If you’re seeking the simplest casino game, then slot machines are for you. No real strategy is required when playing slots, and you only need to place money in the machine and press the spin button to start playing.

• Tips For Playing Slot Machines In Las Vegas
• Tips For Playing Slot Machines In Vegas
• Tips For Playing Slot Machines
• Tips For Playing Slot Machines At Casinos
• Strategy Tips For Playing Slot Machines

• If you're playing real-money slot machines, you might be tempted to play fewer win lines with an increased bet per line. So, you'll net a bigger win than if you had bet $0.01 per line and played.
• Get to know slots and how they work. Slots aren’t exactly complicated — you select your betting.
• These are low volatility slots. Your strategy on how to play slot machines should be determined in part by the game’s volatility. Investigate the bonus rounds. If one free spins round has a 2x multiplier while another has an 8x multiplier, it makes sense to play the one with the bigger potential.

The game isn’t social at all, with very few slot machines existing where you play as a team or with someone else. Even though they’re quite simple you can still use a few tactics to get the best out of the machine and your overall visit to the casino when playing slots.

I’ve outlined for you below 21 tips which will help you maximize your chance at winning on slots, and also to help you maximize the amount of fun you have while doing so. Slots can provide some great entertainment, with manufacturers now developing highly interactive and graphic intense games which even feature 4D features such as movement, air flow, sound, and graphics.

Once you understand the basics of slot machines, it’s time to take a look at how to play casino slot machines step-by-step. How to Play Slots for Beginners – A Step by Step Guide For the sake of keeping this guide on how to play slot machines simple, we’re going to pretend you’re playing the game you see in the screenshot above.

So, if you want to get the best out of the slots and have a great time doing it, then read on.

1 – Slots are completely random

This is by far the most important tip you need to know when playing slots. The machines are completely random and no previous events have any impact on what will happen next.

They’re just designed this way. So if you get advice from someone that you should take a seat at a certain machine that hasn’t paid out in a while because it’s due to pay out, then just ignore it. You should always play on the machines that provide you with the most enjoyment and are within your bankroll to play.

2 – Progressive jackpot machines are sometimes good for players

Depending on the jackpot amount, sometimes it’s a great idea to play on a slot that’s tied to a progressive jackpot.

Although the payouts will be less for smaller prizes, if you hit the progressive jackpot you can win millions of dollars. If you want that dream payout and that’s why you’re playing the slots then consider playing one with a progressive jackpot.

The payout rate improves as the top prize gets larger, so make sure you take a seat and play when it’s already quite big. Remember, the fact that it’s big doesn’t mean it’s likely to pay out soon, as I outlined in the first tip.

3 – Progressive jackpot slots are sometimes bad for players

As I slightly touched on above, sometimes progressive machines aren’t that great for you.

This is usually the case when the jackpot has been recently won and therefore it’s back to being quite low. What you also need to be aware of is that on these slots a small amount from what you bet on a spin is automatically taken and added to the jackpot.

So you aren’t maximizing the amount you could be winning from hitting a standard win on the slot in question. While this isn’t such a bad thing if you’re hoping to hit the jackpot and overcome the almost insurmountable odds to do so; it does mean for the everyday player who just wants to play that particular slot they’ll be donating some of their money to the progressive jackpot with no return.

4 – Spend some time reviewing the pay table

Each machine has an associated pay table that will outline to you what it takes to win. The table will show each of the machines symbols and provide advice on how many of these you need in a line to achieve a win.

Symbols have different values, from the most common ones to the rare ones, and then the more symbols you get on a pay line the more you win.

Some machines will pay out more than others in respect to these symbols, so it’s good to know in advance before you start spinning what it takes to get a win. This will solve a lot of heart ache later if it appears that you’ve won but you don’t. Keep in mind that the pay tables aren’t a true reflection of what the payout rate will be on a machine.

5 – Study the bonus rounds

On video slots, the most entertaining part of playing is when you hit a bonus feature. These will give you the opportunity to win big, although sometimes you won’t win much at all.

Bonus features usually result in free spins or offer bonus cash prizes. Each machine is different when it comes to hitting the bonus so make sure you check out the pay table to see what’s required to get into the round.

Some will be easier than others to hit, and usually the easier they are the less they pay out. Some slots even have two or three types of bonus rounds.

