How To Read Slot Machine Lines

  1. Multi Line Slot Machines
  2. How To Read Slot Machines Youtube
  3. How To Read Slot Machines

There is one golden rule to follow when deciding to play a slot machine – do not play a game if you are not familiar with the rules. So, no matter how easy playing the slots seems, it is important to learn the rules first.

Every player should carefully consider the options provided and decide on a strategy before playing a certain slot machine. However, in order to come up with a strategy, you need to first be familiar with the rules of the game.

A good idea is to always start by choosing the amount to play, which depends on the type of the machine (a classic single-line one or a multi-line one).

Single-line Machines

Play 30+ FREE 3-reel and 5-reel slots: Mountain Fox, Treasures of Egypt, Flaming Crates, Prosperous Fortune, Magic Wheel, Fruit Smoothie, Party Bonus, Video Poker and more! Some slot machines require that you play up to 300 credits, or $3 per spin for certain bonuses and/or the progressive jackpot, and $3 is hardly what players expect to wager on a penny slot machine. Again, read the help screen to find out how much you need to bet to be eligible for every feature.

Before learning the rules, a player needs to understand the payouts first. When it comes to single-line machines, payouts are usually displayed at the top of the machine. Players need to also have in mind that such machines usually accept a maximum of 5 credits.

In addition, most of the single-line machines offer a bigger payout on the jackpot when the player bets the maximum number of coins. There are different payouts depending on the coins played. There are also machines that pay out only on certain winning combinations, so you need to know what kind of machine you are dealing with.

The only thing players need to decide when playing at a single-line machine is how many credits to bet per spin. There are machines that offer a great variety of credits and denominations. When it comes to playing at a landbased casino, the single-line slot machines are usually mechanical and some players prefer them because they arguably offer a better return due to the fewer stops. Still, such machines are also regarded as much more boring, which is why they are not so popular.

It is a good idea to start your playing session on a single-line machine, and more specifically on two-credit machines.

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Multi Line Slot Machines

Multi-line Machines

When choosing to play a multi-line machine, the player needs to first check the number of paylines offered. There are some machines that provide a bonus game only in case that the player bets on the maximum number of lines.

There is a certain class of machines, which is called Cashman. The Bonus game can be triggered only if players have activated all paylines. Of course, reel spinners are provided with the opportunity to bet on whatever number of lines they want, but the fewer paylines they play, the more they reduce the multiplier. Still, players need to take their time and understand how the game works before they start betting real money because every machine is different.

Slots Myths
Slots Bankroll Management
Finding Slot Machine to Play
Slots Rules
Choosing Line Number and Multiplayer
How Much Time to Spend at Slot Machine

Of course, there are some multi-line machines that do not allow players to adjust the number of active lines. Such machines are said to have fixed paylines. Usually, they allow players to only adjust the bet level, i.e. the number of credits played per line.

Players should always pay attention to how many lines they play in order to see if there are some limitations regarding the number of lines. They should also bear in mind that the new multi-line machines are also multi-play machines, where up to four games can be played at a time. Still, there are some limitations, because players are not allowed to bet with x2 or x3 multipliers unless the maximum of four games is played.

Many players and experts believe that fixed-payline machines are more disadvantageous to players because they offer them less control over the gameplay and may be more taxing on one's bankroll. A good strategy in such cases is to play a larger multiplier, and respectively, place a larger bet, in order to cover your wager if playing on a fixed-payline slot machine.

A good idea is to also choose a machine with a more lucrative paytable, which returns more coins for different numbers of matching symbols. It would be better to play a slot which rewards you with 2,500 coins for the highest-paying combination of five matching symbols instead of one that returns only 1,000 coins for the top five-symbol match.

Slots are the easiest games in the casino to play -- spin the reels and take your chances. Players have no control over what combinations will show up or when a jackpot will hit. There is no way to tell when a machine will be hot or cold. Still, there are some pitfalls. It's important to read the glass and learn what type of machine it is. The three major types of reel-spinning slots are the multiplier, the buy-a-pay, and the progressive.

