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Ask The Slot Expert

12 April 2001

Dear John,

I seem to win more when I go down a row of machines and play them once at max coins, going from casino to casino. Anything to that, or is my luck about to run out?

rocketmannn

Dear Rocketmannn,

Your way of playing has a number of advantages over playing just one machine in one casino. First, by playing a number of different machines, you play a mix of high and low hit frequency machines and you may get more hits overall. Second, you get some exercise while you're switching machines and switching casinos. Finally, you're not playing while switching machines and switching casinos and that downtime will stretch your bankroll.

On the other hand, there's nothing in your method of play that will make the machines pay out more than they otherwise would. Each spin on a machine is a completely independent event and the outcome is chosen without any regard for what has happened in the past or whether the player is parked at the machine or bouncing from machine to machine and casino to casino.

Will your luck run out? You will have winning sessions and losing sessions, just like any slot player. What matters is that you enjoy the way you play. And if you happen to be ahead at the end of the day, that's the icing on the cake. Where else can you be paid for having fun?

Best of luck in and out of the casinos!
John

Dear John,

What about the proliferation of online casino gambling software?

Okay, let's get to the meat. I like slots and have played different types, wagered different bets, and tried to play and find those machines that pay a higher percentage than most.

All at a casino of course.

My question is have you studied the various online gambling software outfits? If you have or know of research, which are the BEST, i.e., good chances of winning, good slot payouts, great customer service, free money to join and so on?

I have studied slots for a while, but it still at this point in time just boils down to plain LUCK. I'm just trying to find a mathematical way to increase my chances.

Thank you for your time and consideration in advance.

And, do you have any books currently on special?

Craig

Dear Craig:

For reviews of online casinos, I turn to RGT Online's Wager Watchdog and online Casino Critiques.

Winning at slots is really just a matter of luck. You can win in the short run, but in the long run the machines will win whatever percentage that they're programmed to win of the money played through them. And there's no legal way, mathematical or otherwise, to change that.

But there are things you can do as a slot player to cut down on your losses and make your bankroll last longer. Here are a few:

Look for a machine that pays a straight multiple of the one-coin payoff for each coin played and play one coin at a time. There's no bonus for playing full coin, so don't.

If you were playing 3 or more quarters per spin, consider moving up to a dollar machine and playing one coin at a time. Dollar machines usually pay back more than quarter machines.

Learn to play video poker. Video poker machines are open books because they're dealt from 52-card decks. You can tell the payback of a video poker machine when played with mathematically perfect strategy just by looking at its paytable. There's no way to tell the payback of a slot machine just by looking at.

As for books on special, Paone Press (1-800-944-0406) usually beats the prices at Amazon and at bookstores. My book The Slot Expert's Guide to Playing Slots is half-price (about $5) when you download it from www.greatstuff4gamblers.com instead of ordering a printed copy.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos!
John


Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert, at slotexpert@home.com.


For more information about slots and video poker, we recommend:

The Slot Expert's Guide to Playing Slots by John Robison
Break the One-Armed Bandits! by Frank Scoblete
Victory at Video Poker and Video Craps, Keno and Blackjack! by Frank Scoblete
Slot Conquest Audio Cassette Tape (60 minutes) with Frank Scoblete
Winning Strategies at Slots & Video Poker! Video tape hosted by Academy Award Winner James Coburn, Written by Frank Scoblete
The Slot Machine Answer Book by John Grochowski
John Robison

John Robison is an expert on slot machines and how to play them. John is a slot and video poker columnist and has written for many of gaming’s leading publications. He holds a master's degree in computer science from the prestigious Stevens Institute of Technology.

You may hear John give his slot and video poker tips live on The Good Times Show, hosted by Rudi Schiffer and Mike Schiffer, which is broadcast from Memphis on KXIQ 1180AM Friday afternoon from from 2PM to 5PM Central Time. John is on the show from 4:30 to 5. You can listen to archives of the show on the web anytime.

Books by John Robison:

The Slot Expert's Guide to Playing Slots
John Robison
John Robison is an expert on slot machines and how to play them. John is a slot and video poker columnist and has written for many of gaming’s leading publications. He holds a master's degree in computer science from the prestigious Stevens Institute of Technology.

You may hear John give his slot and video poker tips live on The Good Times Show, hosted by Rudi Schiffer and Mike Schiffer, which is broadcast from Memphis on KXIQ 1180AM Friday afternoon from from 2PM to 5PM Central Time. John is on the show from 4:30 to 5. You can listen to archives of the show on the web anytime.

Books by John Robison:

The Slot Expert's Guide to Playing Slots