One thing to keep in mind is that bonus rounds will pay out according to how much you bet on the previous spin. Keeping this in mind, the next tip will focus on how many coins to bet per spin.

6 – Always bet max coins and lines

Slot machines are funny because unlike some other casino games where the amount you bet doesn’t really matter to your chances, in slots it’s critically important.

Most, if not all slots, have a better payout rate when you bet maximum coins on all the lines. This is because this will activate all possible bonuses, features, and jackpots that are associated with a particular game.

Because of this, you’re better off spinning a slot once at a maximum bet of $5 than spinning it five times at $1 and not having all lines or maximum bet value activated.

While from an entertainment perspective one spin isn’t as great as five, you’ll do better in the long run by max betting. If you don’t have the bankroll to support this type of bet, drop down to lower denomination on the machine you’re playing on, or if this isn’t possible find a machine with a lower denomination.

7 – Get to know what lines and ways are

I would strongly recommend that you do some reading on what lines and ways are in respect to slots.

Basically, a line is a route across the slot face which identifies where you’ll receive a win if you get the right combination of symbols as per the pay table. The more lines you play, and on some slots there can be a lot, the more likely you are to win.

A ways machine is a bit different as usually you won’t choose how many ways there are to win, you’ll just choose a wager amount. On the ways slots you will usually find 243 ways to win from both left to right and right to left across the slot face.

For lines, you can usually only win from left to right, unless a slot specifically says you can win both ways on the information screen. To find out about ways and line, just click the information button on the machine, or look just below the pay table and it will all be displayed for you.

8 – Try a play money slot machine first

If you’re planning on playing a specific slot machine you can almost always find an online version which is free to play.

This is true for both slots you find in live casinos and those you find at online casinos. If you try the slot first you’ll be able to find out if you like the game, see what the bonus feature is like, and get a general idea on what you’re trying to achieve when you play for real.

This is a great way to get to know which slots you’ll prefer playing when you arrive at the casino. Once you’re at the casino it’s unlikely you’ll be able to find any free play money slots, so keep this in mind and try to do it online before you leave your home.

9 – Keep an eye out for slot promotions

Quite often casinos will run slot promotions which give you access to some great prizes and bonuses when you’re playing. It’s always worthwhile keeping an eye out for these as they will allow you to push your dollars that little bit further, which is essential when it comes to playing slots.

Often online casinos will have some very generous promotions so make sure you check out their promotional page before you start playing. A little bit of time in reconnaissance initially could make you some serious cash in the long run.

10 – Sign up to the casino slot club

Slot clubs are a great way to get some rewards and bonuses for all that play that you put through slot machines.

In return for some personal details and the tracking of your play, the casino will give you comp points which can be exchanged for free play credits, cash, free food, and drinks, and much more.

Make sure you sign up to the slot club before you start playing and be sure to put the card in the machine before you put cash in and start spinning. Slot clubs will also give you access to extra promotions and tournaments, so it’s just a no-brainer to sign up to these at every single casino that you plan on playing slots at.

11 – Ask about welcome and sign up bonuses

Whenever you first start playing a slot machine, or any casino game for that matter, you should ask about welcome and sign up bonuses.

This can be done when getting your players card in a live casino, and when you’re creating an account at an online casino. Pretty much every single casino will have some kind of bonus available to new players, whether it is some extra cash based on your initial deposit at an online casino, or some free play credits at a live casino.

It doesn’t hurt to ask the question or do a little bit of searching online for a promotional code so that you can get some extra cash to play with. This is another no brainer so please take a little bit of time to do this before you start spinning.

12 – Play at casinos with the best pay out rate

In some states it’s a requirement by law that casinos print and release the payout rate of their slot machines. If you’re playing in a state where this is the case you should always review this information and use it to decide which casino to play at.

Some of this information can be found online and a quick search will show you everything you need to know. If you’re playing slots in a state where casinos aren’t required to report, call before you travel to check for any available information.

Some will publish this information as part of their advertising and marketing efforts and some will simply tell you as they have nothing to hide. I always seek out the best casinos to play in as this will give me the best possible chance of getting lucky and having a win.

Thankfully in the gambling mecca, Las Vegas, casinos are required to publish this information and you can find all of this online.

