Are the odds ever in your favor with slot games? 

slot game odds Businessman in online casino concept

Whenever you play casino games, whether online or in-person, you need to decide where you want to spend your money. Land-based casino floors are filled with hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of slot machines. Likewise, online casinos also have hundreds and even thousands of slot games. So obviously, slots not only make money for the casinos, but they are also wildly popular with players.

But, is playing slots the best value for your time and money? Do the mechanics of the games give you a reasonable chance to win? Let’s find out.

The Truth About Winning at Slot Games

If you are honest with yourself, the truth is, there is very little chance you will win any significant amount playing slots. The house always has the edge. For players to make a profit over time, they have to beat the house percentage simply to break even.

Beating the house is easier for blackjack players since the numbers are in constant motion as the game plays out. Expert blackjack players with a good strategy have a fighting chance to beat the house, and can even tilt the odds in their favor.

Likewise, video poker players have a serious chance of winning as well. But, only if they are expert players, with an extremely good strategy. Also, they need to choose games that have a paytable that doesn’t favor the house with odds too hard to beat.

Other table games, such as craps and roulette, are just as random as slot games. There is no game strategy that can be effectively used. In fact, the only strategy players can use is to avoid betting on games with an extremely high house edge.

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The True Nature of Slots

The fact is, slot games are in a class by themselves. The games are strictly run on chance. There are no winning slot strategies. And when it comes to online slots, the rules for “free spins” pretty much guarantee you will only break even, at best.

But, slots are very alluring, and the easiest games to play. All a player has to do is keep hitting a button, for a hypnotic display of images, sounds, and action to begin. The games are scientifically designed to evoke the emotions of the player, leading them to believe they will win, any minute now.

If one player wins big, a thousand other players might lose. You just don’t know. The fact is, each game is guaranteed to turn a profit for the casino, despite the occasional big winner.

When you play slot games, you are not playing against cartoon characters, but rather, a computer programmed to win. Of course, it’s also programmed to allow someone to hit a jackpot, but that is based on odds that number into the thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands. And those odds are deliberately stacked against you. Multi-million dollar progressive jackpots are seductive, but the odds of winning on any given spin are astronomical.

There is One Possible Slot Strategy…

One strategy that can give slot players a fighting chance is speed. The speed at which you play can either be your best friend or your worst enemy.

Slot players must make their decisions within a few seconds Spacing your wagers at a certain pace can dramatically tilt the odds in your favor. The seemingly unbeatable power of the games “hold” percentage can be broken.

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For instance, let’s say you are playing a game that has an 11% hold; that means that over time the game’s programming will generate an 11% profit margin for the casino.

If you wager $1 every five seconds, within 30 minutes you will have wagered $360. Regardless of your losses or wins, your bankroll will have lost $39.60 due to the game’s 11% payback.

However, by slowing down to making a wager every 10 seconds, you will have spent $180 over the course of 30 minutes. Likewise, you will have trimmed your loss to $19.80. Slow down even more and it only gets better.

Remember, the games are scientifically designed to place the player into a trance; the player feels compelled to keep hitting that play button, as fast as they can, over and over. Slowing down means that you must break the spell and remain conscious.

The best advice is to slow down. Do not go into a trance, and feverishly hand your money over to a computer program. Slow down, relax and remain conscious. It is a type of meditation to do so.

While this method won’t help you to win a multi-million dollar progressive jackpot, it will reduce the amount of money you lose. And that can be nearly as good. You need your hard-earned money for food and rent. Don’t throw it away at a casino.