dumb question on slot machines

[Dznypal]

I am in no way a big gambler but once in a while well go to the casino and play a little slots

my question is Im not sure what Im doing--I throw some money in when Im at my limit I leave

so heres my question--I like playing these 1 cent machines

the only thing you need to press is the credit button

which goes 60 120 240 and 360 are you choices

so what is the difference in how many credits you play

the more credits you play does that increase your chances of winning

or the more credits the more money youll win


also theres other machines that you have a row of credits and then number of lines

how do you begin to figure this one out

thanks all

sorry for the dumb question

 

[Squirlz]

The odds are the same every single time. That's all I know.

 

[wenrob]

If you play the max you're allowed to play (in your example 360), if you hit you will win the max pay out for that particular combo. If you play the minimum you'd get the smallest pay out for that combo. For example when I played .25 video poker if I hit a four of a kind with one in it would be $12.50 but if I had it "loaded" $1.25, it would be $42.50. Or something like that, the numbers are made up because I don't remember anymore. Your odds are the same as anyone else's no matter how much money you play. Play more/win more/lose more, play less/win less/lose less. You're gambling (pun intended) no matter what you do.

 

[bcla]

It depends on where you're playing. The odds are dependent on the programming, and most machines can't have their odds changed without a full firmware reload.

All machines these days start off with a pseudo-random number generation based on when you press the button. It can literally cycle through a billion numbers (or more) per second, so it's not as if you can really control what the result is with any precision. Even the ones with "reels" do that. Once your number is pulled, each number corresponds to a particular outcome that's already been programmed. How the payouts are determined is specif to the machine. Some machines might might be programmed for higher average payouts with a higher number of credits per line. The number of lines isn't particularly important, as the programming is designed to generate a payout, but with the reel display rigged to generate the layout of the reels. There is no modern slot machine where the reels are truly a random set (i.e. If there are 36 stops on each reel it doesn't mean there's a 1 in 36 chance of any stop being hit).

Some machines are more complicated where there's a random "free game". Some are random while others are predetermined already. Some give you choices, and most are real choices with the outcome of each choice already determined.

Now if it's a class II linked bingo machine, that's a completely different functionality.

 

[wenrob]

It depends on where you're playing. The odds are dependent on the programming, and most machines can't have their odds changed without a full firmware reload.

All machines these days start off with a pseudo-random number generation based on when you press the button. It can literally cycle through a billion numbers (or more) per second, so it's not as if you can really control what the result is with any precision. Even the ones with "reels" do that. Once your number is pulled, each number corresponds to a particular outcome that's already been programmed. How the payouts are determined is specif to the machine. Some machines might might be programmed for higher average payouts with a higher number of credits per line. The number of lines isn't particularly important, as the programming is designed to generate a payout, but with the reel display rigged to generate the layout of the reels. There is no modern slot machine where the reels are truly a random set (i.e. If there are 36 stops on each reel it doesn't mean there's a 1 in 36 chance of any stop being hit).

Some machines are more complicated where there's a random "free game". Some are random while others are predetermined already. Some give you choices, and most are real choices with the outcome of each choice already determined.

Now if it's a class II linked bingo machine, that's a completely different functionality.

The OP basically asked if their odds were increased if they played more credits/money or decreased if they played less credits/money. The answer is no. The odds, however they may be calculated will be the same for the scenario presented.

 

[Skippyboo]

A lot of slots have multiple lines so say it has 25 lines. You can play 1 line for 1 cent, 5 lines for 5 cents etc up to 25 lines for 25 cents. More lines more ways to win. You can also change the amount of credits you play. So you can play 25 lines at 2 credits a line for 50 cents. More credits bigger payout.

60 120 240 360 buttons each spin will cost you 60 cents up to $3.60. That's a pricey machine.

Some of the less themed machines may have a jackpot feature that only hits if you play max bet.

Each machine is different so you have to check it out beforehand. If you just want to kill some time and not win a huge amount of money but not lose a bunch. Play machine that are 20 to 30 lines at a 1 penny a line with some sort of bonus or free games feature.