13 – Accept the fact you’ll never win at slots

This isn’t so much a tip; more just a sad truth. Unfortunately, no matter what you do you’ll never be able to win at the slots.

Although someone could theoretically win a progressive jackpot and never play again and they’d be a winner; for most of us this just won’t happen and you’ll slowly lose over time. You’ll have winning sessions, losing sessions, and those sessions where you just break even, but on a long enough time line you’ll always end up down.

I like to think about these things logically; if a casino is a business that is looking to make money, why would they risk this by placing slots on the floor that would allow players to win? That doesn’t make any sense at all and if casinos were to do this they’d be out of business very quickly.

Although this is sad, never fear! The next tip outlines why this doesn’t have to be such a bad thing.

14 – Make sure you have fun!

Although I’ve provided you with some great tips here on how to increase your chances of winning and how to play slots in the best possible way, the most important thing is that you’re having fun while you play.

I always play slots for fun, whether it’s to have a few free drinks while I play Wheel of Fortune slots in Vegas with my friends, or just to pass 30 minutes while I’m waiting for my poker tournament to start, it’s always about fun.

It’s not about making money, and if it ever becomes this for you I’d strongly recommend you walk away. That’s not a good path to go down. Remember, spending some money on some slots and getting a few hours’ worth of entertainment is well worth it, and if you get lucky while doing so it’s even better.

15 – Don’t convince yourself you have a lucky game

Pretty much every single person I’ve ever spoken to about slots will go out of their way to tell me about their favorite game. About 99 times out of 100 this game isn’t their favorite because they like the theme, graphics, gameplay or sounds; it’s their favorite because they claim that they always win on this type of slot and that it’s lucky for them.

While this isn’t such a bad thing I guess, it’s completely untrue and it’s simply not possible that you could have a lucky machine that you always win on. Remember earlier when I wrote about the randomness of slots and how you can never win? Well this is the case for every type of game, and it can be dangerous to treat a game like it will always pay out for you.

This is because you’ll quite often wager more on this slot in order to achieve that ever elusive win. I’ve seen it happen all too often; so just be careful and don’t fool yourself into thinking a machine will always pay out for you. You’re far better off choosing a favorite game because of the factors we listed earlier. These things include the theme, graphics, general gameplay, and / or sound effects.

16 – Play slowly

Slots are designed to be played very quickly as this will result in the biggest possible intake for the casino that houses it.

Because of this you should take your time in playing slots and don’t continuously spin immediately after the preceding spin finishes. Take some time and analyze the slot face and see how you won, or how you missed out on this occasion.

This way you’ll get more time out of the game and won’t burn through your cash so quickly. It also makes the slot a lot more fun as you can become more intimate with the game in question and how it works.

17 – Don’t auto stop the reels

As a follow up on from the tip I provided above, I’d strongly recommend against automatically stopping the reels once you’ve started a spin.

Basically what this means is you hit spin which starts the reels, then you click it again straight away which automatically stops them to see the result. Usually a slot spin will last at least a few seconds, unless you auto stop the reels, in which case it will only last a few milliseconds.

This will speed up the game even more, which isn’t a good thing as I outlined for you in the tip above. So take your time and allow the reels to spin out themselves. This way the game will be much more enjoyable as it’s about the process rather than the result.

18 – Change it up with some video poker

If you’re new to slots and really enjoy them, I’d suggest changing it up once in a while and playing some video poker. Although some decision making and strategy is required in video poker it’s a much better game for you to play from a payout rate perspective when compared to slots.

It’ll also give you a bit of variety, which is always a good thing. The best video poker game to start on is Jacks or Better, which is the easiest to learn and play.

Video poker strategy is quite simple and will only take few play money sessions to learn online. So if you’re trying out slots for the first time make sure you head on over to a video poker terminal as well and give that a shot.

You just might find you make more money, or lose less money, and have a lot of fun while doing so.

19 – Try to avoid slots in popular areas of the casino

Casinos are quite smart in respect to where they place things on the casino floor. With this in mind, it might be worthwhile avoiding the slot machines that are in the most popular area of the casino.

This is because it’s likely that the casino put these slots in those areas because they make the most money of them, which in turn means you’ll lose more money on these slots.

They’ll also place more popular slots in these locations to draw people into playing, so it’s a careful mix of the two. I think it’s best just to avoid these ones altogether, and seek out your favorite game deeper in to the casino where you’ll probably get more privacy, peace and quiet while you play.

