General Info

Slots is the easiest casino game to learn and play. It's also one of the most fun and most popular. Be careful, Slots make the casino the most money. Slot Machines consist of three rotating wheels with symbols, a housing, and a lever.

Prototypes of different slot machines already began circulating in the 1870's. A man named Charles Fey developed the first commercially successful slot machine also known as a “one-armed bandit” in his San Francisco machine shop around 1896. Made of cast iron with three internal rotating wheels with symbols, a slot for taking in coins and an external lever for activating the machine. To play, a coin is inserted into the slot, and the lever is pulled. This sets the three wheels in motion, which stop. If a certain combination of symbols is reached, different payouts according to that combination is released from the housing. By 1907, Fey had perfected the machine which then became known as the "Mills Liberty Bell". The Liberty Bell used strips displaying three different playing cards, a casing made from cast iron, and a bell that would ring to signal a winning combination. Three years later, the Operator Bell was created featuring fruit symbols in place of playing cards. Both machines weighed over 100 pounds each and were eventually replaced with lighter and quieter designs in the 1930's. During the 30's and 40's, the popularity of slot machines reached incredible heights in casinos across America. The Mills Novelty Company, working in cooperation with Fey, introduced slot machines that each had their own theme design to catch people's attention. As technology progressed, slot machines became more modernized using electronic devices and computer programs.

The Slots machines are regulated to only payout a certain amount and if you are lucky it could be you, even though the math is on the casino's side.
There are many different slot machine games. Jackpot size, combinations, symbols, size and number of coins allowed in each play vary as well. Included in these games are the popular Videopoker games. Slot machines generally pay between 85 and 98 percent, depending on the game. The average casino advantage is calculated to be around 9%. There are really no particular rules you need to be concerned with. The main object of the game is to hit a jackpot.

Rules

Rules for playing Slots are very simple:

The mission of the game is to match preselected symbols on the pay line (or paylines) in one of the winning combinations, listed on the pay table, to earn credits.
If the bells ring and lights flash, open up your wallet because you are in the money!

The single-line slot machine has one Pay Line in the centre of the reel.
Multi-line machines offer the additional attraction of multiple win lines. In a multi-line machine, the player can bet additional coins to activate extra lines, enabling him to win on multiple symbol combinations. For example, betting 1 coin (of any value) will activate the 1st play line, betting 2 coins will activate the 1st and 2nd play line, and betting 3 coins will activate 1st and 2nd and third play line. If you play on 5-Line Slots you may automatically select all 5 lines regardless of how many coins you choose to bet or choose the number of lines you wish to activate.

There are the “Progressive Slot” machines also called the "Progressive Jackpots". Machines are linked in a bank of machines and some are even located in different casinos. The difference between progressive slots and regular slot machines is the size of the jackpot. In most cases, it is much larger than ordinary jackpots because it is always increasing. The more people playing on the linked machines, the faster the jackpot increases. To be eligible for the jackpot you usually have to play the maximum number of coins.

Slots Glossary

Carousel - a group of slot machines.
Coin size - is the value of the coin that you are betting. If you play a 50-cent machine, your coin size is 50 cents, regardless of how many coins you bet.
Hopper - This is where the money is stored inside the machine.
Low Level - Slot machines you can sit at to play.
Multi-line - A slot machine with more than one pay line. Slot machines may have several pay lines.
Max Bet - The maximum amount of coins that you can play per spin. It is of the most importance when playing progressive slots because usually the max bet must be played to qualify for the big jackpot.
Number of Coins Bet - This is the number of coins you bet of a particular size. On a 50-cent game it would be the number of 50-cent coins you bet.
Payback - The percentage of winnings a machine will payout in relation to the amount put in.
Pay for Play Machines - These are generally one-two-three coins option slot machines with staggered payoffs. The more coins you put the better the payoffs.
Payline (or Pay Line) - The line at which the symbols must align to win.
Pay Table (Paytable) - The section of the slot machine which shows the payoffs for each type of winning combination. The pay table will also tell you if there are bonus features and if playing the "Max Bet" will reward you with a top bonus prize. On a regular slot machine the paytable always quotes payouts in coins, and not casino credits, dollars or other currency. Progressive slots paytables quote payouts in credits or units of currency.
Progressive Slots - A group of slot machines called a Carousel linked together to pay one common big jackpot.
Progressive Jackpot - The big jackpot that grows progressively as people play. For each spin/hand played the machine adds a small credit to the running jackpot total. Sometimes several machines are linked up together to form a combined large jackpot, and also several casinos may join together to form an inter-casino progressive jackpot that can generate very large sums.
Reels - The rotating narrow barrels on which the symbols appear. Modern slot machines can have from 3 to 5 reels.
Slot Club Member - Slot clubs were invented for slot fanatics. By becoming a member you are given a card (like a credit card). Using your card while playing the slots (also table games in some casinos) helps you earn free points / cash. The rules, number of points needed to achieve regular club status, and the benefits given to the player are different at every casino.
Stand Up - Slot machines where you play standing up.
Symbols - The pictures or graphics that line up on the payline to score a win.
Take/Pay Cycle - Based on the assumption that most slot machines work on cycles, it is when to expect a machine to pay out following a certain amount of coins fed into it.
Tilt - When a machine stops operation, usually following a malfunction.
Wild Symbol - This is like a joker and will act as "the desired" symbol to make up a winning combination on the payline.
Spin Handle - The handle on the side of the machine will be activated as soon as you bet the minimum number of coins required for a spin. Clicking on the red tip will activate and spin the reels.

The Playing Strategy

The Martingale System

This system is old, simple and very good for the inexperienced players. It is based on the probability of losing infinite times in a row and is usually applied to “even money” bets. The idea is that by doubling your bet after a loss, you would always win enough to cover all past losses plus one unit. So, start betting with one unit, if you win take the winnings but leave the original bet. If you loose you must double the bet until you win. The Martingale system requires a large bankroll, has a very low return and is a very risky one because of the maximum bet limits imposed by the casinos. So, if you run out of money or reach the house limit, you can lose a lot with no chance to recover your losses.

The Paroli System

This system is in a way the opposite of the Martingale system. You start with one bet and you increase your bet when you win rather than when you lose. However, you will need to plan a betting procedure whereby you know how far you will let the bet build before you take it down to the initial starting bet and how much to raise after each win. This obviously depends on the type of game played and the odds of the bet. The advantage of this system is that you do not require a large bankroll. It lets the profit run and cuts short the losses.

Consider this

Always play the maximum bet. You will always have better odds of earning your money back by playing full coin. Some machines won't even give you a chance to win the jackpot unless the maximum coins are played.

If you can't afford to play the maximum amount of coins or the higher denomination machines, drop down.

Know your limits. Bring a bankroll and stick to it, you'll thank yourself later.

There is very little you can do to influence the outcome at slots. Therefore, rather than try to influence or predict the outcome, a good strategy would be to be able to limit your losses and control your winnings.

Never leave your machine.

On a lucky day, if you are on a winning streak, have a few shots (2 or 3) at one of the $5 big-payouts machines. You never know! If you win - anything - take the cash and leave. Don't replay or recycle any of the winnings.

Play for fun