Slot machines whether online or in the real world are a very popular gambling outlet. The spin-and-win game had a wide appeal owing to the simplicity of these practices. These games are almost based on luck, leading some players to develop strategies to help boost their winnings. So is there any substance to these methods and myths that continue to exist in the world of real money slots?
Timing of Spins
There is a common thought that tangible slot machine cabinets have a better chance of paying out at specific times, however after looking at these offshore casinos that offer online slots, we couldn’t find any evidence of this being true. This dates back to many years ago when patrons at a bar or venue would think that the machine owners would set the slot to pay out on a busy Saturday night so everyone would see it and want to have a play themselves. The actuality is that such settings seldom exist and most work on random number generators, meaning there’s just as much chance at any time.
There are some caveats in the online world as some online casinos operate enhanced odds or spins where they proactively tinker with the settings to give a better chance of winning, encouraging customer interaction.
Hot and Cold Machines
When you see someone get a win on a slot machine, that machine can be described as ‘hot’. It’s creating excitement as everyone will want to have a go on it to try to replicate that winning feeling. If it miraculously pays out soon after that win, the machine could gain notoriety as being consistently hot.
By comparison, machines that don’t pay out often or haven’t done so in a while are known as cold machines. The reality is that no matter what temperature you refer to a slot machine as it has very little bearing on how much success you will have on it. Some very old machines will be considered antiques by today’s standards that were set to play out after a set amount of spins. I.e. every 1000th spin, it would pay out. In such a case, it would be these cold machines that would have a greater chance of winning – as you would have to wait for 1000 spins for the next win after the machine got hot by paying out.
Consistently Using the Same Machine
If you’ve ever been to Las Vegas or watched a documentary about the casino culture there, you’ll find countless people who sit at a slot machine all day long, usually gambling away their life savings coin by coin. These people typically play on one machine and only one machine. They believe that they are feeding it money and it will repay them in the future. The reality is that playing on the same machine doesn’t give you any greater chance of winning than the one next to it. Some people are very religious about this and after years of continued patronage, the casinos will reserve their chosen machine so nobody else can use it.
Switching Machines During Your Session
Some slot machine players swear by switching machines throughout their gambling sessions. The thought is that you increase your odds by consistently opening up new doors to win. The reality is that you have as much chance on every machine. However, it can still be nice to change machines if you want to play a slightly different-themed game.
Higher Stakes, Higher Probability
There are slot machine players out there who think that they can increase their chances of winning if they play with greater stakes. Slot machines usually accept a decent range of wagers, potentially a dollar, two dollars, or more per play. Some people believe that by playing the maximum bet you are essentially buying better odds and a greater chance to win.
While yes, if you win your return will be bigger reflected on your initial stake the likelihood of the win is not impacted. The game is still decided by the random number generators and isn’t influenced by the amount of money wagered.
Lucky elements
Michael Jordan famously wore his college practice basketball shorts underneath his NBA uniform, as he thought the shorts had a special good luck charm to them. Other people think that they can replicate a slot machine session like Jordan’s Chicago Bulls career and win close to the riches that bestowed the basketball GOAT when he won six NBA championships.
It’s important to remember that wearing your lucky hat, eating a specific meal, or anything before or during a session on the slots might make you feel lucky but it has no correlation to performance. See Jordan again, you see he wore those North Carolina shorts for EVERY game, including his ill-fated Washington Wizards tenure.