Not to mention probably better cocktail service as well. It goes without saying, but I’ll mention it anyway; that this doesn’t really apply to online casinos.

20 – Skip those slots at the airport

When you visit Las Vegas, it’s never a good idea to play at the slots at the airport.

While it might be a tradition to chuck a dollar in the Wheel of Fortune slot when you first arrive or depart, I’d suggest that you don’t make a habit out of playing longer sessions on these slots.

This goes for any other airports in the United States or across the world that offer slots also. The simple fact is that these slots have the worst pay out rates that you could possibly find.

This is because the slot owners and operators know the motivations behind those who would play on these machines. Firstly, we provided one above about tradition and secondly, many people will jump on these slots to try and win back all their losses from their trip.

Because of this the operators know they can bump down the payout rate as people will play no matter what. On top of these reasons, the rent for the slot owners and operators will be much higher in the airport when compared to other locations, so they need to pay out less so they make enough money to be able to squeeze out a profit while covering their overheads.

21 – Video slots pay out less than classic slots

Those fancy video slots with vibrating seats, huge video cut scenes, and amazing graphics cost a lot of money to make and run. Therefore they pay out less so casinos can make the same profit on these while covering their costs to run them.

So if you’re looking for a slot to play consider playing on a traditional slot that has actual weighted reels and moving parts. These will generally pay out at a higher rate than their video counterparts because they’re cheaper to run.

They won’t provide as much entertainment as the video slots, but you’ll feel quite nostalgic like you’re playing something that is traditional and has that old Vegas style about it.

This can be worth it alone when compared to a Britney Spears or Elton John machine. I’m by no means saying you should only play classic slots; just that across the board they’ll pay out more and be cheaper to play compared to a video slot.

Conclusion

Use these 21 slot machine tips for beginners to have a better chance to win the next time you play slots. Even if you just use one or two of the tips it can make a big difference in your results and playing time.

Recently, I read a blog post that suggested I write my posts to an imaginary avatar—an individual who needs my help and advice, and I should write to that person as if we were just shooting the breeze around a campfire.

I have an avatar in mind now. He visits the Winstar Casino in Oklahoma every Friday, and he usually takes one of his 2 girlfriends there.

He plays the slots, and he’s lost almost $7000 this year already. He’s obsessed with climbing the VIP club ladder, too.

Here’s my advice to this Oklahoma slot machine player:

1- Start Playing Poker Instead of Slot Machines, You Nitwit

The payback percentage on the slot machines in Oklahoma is awful.

We’re talking about games in a jurisdiction where the casinos aren’t even required to report their payback percentages.

In many jurisdictions, the payback percentages for slot machines must be above a certain number, and they must report their actual paybacks over time.

Neither of these rules apply to the casinos in Oklahoma, so you don’t have any way of knowing what the payback percentage on these games is.

My guess is that they’re only slightly better than the payback percentage you’d see playing scratch and win lottery tickets.

What does this translate to in terms of hourly expected losses?

I know that you play for at least $3 per spin, and you probably make an average number of spins per hour—600. You’re putting $1800 per hour into action.

At that 80% figure, you’re getting back just $1440 in winnings, which means you’re losing $360 per hour on average. It might be even more than that.

That’s expensive entertainment, man.

Seriously, how many movie tickets can you buy for $720—the predicted cost for 2 hours play on those machines?

But I know you want to keep gambling, so here’s my advice:

Switch to poker.

You like playing poker, and you enjoy socializing with the other players at the table. The only downside to poker for you is the slow action.

You’re probably never going to be a winning poker player, but you at least have a chance in poker.

And no way do you play so badly that you’re operating at a 20% disadvantage.

2- Stop Trying to Climb Higher on the VIP List for the Slots Club

I know you’re excited about the perks of being a high roller on the VIP list in the players club there. You only mention it every time we talk about the casino.

But don’t you realize that the amount of money it’s costing you to climb that VIP ladder far exceeds the amount of monetary value you’re getting in return?

The program has 3 tiers, and you’re already in the 2nd tier, trying to move up to the 3rd tier.

And what kind of perks do you get for that 3rd tier?

A 20% discount at the spa?

Really?

