Ever since the first slot machines went live in the United States, gamblers have been looking for ways to spot the hot ones. The goal is to look for signs that indicate a slot machine is “loose” or close to paying a big jackpot. Some of these signs include things like how long it’s been since a slot has paid, where it is located on the floor and even the temperature of the machine.
Unfortunately, there is no way to tell when a slot machine is about to pay out a jackpot. Modern slot machines are completely random. Both live slots and online slots are controlled by computers and operate based on random number generators (RNGs).
Every spin of the reels is an independent event. What this means is that slot machines don’t have memories. Every time you spin the reels, the RNG kicks into action and your results are determined by pure chance. Every single spin of the reels is just as likely (or unlikely) to payout out a jackpot as all the other spins. It doesn’t matter if the last jackpot was paid two minutes or two years ago.
What this means for you is that there’s no way to tell if a slot is more likely to pay out. Everything is left up to pure luck when it comes to slots. You are better served by monitoring your bankroll and adjusting the sizes of your bets as you bankrolls grows and shrinks.
Casino Control Over Slots
One of the most common myths regarding slot machines is that live casinos can change the payout rates on a whim. Many gamblers believe that casinos can induce jackpots to help drum up business or attract players during certain times of day. In reality, slot machine manufacturers set the payouts and casinos must go through a legal process to change payouts. They can’t just flip a switch to initiate jackpots.
Online casinos supposedly work under the same principle. I say “supposedly” because there’s not as much regulation in the online casino industry. If you stick with reputable casinos, you can expect things to work the same. However, there are a lot of small, unknown casinos with questionable owners. This is also one of the reasons why I always recommend you stick with reputable casinos.
The point to take from this is that casinos can’t change the luck or hotness of any particular slot machine. Small, shady casinos might change their payout rates, but that’s probably not in your favor. The main things to are stick with reputable casinos and play a smart game.
Large Progressive Jackpots
Large progressive jackpots make slots “hot” in a way. The bigger a jackpot is, the better it is for the player. Large jackpots add to your expected value because there is slightly more upside for every dollar wagered at the slot machine.
In the modern day of slots, looking for large progressive jackpots is better than using old wives’ tales to look for lucky machines. There’s no simple way to tell exactly how much a large jackpot helps, but we do know that it helps. Slot machine manufacturers don’t explain the exact odds of winning a progressive jackpot, so it’s tough to tell how much it helps.
The main thing to keep in mind is that big jackpots are a good thing. This probably sounds obvious, but it’s something to think about. If you can find a slot machine that reveals the exact odds of winning the jackpot, you can calculate exactly how large the jackpot needs to be before the slot machine becomes a profitable game.
Another thing to consider is that a slot machine is probably better for you if the jackpot is larger than normal for that particular machine. Some slot machines are designed to have larger jackpots than others. The key is to find progressive jackpots that have grown to be larger than they normally are.
Play for Fun
Slots really aren’t the best game to try to beat the system. Unless you have inside knowledge that isn’t available to the public, slot machines are simply unbeatable in the long run. That doesn’t mean they’re totally useless though; it just means that you should see them as a fun way to gamble.
Slot machines produce some of the biggest jackpots in the world. In fact, most of the biggest online jackpots ever were won by people playing progressive jackpot slot machines. Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell when a slot is about to become hot. All you can do is cross your fingers and spin the reels.
Strategy
Basic slots strategy tells us that even though you can’t beat the machine, there are still things you can do to make the most of your time and money. For example, you should always check the pay table and see if there are special jackpots or bonuses for playing the maximum number of coins. Many progressive jackpots require you to wager the maximum number of coins for you to qualify.
Another strategy is to manage your bankroll for maximum enjoyment. If you visit the casino with a limited amount of money, you should adjust your wagers to the size of your bankroll. You can play just a single coin at a time or play multiple coins of smaller denominations if you need to. The goal is to have as much fun as possible, which usually means making your money last.
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