines. This is heart attack country for the average player. Nickel machines
are fun, twenty five cent machines can take a few bucks out of your pocket but for most people,
still affordable. Fifty cent and dollar machines start to get a bit heavy and can relieve you of mucho
coin. Five dollar machines are enjoyed by a lot of people, they can get very expensive but if you
hit and walk they can be OK sometimes. Anything beyond the fiver is not for the faint of heart, nor
is it wise for anyone less than very wealthy to try these high end slot machines. The great majority
of players play in the 5 cent, to 5 dollar slot range.

The number of pay lines on a standard slot machine is one, a center line, meaning that there is
only one winning line and the symbols must all be on the center line to win. A single line machine
will accommodate from 3 to 5 coins. The next most popular machine is the three liner. Symbols
may be aligned on any one of the three lines in a winning combination. Occasionally these three
liners will line up winners on two of the three lines and each one pays off. Three liners take three
coins and should always be played with three coins. The first coin pays on the center line, the
second coin pays on the top and center lines and the third coin pays on all three lines. The other
standard variation is the five line machine. This has three lines the same as the three liner above
but also has two diagonal lines making a total of five pay lines. If you are going to play these you
should play the maximum five coins.

Most machines have three reels but there are exceptions. There are novelty machines with two reels
and the odd four reeler. The big berthas usually have from three to several reels and are normally
in the dollar range of play, taking up to three dollars at a time. These should not be taken too
seriously. A recent innovation is the single line diamond pay out. If the proper symbols appear in
a diamond shape on the face of the machine you win. The symbols on slot machines are just too
many and varied to detail in any fashion. Suffice it to say, though there are many, the odds are
precisely the same no matter what the symbols are. There are some symbols worth noting and they
are the special ones. Wild symbols that represent any other symbol when appearing on the right
line(s). There are symbols that represent double payoffs, triple payoffs, and five times payoffs;
there seem to be no end to the variations. There are customized symbols made to the casino's
specifications and providing a large jackpot payoff when realized. Don't hold you breath for these
payoffs. They are rare indeed. The reason for so many symbols is variety of choice. If certain
symbols prove unfavourable to the playing public they will be changed. Casinos are constantly
experimenting with a large variety of symbols and some prove more popular than others. They try
to make them exciting.

Tips...

1. The best tip anyone can get is that if you're looking to win a jackpot, make sure you have the
right number of coins in the machine. There is no greater heartbreak for slot players than to find
that the jackpot symbols are lined up and nothing is happening - only to realize that they didn't
put in the right number of coins. It happens more often than you would think. It is always wise,
particularly when playing an unfamiliar slot machine with a whole new set of symbols and payoff
schedules, to read the machine. You will always find the information right on the face necessary
to play any machine. It may look complicated but once you understand what you're looking for it's
really not all that hard. The big jackpot is on the upper right hand corner of the machine and it will
tell you what the prize is and what is required to win the big one.

Jackpots are certainly a big thrill but don't miss the fun of slots by focussing only on jackpots, the
smaller wins are a lot more common.

2. Always read the pay-off information on each machine, particularly on Pay for Play machines. These
are usually three coin slot machines with the first coin paying only on limited symbols, perhaps cherries
and bars. The second coin pays on the next set of symbols and the third coin on any win. The big
win is with the third coin. Many a player has turned up three sevens and stood in wonderment as to
why they didn't get paid. They only put one coin in the slot machine and one coin isn't enough on a
Pay for Play. Know what you are playing.

3. Losing money is a serious issue. You need to change your approach to 'playing the slots' from
stuffing money into the slots and cleaning out the hopper. You cannot expect that every machine
will gladly spit out coins for you. More machines will keep coins rather than spitting them out. Your
objective is to learn the difference and key on those machines that are giving and stay away from
those that are taking. The machine will tell you, you just have to pay attention By using a specific
disciplined approach you can cut your losses and become a winner.

4. The cash out button controls the payout function, it either indicates credits or it drops the coins
in the tray. Be sure you have cashed all of your credits before leaving the machine.