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Best of John Robison
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Gaming Guru
Strategic Slot Play7 March 2005
Dear Juanita, Unfortunately, there's no easy way to know what the odds are on a slot machine and casinos and slot manufacturers don't release that information. The only strategies for playing slots are to play the best number of coins based on the type of machine, play machines that suit your goals and your playing personality, and ensure that you have a sufficient bankroll. Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
Taking your questions in order, near misses are not programmed in the sense that you described. I think if you kept careful track of your spins after bonus near misses, you'd find that you don't always get the pearl you needed on the very next spin. I'm not surprised that you've seen other near misses. But every near miss is just a result of the random selection of the stops to land on the payline. There's nothing in the machine that decides that a spin should end with a near miss. Manufacturers are definitely cranking up the number of lines on many of their machines. I have no idea what Harrah's plans are. I also don't know what changes may happen at the Empress, but keep your eyes on this site. John Grochowski and John Brokopp cover the Chicago area and I'm sure they'll report any significant changes. An hour for a hopper fill is outrageous, but it does happen occasionally. Sometimes it's just because a lot of handpays and hopper fills hit all at once and the slot staff is overwhelmed. And sometimes the slot floor is just understaffed. In any case, the slot attendant's reaction to your complaint is unconscionable. I'd take his or her advice and not go back. In any case, Ho-Chunk can't change the payouts without changing a chip in each machine. Finally, I don't know of any PC-based versions of WMS Gaming's machines. If they're out there, I'm sure someone will let me know and I'll pass on that info in a future column. Thank for the kind words about the site,
Dear Tom, Thanks for the kind words about my column. The par sheet, also known as a PC sheet, tells everything there is to know about a slot machine. It tells how the physical and virtual reels are laid out, what the odds are for hitting each of the winning combinations, and the long-term payback for the machine. Manufacturers and casinos guard these sheets very closely and they are not available to the public. Best of luck in and out of the casinos, Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert, at slotexpert@comcast.net. Because of the volume of mail I receive, I regret that I can't send a reply to every question. Also be advised that it may take several months for your question to appear in my column. This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network. Melissa A. Kaplan is the network's managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. To contact Frank, please e-mail him at fscobe@optonline.net. Recent Articles
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