 

[bcla]

A lot of slots have multiple lines so say it has 25 lines. You can play 1 line for 1 cent, 5 lines for 5 cents etc up to 25 lines for 25 cents. More lines more ways to win. You can also change the amount of credits you play. So you can play 25 lines at 2 credits a line for 50 cents. More credits bigger payout.

60 120 240 360 buttons each spin will cost you 60 cents up to $3.60. That's a pricey machine.

Some of the less themed machines may have a jackpot feature that only hits if you play max bet.

Each machine is different so you have to check it out beforehand. If you just want to kill some time and not win a huge amount of money but not lose a bunch. Play machine that are 20 to 30 lines at a 1 penny a line with some sort of bonus or free games feature.

Some machines are set up so that the only way to play is to select "all lines". Lines aren't really much more than a dog an pony show anyways. They're really set up to deliver payout odds. The display is just to keep the gambler interested in something visual.

 

[bcla]

The OP basically asked if their odds were increased if they played more credits/money or decreased if they played less credits/money. The answer is no. The odds, however they may be calculated will be the same for the scenario presented.

Well - there can in fact be differences in payout depending on how much is bet. It's all up to the programming though. And with some machines the only way to get a linked progressive payout is to play the maximum bet. There can be a point where the linked progressive jackpot can make the theoretical average payout higher than 100%, kind of like lotto jackpots when nobody has won for a a few months.

It was pretty well known that nickel slots were programmed with a lower average payout than quarter slots, and dollar slots typically had the highest average payout. However, the penny machine really dominates these days because of 25-30 line combinations and up to 20 cents bet per line, but there's really no way of knowing if a particular machine is programmed to have a different table of results with a higher bet per line. It wouldn't be illegal to do that.

I know in Nevada, by law all machines are supposed to have a theoretical average payout of at least 80%, although the payout is generally higher. Tribal casinos with Class III machines have no minimum requirement.

 

[tvguy]

My mom played nickel slots for almost 40 years until she retired. She switched to only dollar slots and a $40 cap when she retired, and only then did she start winning. When she passed away 4 years ago, she had 12 Polaroid photos on her fridge of her hitting over $1,000. She always gave me a $100 bill after those wins, still have the last one she gave me in my wallet.

 

[soccerdad72]

The odds are the same for the same denomination. The one factor that skews the average payout figures is that if you're not playing the maximum amount on a machine, you can't win whatever the jackpot is for that machine. If you factor in the possibility (remote as it might be) of hitting the jackpot, you're projected winnings increase if you're playing max bet. Problem is, it's an expensive proposition, even on the "penny" slots these days.

 

[Shutterbug]

....Problem is, it's an expensive proposition, even on the "penny" slots these days.

I remember when penny slots were pretty much that. Though a few weeks back , I was at a local racino not too long ago and 80% of the machines were now "penny" machines. I think the minimal amount for a pull I found was 40 cents.

 

[bcla]

I remember when penny slots were pretty much that. Though a few weeks back , I was at a local racino not too long ago and 80% of the machines were now "penny" machines. I think the minimal amount for a pull I found was 40 cents.

The difference is that old machines used to have maybe 3 to 9 paylines. Now it's up to 30 or 40 convoluted ones with five "reels".

Most I've seen actually allow for one payline. I remember actually being down to a cent or two and just burning up what I had.

 

[rastahomie]

I've read a handful of books on slot strategy (yes, that's a thing), and they all agree on the same basic principles. First, ALWAYS bet the max: so that means bet the maximum number of lines, and the maximum per line. Like a PP said, at $3.60 per spin, that can get expensive. BUT, keep in mind that at most American casinos, just about every spin is going to give you something back; that's how they keep you playing. So if you budget, say, a hundred bucks, at $3.60 per spin, that's about 28 spins. Unless you have a terrible machine, or an extraordinarily bad streak of bad luck, you'll be getting some back here and there, over the course of your play, so that's probably an hour's worth of bankroll.

 

[bcla]

I've read a handful of books on slot strategy (yes, that's a thing), and they all agree on the same basic principles. First, ALWAYS bet the max: so that means bet the maximum number of lines, and the maximum per line. Like a PP said, at $3.60 per spin, that can get expensive. BUT, keep in mind that at most American casinos, just about every spin is going to give you something back; that's how they keep you playing. So if you budget, say, a hundred bucks, at $3.60 per spin, that's about 28 spins. Unless you have a terrible machine, or an extraordinarily bad streak of bad luck, you'll be getting some back here and there, over the course of your play, so that's probably an hour's worth of bankroll.

