Slot machines inspired by game shows seem to be a popular theme this year. Press Your Luck. $25,000 Pyramid. Joker’s Wild with Snoop Dogg. The Price Is Right (Plinko is also just hitting casinos) Movies and TV shows will always make for popular slot machine themes. But keep in mind that casinos are designing slot machines to go faster and faster between spins. Some are even doing away with the handles and tokens by using digital readouts on gaming cards that you put into the machines. The faster machines can play up to 25 spins per hour, and 972 spins divided by 25 spins per minute is 38.88 minutes.
Got it. There must be a level in the progressive where the odds are affected in a positive way? Is it possible to determine the odds of the game from the progressive size and the amount of hands required before it hits?
SingleCoinVP,
The Wizard of Odds has two pages discussing these 'must hit by' (a.k.a. 'mystery jackpot') games:
https://wizardofodds.com/games/slots/mystery-jackpot/
https://wizardofodds.com/games/slots/mystery-jackpot-ainsworth/
Note, though, that the WoO's analysis is predicated on the assumption that '(the) point at which the jackpot will hit is randomly chosen on a uniform distribution between the starting value and maximum possible jackpot.' This assumption may or may not be valid: some posters have opined that the randomly chosen point is weighted towards the high end of the min-max range.
Hope this helps!
Dog HandSingleCoinVP
This is great information. If I am reading this correctly, the average Vegas penny slot has a house edge of around 10%. Compared to the 97% video poker games my casino offers, I'm playing the better game. The comps are better on slots, but not nearly enough to make up 7%.
I personally think that 10% number is too low. I would say the average would be closer to 12%.
I personally think that 10% number is too low. I would say the average would be closer to 12%.
Yikes! I'm never going to bitch about my 97% games again.SingleCoinVP,
The Wizard of Odds has two pages discussing these 'must hit by' (a.k.a. 'mystery jackpot') games:
https://wizardofodds.com/games/slots/mystery-jackpot/
https://wizardofodds.com/games/slots/mystery-jackpot-ainsworth/
Note, though, that the WoO's analysis is predicated on the assumption that '(the) point at which the jackpot will hit is randomly chosen on a uniform distribution between the starting value and maximum possible jackpot.' This assumption may or may not be valid: some posters have opined that the randomly chosen point is weighted towards the high end of the min-max range.
Hope this helps!
Dog Hand
I think there is confusion with the use of the words 'randomly' and 'weighted' in the same sentence. I don't think both can be used together in this way. In other words, 'AGS machines cheat'.
This is great information. If I am reading this correctly, the average Vegas penny slot has a house edge of around 10%. Compared to the 97% video poker games my casino offers, I'm playing the better game. The comps are better on slots, but not nearly enough to make up 7%.
The general idea is to play the must hits when the game is no longer -10% but in your favor
Quick Hit Slot Machine App
I think there is confusion with the use of the words 'randomly' and 'weighted' in the same sentence. I don't think both can be used together in this way. In other words, 'AGS machines cheat'.
I disagree unless you believe almost all reel slots are cheating. Most of them weight the reels but use a random selection for the position to stop on the reels.
A standard reel slot machine only has 22 possible stops per reel. If they weren't weighted you couldn't achieve odds higher than 22x22x22. The whole reel weight goes back about 30 years or so based on the Telnaes patent.
I don't expect anyone to give away that book. I'd pay $10 for it.
It's funny, but at last years Super Bowl get together, two individuals gave me some great information on the very subject. One person I'd never met before but he said he liked the way I posted on another website.
The year before, at the SB party, someone clarified a play I wasn't doing correctly.
There is an appropriate place to discuss plays. A public forum shouldn't be one of them.
It's by Invitation only to keep out the riff raff and darksiders , however, if anybody's interested they can contact me by PM.
It's by Invitation only to keep out the riff raff and darksiders
But Billryan got in? :) :)
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Remember the movie National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation, when gambling fever consumes Chevy Chase’s character, Clark W. Griswold? He goes on a losing streak to beat all losing streaks while his son, Rusty, wins four cars by playing the slot machines. Maybe Clark would have done better if he had read Probability For Dummies! In this article, you discover the basic ideas behind slot machines and how they work, so that you can get past the myths and develop a strategy based on sound probability.
