Hold Back

17 December 2024

By Frank Scoblete

QUESTION from NANCY:

I enjoy your articles and the articles you have about gambling from your other writers too. I am a slot player and I am looking for a way to extend my time at the machines without extending my risk. I think I risk enough already!

What do you have to tell me about that?

Now I know I can slow down my number of decisions but is there something else I can do? Playing slower doesn’t really appeal to me.

I’m a dollar player and in a night I can lose a lot of money but sometimes I win a lot too. Sadly, Frank, I do not win more than I lose. That’s how my luck is running, for years now.

Any info would be helpful. Thanks in advance.
-----Nancy

From FRANK:

Hi Nancy, you are stuck in the slot players’ dilemma. You and millions of other players.

You certainly can win a few times now and again but ultimately you will lose a few times more than that. The machines are programmed to make you lose, while still having fun along the way.

I do have a way to allow you to keep your speed up but also to reduce the hit on your bankroll. I wish what I had was magic but it isn’t.

If you are playing a multiple-line machine what you want to do is simply bet one coin. Or the lowest number you can bet. That’s it.

The return for a full hit will be somewhat more than for one decision but so what? In time, you cannot beat the machines playing a full amount. So why bother?

If you play one decision at a time, you have slowed the amount of money you are risking but the pace of play will still be pretty fast. Over time you will actually keep your losses low in comparison to full play and you should still be getting a kick out of engaging in battle with the machines.

There are also machines that we call “equal distribution” machines. These do not give you a benefit for betting the full amount. So, there is no reason to go the full-amount route.

The typical slot player will tend to play faster as time goes on but that will not help her. You do not have to deliberately slow your pace but do not speed it up either.

I wish there were some magic way to beat the machines – or beat any game really – but sadly there isn’t.

All the best in and out of the casinos!

Frank Scoblete’s books are available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, e-books, libraries, and bookstores.