Why do I do better playing slots in the evening?

The best time for me to win at slots is between 4:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. It seems I can never win in the morning, say from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. So is that because by late in the day the machines have been played a lot more than earlier in the day?

Pat

Dear Pat,

The time of day and how much machines have been played have no effect on the outcomes on slot machines. Your chances are the same on every spin.

I think we might have a combination of selective memory and self-fulfilling prophecy going on here. You might be remembering the times you lost in the mornings and won in the evenings more than the times you won in the mornings and lost in the evenings. Studies show that we tend to remember events that confirm our worldview and forget those that don't.

Also, because you think you're more likely to win in the evenings, you're more likely to play through a losing streak then than in the morning. If you played the same number of spins on a machine in the morning and in the evening and kept track of the number of hits you got, you'd find that the numbers are very close, indicating that your chances haven't changed with the time of day.

That said, I'm not going to argue with success. If you do better at night than in the mornings, spend your mornings having a nice breakfast and taking a walk and use your evenings to battle the casinos.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

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 reply to every question.