Reduce the Lines to Increase Your Time

There is no denying that, over the last several years, the new video slots have become much more entertaining than their reel-type predecessors. The graphics for the main games along with the addition of interactive bonus screen have made some of the new slot machines seem more like video games than gambling machines. Some of the newest games even incorporate vibrating seats that contain speakers for stereo surround sound to completely immerse the player into the game. This can make the games fun but this high-tech sophistication does have a downside.

Some of the games have become so complicated that it makes it hard for the player to completely understand the game they are playing. The older reel-type slot machines had pay lines that read straight across. The new video slots have pay lines that can zig and zag across several reels of symbols.

The addition of multiple pay lines along with the number of credits that can be wagered on each line has made many of these games more expensive to play. It seems as though the slot makers find it necessary to increase the number of pay lines each year when they introduce their new games. When the video slots first appeared, the casino floor they had five to nine pay lines and you could bet a maximum of three to five coins on each line. Many players found these machines too expensive to play at the quarter level so we saw the beginning of the nickel slot machine revolution. As players accepted the nickel games with multiple pay lines, the slot makers started adding more. The number of pay lines increased from nine to 20 or more. It soon became too expensive to play these machines at the nickel level. This is one reason we have seen the increased number of penny slots on the casino floor in the last few years. Now it is common to see slot games with 25 play lines that allow you to wager 20 credits on each line. At a penny a credit it will cost five dollars a spin to play the maximum coins. Some of the new games even have up to 100 pay lines.

How Many Lines

At some point you have to wonder how many lines are enough. With each additional line that you play, you increase your chances of lining up the right combination of symbols to give you a "winning spin" but this does not necessarily mean that you will have a monetary win. Many times your initial wager is more than you will collect for a winning spin. If you are wagering 25 credits per spin but only getting five or ten back for a winning spin, it won't take long to eat up your credits.

Most of us realize that we will never get rich playing the nickel or penny slot machines, so our main concern is to get the most enjoyment out of playing the games and to make our playing time last as long as possible.

Unless you are playing a progressive machine, there is no reason to play the maximum coins on every available line. If you choose to play all of the lines without trying for the progressive jackpot, then you should play a single credit on each line. There really is no point in playing any number of credits between a single credit and the maximum, such as two or three credits per line.

Ideally you should search for a machine that offers the maximum number of pay lines that you can afford to play. If you find a game you really want to play that has more pay lines than you care to play, you can simply reduce the number of lines that you wager on. Take a look at the pay table in the help screen and look for the minimum pay out for a winning spin. If the minimum is five credits, then you can reduce the number of lines you play to five. This will guarantee that you will break even if you have a winning spin.

When you play the slots you want to get the most entertainment as possible for your money and reducing the number of lines can help you achieve this.

Until next time, remember:
Luck comes and goes...Knowledge Stays Forever!