I don’t know what’s in the VIP gift packages, but whatever they include, I guarantee you could buy it cheaper if you stopped losing money playing the slots there.

Yeah, the free stuff is cool, and you feel like a VIP, but you can feel like a VIP just by spending money and come out ahead.

3- Host Your Own Poker Game Instead of Going to the Casino Every Weekend

I love playing in an actual cardroom in a casino, and you’ll find plenty of action at whatever stakes you prefer at the cardroom in the Winstar.

But even that’s not free.

The Winstar, like every other casino in the United States, charges a rake in exchange for hosting the poker game. This takes the form of 5% of each raked pot.

Even if you’re just as good as the other players at the table, you can’t break even when the casino is taking 5% out of every pot.

On the other hand, you know lots of poker players here in town. And I know you own a poker table and clay chips.

The only trick is finding poker players who want to play for the same stakes you do.

I know you enjoy cooking and playing the host, too. You can go to bed after everyone leaves without driving for 45 minutes to get home, too.

Most importantly, you stand a better chance of winning money in your home poker game because you’re not having to pay the 5% rake to the casino out of every pot.

4- Find Some Women to Hang Out with Who Don’t Like to Gamble

I know that part of the reason you visit the casino so often is because these 2 women you date both love to gamble.

I also know that they love gambling with your money, not theirs. After all, we’re talking about one woman who cleans the rooms at a nursing home for a living, and the other woman is a waitress.

Neither of them can afford to gamble at the levels you like to gamble.

I know how much money you’ve lost at the casino this year, but I wonder if that amount accounts for the money you’ve given these 2 girlfriends?

You have a few rational choices here:

You could try finding other activities to engage in with these women. They might like these activities, or they might not.

I doubt either of them would break up with you just because you stop taking them to the casino.

You could try getting these 2 women to learn how to play poker. I’ve met both of them, though, and I’m convinced that neither of them are going to be great at the game.

Even so, they’re not idiots. If they’re willing, they can learn to play Texas holdem well enough to do better at that game than they do at the slot machines.

Finally, you could just dump both these gals and find new ladies to spend time with doing other stuff.

We live near Dallas. You can find plenty of educational and culturally things to do that don’t involve pouring money into gambling machines on the behalf of these women.

I know you struggle with dealing with life without using beer and marijuana as crutches.
But your lifestyle as a degenerate gambler all ties together.

No one—not even you—makes good decisions under the influence.

They especially make bad decision when it comes to gambling.

Losing as much money each year playing slot machines as you do is objectively a bad decision.

You have so many more fulfilling things you could be doing with your money than drinking, smoking, and gambling with it.

If you enjoy the risk involved with gambling, you could try gambling at something that involves higher risks but potentially much higher rewards.

And you’ll have far more influence over your destiny gambling on an investment in your own business than you ever will playing slot machines at the Winstar Casino.

Any of these opportunities at least affords you the opportunity to succeed and win money. It’s also easier to write off your losses as a business owner than it is to write off your losses as a gambler.

In fact, the only way you get to write off your losses as a gambler is if you come home a winner.

Otherwise, your losses are just an entertainment expense, which is not generally a tax deductible expenditure.

You could even combine your love of gambling with a new business. I don’t recommend starting your own underground cardroom, as tempting as that is in this area.

It’s a felony to run a gambling hall in Texas, after all.

But you could open a store in the mall selling poker equipment and do quite well with it.

Poker tables, poker chips, and playing cards are all available wholesale and you can make big profits re-selling such items.

You could even expand your inventory to include things like dart boards, pool tables, and jukeboxes.

You could even sell gambling books and DVDs.

7- Travel to Vegas a Couple Times a Year Instead of Going to Oklahoma Every Weekend

Sure, traveling to Las Vegas a couple times a year might cost a little more than visiting Oklahoma every weekend, but I think you can still come out way ahead—even with the travel costs.

Let’s look at the numbers again. We already figured out that you lose an average of $360 per hour playing slots in Oklahoma.

And you go every weekend, so let’s be generous and say you only spend an hour playing each weekend.

Tips For Playing Slot Machines In Las Vegas

That’s 52 hours at $360 per hour, or over $18,000 per year in gambling losses.

I know, you’ve only lost $6000 or $7000 this year, but if you keep playing, the Law of Large Numbers will ensure that your actual results will eventually start to look like the expected results.