I don't know about every spin. Not even most. But enough that maybe you stick around thinking there's more.

I think the important thing to understand is that no modern slot machine has a truly random set of reels - even the ones with physical reels. They're all predetermined with a random number grabbed from when the button or arm is actuated. Then that goes to a table of results. The ones with physical reels can brake the reels at any stops determined by the program.

Another thing is that there are safeguards in case of power outages. I've been in a few casinos when the power went out. At one I found card dealers all blocking their chip trays. At another I saw players waiting for their machines to restart. They all came back with the previous credits, which were saved to some format like flash memory or a hard drive. At one I remember it stopping at one of those mini games, and it came up with what looked like a predetermined payout.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I am in no way a big gambler but once in a while well go to the casino and play a little slots

my question is Im not sure what Im doing--I throw some money in when Im at my limit I leave

so heres my question--I like playing these 1 cent machines

the only thing you need to press is the credit button

which goes 60 120 240 and 360 are you choices

so what is the difference in how many credits you play

the more credits you play does that increase your chances of winning

or the more credits the more money youll win


also theres other machines that you have a row of credits and then number of lines

how do you begin to figure this one out

thanks all

sorry for the dumb question

The chances of winning remain the same regardless of how many coins you put in. But the payouts don't. Usually (but not always you have to look at the particular machine) there are payout incentives to put more coins in or else why would anyone put more coins in? And if there is a progressive jackpot for the particular group of machines you are playing, you only win that with the maximum number of coins in.

However, the chances of winning are not the same on every machine. For example, dollar slot machines have a higher pay percentage than do quarter slot machines. As for penny slots, that is kind of a misnomer these days. I've seen "penny" slots where you can go up to $5 a pull with 50 cent minimum. That's really a half dollar machine.

 

[kmb584]

My mom played nickel slots for almost 40 years until she retired. She switched to only dollar slots and a $40 cap when she retired, and only then did she start winning. When she passed away 4 years ago, she had 12 Polaroid photos on her fridge of her hitting over $1,000. She always gave me a $100 bill after those wins, still have the last one she gave me in my wallet.

Not related to casino wins, but when I started college my grandfather gave me a $100 bill every month, and I still have the last one he gave me in my wallet too.

 

[wilkeliza]

So there are 2 ways it can cost "more" per a spin. Lines and bets per a line. So when you are bidding credits you are bidding 1 cent. Those credits can go between lines and bets per a line Now if a machine has 25 lines you can bid different bets per a line. So a 25 credit bid could be 1 credit per a line or say 5 credits per 5 lines. When you are just hitting a button that say 50, 100, 150, 200 etc you are most likely bidding all lines at a certain bet per a line (sometimes 1 cent sometimes 2 cents even if it says it is a 1 cent machine). Add to that bonus and game bids and it starts to get confusing haha.

 

[bcla]

The chances of winning remain the same regardless of how many coins you put in. But the payouts don't. Usually (but not always you have to look at the particular machine) there are payout incentives to put more coins in or else why would anyone put more coins in? And if there is a progressive jackpot for the particular group of machines you are playing, you only win that with the maximum number of coins in.

Depends on the machine. WMS Gaming had a series of machines (Life of Luxury) that had a series of progressive jackpot levels. They weren't linked outside of a set of 4 to 8 machines, but theoretically there was a chance at hitting the progressive jackpot for playing any amount. I believe the way they set it up, the chances of getting to the "free games" where a progressive jackpot came up were higher depending on the amount played.

 

[Marchand63]

And just a reminder if you play on a cruise ship - they are not under US gambling laws. The reason they only open in international waters.

 

[wilkeliza]

And just a reminder if you play on a cruise ship - they are not under US gambling laws. The reason they only open in international waters.

Also your odds on a cruise ship are always better in the beginning of the cruise. They want you to win so you either turn around and put more money (plus what you just won) back into the machines through out your cruise hoping to win big again or spend it on the ship. The less time you have to spend your winnings on board/put more money into the casino the less likely you are to win.