Understanding average payout
When casinos advertise that their slot machines pay out an average of 90 percent, the fine print they don’t want you to read says that you lose 10 cents from each dollar you put into the machines in the long term. (In probability terms, this advertisement means that your expected winnings are minus 10 cents on every dollar you spend every time the money goes through the machines.)
Suppose you start with $100 and bet a dollar at a time, for example. After inserting all $100 into the slot, 100 pulls later you’ll end up on average with $90, because you lose 10 percent of your money. If you run the $90 back through the machine, you’ll end up with 90 percent of it back, which is 0.90 x 90 = $81. If you run that amount through in 81 pulls, you’ll have $72.90 afterward (0.90 x 81 = 72.90). If you keep going for 44 rounds, on average, the money will be gone, unless you have the luck of Rusty Griswold!
How many pulls on the machine does your $100 give you at this rate? Each time you have less money to run through the machine, so you have fewer pulls left. If you insert $1 at a time, you can expect 972 total pulls in the long term with these average payouts (that’s the total pulls in 44 rounds). But keep in mind that casinos are designing slot machines to go faster and faster between spins. Some are even doing away with the handles and tokens by using digital readouts on gaming cards that you put into the machines. The faster machines can play up to 25 spins per hour, and 972 spins divided by 25 spins per minute is 38.88 minutes. You don’t have a very long time to enjoy your $100 before it’s gone!
The worst part? Casinos often advertise that their “average payouts” are even as high as 95 percent. But beware: That number applies only to certain machines, and the casinos don’t rush to tell you which ones. You really need to read or ask about the fine print before playing. You can also try to check the information on the machine to see if it lists its payouts. (Don’t expect this information to be front and center.)
Implementing a simple strategy for slots
Advice varies regarding whether you should play nickel, quarter, or dollar slot machines and whether you should max out the number of coins you bet or not (you usually get to choose between one and five coins to bet on a standard slot machine). In this section, you’ll find a few tips for getting the most bang for your buck (or nickel) when playing slot machines.
Must Hit By Slot Machines
Basically, when it comes to slot machines, strategy boils down to this: Know the rules, your probability of winning, and the expected payouts; dispel any myths; and quit while you’re ahead. If you win $100, cash out $50 and play with the rest, for example. After you lose a certain amount (determined by you in advance), don’t hesitate to quit. Go to the all-you-can-eat buffet and try your luck with the casino food; odds are it’s pretty good!
Choosing among nickel, quarter, and dollar machines
The machines that have the higher denominations usually give the best payouts. So, between the nickel and quarter slots, for example, the quarter slots generally give better payouts. However, you run the risk of getting in way over your head in a hurry, so don’t bet more than you can afford to lose. The bottom line: Always choose a level that you have fun playing at and that allows you to play for your full set time limit.
Deciding how many coins to play at a time
Quick Hit Slot Machine Online
When deciding on the number of coins you should play per spin, keep in mind that more is sometimes better. If the slot machine gives you more than two times the payout when you put in two times the number of coins, for example, you should max it out instead of playing single coins because you increase your chances of winning a bigger pot, and the expected value is higher. If the machine just gives you k times the payout for k coins, it doesn’t matter if you use the maximum number of coins. You may as well play one at a time until you can make some money and leave so your money lasts a little longer.
For example, say a quarter machine pays 10 credits for the outcome 777 when you play only a single quarter, but if you play two quarters, it gives you 25 credits for the same outcome. And if you play the maximum number of quarters (say, four), a 777 results in 1,000 credits. You can see that playing four quarters at a time gives you a better chance of winning a bigger pot in the long run (if you win, that is) compared to playing a single quarter at a time for four consecutive tries.
Must Hit By Slot Machines
The latest slot machine sweeping the nation is the so-called “penny slot machine.” Although it professes to require only a penny for a spin, you get this rate only if you want to bet one penny at a time. The machines entice you to bet way more than one penny at a time; in fact, on some machines, you can bet more than 1,000 coins (called lines) on each spin — $10 a shot here, folks. Because these machines take any denomination of paper bill, as well as credit cards, your money can go faster on penny machines than on dollar machines because you can quickly lose track of your spendings. Pinching pennies may not be worth it after all!