Now let’s say you decide to go to Vegas twice a year instead. We’ll assume you’re going to spend $2000 on flights, and another $1000 on your rooms.

Let’s call it another $1000 for meals and entertainment.

That’s $4000 for the travel expenses to Vegas, including entertainment and food. Your total might be different depending on when you go and where you cut corners.

I know you can fly out there for a lot less than that, but I’m assuming you’re flying first class or something.

Now let’s assume you’re going to spend 3 days in Vegas on each trip, and you’re going to spend 2 hours per day gambling. That’s 12 hours total.

The slot machines in Vegas have a payback percentage of closer to 92%, so the house edge is about 8%–give or take.

If you spend 12 hours putting $1800 into action, you’ll put a total of $21,600 into action.

Your expected loss on that kind of action is $1728.

So you’re looking at $6000 or so in total expenses traveling to Vegas to gamble twice a year, compared to $18,000 if you travel to the Winstar every weekend.

You’ll enjoy the Vegas trips more, too, I promise you.

8- Go Ahead and Open that Online Sportsbook Account You Keep Talking About

I know you watch football every weekend, and I know you participate in the betting pools at work. I also know you’ve been thinking about signing up for an online sportsbook like 5Dimes.

You should go for it.

You don’t have to limit yourself to 5Dimes, but they’re rated 4 stars on our site, and they’re happy to accept action from United States bettors.

Other options include bet365, Bookmaker.eu, and Bovada. Each of them has its pros and cons.

You could get some money into action every weekend during football season, and maybe that would satisfy your gambling urges as well as or better than playing slot machines in Oklahoma.

I’d much rather see you risking your money this way than playing slots or even the lottery.

9- Don’t Worry about Using Up the Rest of Your Player Points this Year

That’s how they get you, man.

If you don’t visit the casino, you can’t lose money on their slot machines.

And the only way you can redeem those player points for something of any value is to visit the casino.

By buying into this incentivized gambling scheme that the casino has going, you’re just keeping that monkey on your back.

If you do decide that you’ve earned so much incentives that you just can’t forgo using them, at least limit yourself to the poker games when you visit.

If you’re not sure you have the self-discipline or self-control to do that, skip it.

Or call someone who’s willing to hold you accountable before, during, and after you visit to the Winstar.

Even better, take someone with you and explain to them what you’re trying to do on your way there.

Those incentives are worth FAR less than the amount of money you’re losing on the slot machines there.

10- Read Some Good Books about How Gambling Actually Works

For most gamblers who want to become better educated about how gambling actually works, I suggest reading Winning Ways: The American MENSA Guide to Casino Gambling by Andrew Brisman.

Tips For Playing Slot Machines In Vegas

It’s a great book, and you should definitely find a used copy of it and read it.

But I have another book you should start with:

Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas

This is one of the most eye-opening books you’ll ever read about how slot machine gambling works in any casino, even though it specifies Las Vegas in the title.

Natasha Dow Schüll wrote this one.

Some people consider me a gambling expert, and I know a lot about slot machines and how they work.

But Addiction by Design STILL made my jaw drop with surprise at how nefarious the design and implementation of slot machines works.

Once you’ve read those 2 books, in either order, you should move on to some more general gambling thinking books like Getting the Best of It by David Sklansky.

You should also read books about winning at poker, like The Theory of Poker (also by Sklansky).

And if you decide to follow up on my sports betting suggestions, pick up Sharp Sports Betting by Stanford Wong.

Tips For Playing Slot Machines

You can find a lot of great information about gambling on the internet for free, but you have to wade through a lot of junk to find informative and educational pages like the ones I write on the internet.

When you’re reading gambling books—especially the ones I recommended above—you can be confident that you’re getting accurate information that might actually help you win some money over the course of your gambling career.

I might sound really negative about Oklahoma slot machines, but I don’t mean to.

I’ve written this post with a specific audience in mind—the guy who spends too much money gambling on the slots in Oklahoma.

If you’re like me, and you only visit Oklahoma casinos 3 or 4 times a year, much of this advice doesn’t apply.

Tips For Playing Slot Machines At Casinos

You’re a recreational gambler paying reasonable amounts for your entertainment.

Strategy Tips For Playing Slot Machines

What advice would you give someone who’s playing too many slot machines in Oklahoma?