The multiplier. On a multiplier, payoffs are proportionate for each coin played--except, usually, for the top jackpot. If the machine accepts up to three coins at a time, and if you play one coin, three bars pay back ten. Three bars will pay back 20 for two coins and 30 for three coins. However, three sevens might pay 500 for one coin and 1,000 for two, but jump to 10,000 when all three coins are played. Read the glass to find out if that's the case before playing less than the maximum coins on this type of machine.

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The buy-a-pay. Never play less than the maximum on a buy-a-pay, on which each coin 'buys' a set of symbols or a payout line. The first coin in might allow the player to win only on cherry combination, while the second coin activates the bar payouts, and the third coin activates the sevens. Woe is the player who hits three jackpot symbols on a buy-a-pay with only one coin played--the player gets nothing back. A variation is the machine with multiple payout lines, each activated by a separate coin. All symbols are active with each coin, but if a winning combination lines up on the third-coin payout line with only one or two coins played, the payoff is zero.

The progressive. You also have no reason to play less than maximum coins on a progressive machine. A player who eventually lines up the jackpot symbols gets a percentage of each coin played. The first progressive machines were self-contained--the jackpot was determined by how much that particular machine had been played since the last big hit. Today most progressives are linked electronically to other machines, with all coins played in the linked machines adding to a common jackpot.

Lines

These jackpots can be enormous -- the record is $39,710,826.26, a $1 progressive at a Las Vegas casino. The tradeoff is that frequency and size of other payouts are usually smaller. And you can't win the big jackpot without playing maximum coins.

If you must play fewer than maximum coins, look for a multiplier in which the final-coin jump in the top jackpot is fairly small. Better yet, choose a machine that allows you to stay within your budget while playing maximum coins. If your budget won't allow you to play maximum coins on a $1 machine, move to a quarter machine. If you're not comfortable playing three quarters at a time, move to a two-quarter machine. If you can't play two quarters at a time, play a nickel machine.

With so many paylines and the possibility of betting multiple coins per line, video slots are different. Some penny slots with 20 paylines take up to 25 coins per line. That's a $5 maximum bet -- a pretty penny indeed! Most players bet less than the max on video slots but are sure to cover all the paylines, even if betting only one coin per line. You want to be sure to be eligible for the bonus rounds that give video slots most of their fun. Some progressive jackpots require max coins bets, and some don't. If a max-coins bet is required to be eligible for the jackpot and you're not prepared to roll that high, find a different machine.

Money Management

Managing your money wisely is the most important part of playing any casino game, and also the most difficult part of playing the slots. Even on quarter machines, the amount of money involved runs up quickly. A dedicated slot player on a machine that plays off credits can easily get in 600 pulls an hour. At two quarters at a time, that means wagering $300 per hour -- the same amount a $5 blackjack player risks at an average table speed of 60 hands per hour.

Most of that money is recycled from smaller payouts--at a casino returning 93 percent on quarter slots, the expected average loss for $300 in play is $21. Still, you will come out ahead more often if you pocket some of those smaller payouts and don't continually put everything you get back into the machine.

One method for managing money is to divide your slot bankroll for the day into smaller-session bankrolls. If, for example, you've taken $100 on a two-and-a-half-hour riverboat cruise, allot $20 for each half-hour. Select a quarter machine -- dollar machines could devastate a $100 bankroll in minutes -- and play the $20 through once. If you've received more than $20 in payouts, pocket the excess and play with the original $20. At the end of one half-hour, pocket whatever is left and start a new session with the next $20.

If at any point the original $20 for that session is depleted, that session is over. Finish that half-hour with a walk, or a snack, or a drink until it is time for a new session. Do not dip back into money you've already pocketed.

How To Read Slot Machines Youtube

That may seem rigid, but players who do not use a money management technique all too frequently keep pumping money into the machine until they've lost their entire bankroll. The percentages guarantee that the casino will be the winner in the long run, but lock up a portion of the money as you go along, and you'll walk out of the casino with cash on hand more frequently.

That is changing in new server-based slots that have started to appear in casinos. Operators will be able to change payback percentages at the click of a mouse, but they still must have regulatory approval to do so.

There is a lot more to slot machines than meets the eye. But if you learn the ins and outs of playing them, you can use some strategies that just might help you hit the jackpot.

How To Read Slot Machines

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