Most people look
at the vast array of slot machines at the casino
and think they are all alike. They see a handle,
coin slot and flashing lights and figure one is
as good as another. What they are missing is a
lot of valuable information that can help
determine if and how they play a certain slot
machine. Not all machines are the same and the
way to separate one machine from another is to
learn how to “Read” a machine by
looking at the pay out schedule on the front.
Let’s take a look a typical slot machine and
see what information can be found. First of all
you will find the denomination of the coin needed
to play that machine. I don’t know how many
times I have seen a person drop a quarter into a
machine only to get a confused look when the coin
drops through and back into the tray.
Multiplier: This
machine has a pay out for a certain symbol and
the number of coins played multiplies it. If the
machine pays 5 coins for three lemons when you
play one coin, it would pay 10 for the second
coin and 15 for three coins played. This machine
does not penalize you for not playing maximum
coins. If you plan to play only one coin at a
time, this is the type of machine you should look
for.
Bonus Multiplier:
This machine operates the same as the multiplier
except that it offers a bonus when you play
maximum coins and hit the jackpot. Three 7’s
may pay 1,000 for one coin, 2,000 for two coins
and 10,000 for maximum coins. You need to decide
if the bonus is worth playing the extra coin.
Multiple Payline:
These machines have more than one line of play.
Each coin activates a particular line. If you hit
a winner on a line that is not activated, you
will not receive anything. The older machines
used to have three lines but the newer video
slots can have up to nine lines.
Buy-a-Pay: These
are the most misunderstood machines in the
casino. Each coin activates a different pay out.
You need the maximum coins to receive the largest
jackpot. One example is the “Sizzlin
7’s” machines. The machine will pay on
cherries, bars and sevens. The sevens pay 1,000
coins. If you play one coin you can collect only
on the cherries. If you play two coins you can
collect on cherries and bars. You need three
coins in to collect on the Sizzlin 7’s. If
you hit the jackpot with one coin in YOU WILL NOT
WIN ANYTHING!!! Do not play this machine under
any circumstances unless you are playing the
maximum coins.
Progressive Slots:
The progressive slots take a certain percentage
of the money played and add it to a pool for the
top jackpot. “Megabucks” or
“Quarter Mania” are examples of
machines from several casinos linked together to
offer a life changing jackpot. Keep in mind that
the percentage of the payback on the lesser wins
is lowered to allow for the big prize. Some
casinos have machines linked together within
their own casino to offer mini-progressive
jackpots. NEVER PLAY A PROGRESSIVE WITH LESS THAN
MAXMIMUM COINS!! There is a story circulating
that a lady hit the “Megabucks” when
the jackpot was 20 million but because she only
had one coin in she collected only $5,000. While
this is an Urban Legend there are other cases of
people losing out on lesser progressive jackpots
because of short coin play.
All of the slot
machines have the information you need posted on
the front. Before you sit down to play, take a
minute to “Read” the machine. This will
make you a knowledgeable player and help you
determine which machine is best suited for you.
Article
source: http://casinogambling.about.com/od/slots/a/slotread.htm
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