 Ask the Wizard: |
Questions about Slot Machines |
Slot machine innards
Can you explain the numbers inside the slot machines.
These numbers are usually seen on the right side of the
window. There are three of them what do they mean? How can I
use them to my advantage? - Bo from Wetumpka, USA
They are some kind of counter. As a player they
won't help you at all, just ignore
them. Jan. 15, 2002
Have you noticed when you look sideways past the right
reel on IGT games there are 4-5 counters inside the machine
labeled "coins in, coins out, jackpots" or similar wording?
I was just wondering what your experience with the counters
was. Is there any way to get helpful information from those?
Thanks for your time. - Chris from Madison, USA
No, that information won't help you at all. Your
odds are always the same on every spin, regardless of the
counters. April 15,
2001
Q: I recently went to the Couer d' Alene Tribal Casino
in Worley, Idaho. It was late at night and they were
retrieving money from the video slot machines. When they
shut down the machines, a screen pops up with all kinds of
information regarding coins in, coins paid, etc. I noticed
that the "hit rate" was set to 37% on the bank of machines
that I was playing. This seems really low! Not knowing
exactly what I was seeing, I thought best to ask the Wizard!
- Dirks from Spokane, Washington
A: Interesting question. I'm sure that didn't
refer to the payback percentage, it would be way too low.
It may be the percentage of hands that the player wins
anything. However with perfect strategy the player will
win something about 45% of the time on a jacks or better
machine. Other versions of video poker are not far from
that 45%. Can anyone else help with this one?
Slots on the Internet
Are the on line casino baccarat games like a slot
machine with the payout set at 98.8% or do they use a random
chip? How would you be able to check that out? Wouldn't it
make a difference? Is there a casino you are sure uses a
random chip? Thanks, Haig
From what I know of the business the major
software companies deal the cards in a fair and random
way. I personally have examined the log files of Odds On,
Infinite Casino, and IQ Ludorum and found them to be
fair. The laws of mathematics state that the more hands
are dealt the more the actual return will approach the
theoretical return. If you want to prove otherwise I
would suggest keeping track of the cards and putting the
results through statistical tests. See my blacklist
for more about that. March 7,
2003
With correct playing strategy, do you know the
break-even point on Microgaming's "SUPAJAX" game? Thanks. -
Michael McCarthy from Erie, USA
The Crucial Casinos web site presents an
analysis of Supajax, in which the writer claims the
break even point is at $53,000.
June 28, 2002
I'm looking for on-line slots that are nickels and
dimes to play. -- Travis from Los Angeles, USA
Cryptologic casinos have one-cent minimums on
their slots. Real Time Gaming casinos have a five cent
minimum. Most other places are 25 cents.
Dec. 31, 2000
Who has the best slot machine pay back rate on the
net? - Frank Zlotkowski, Steubenville, USA
As I work through the various kinds of software
for reviews in Casino Player magainze I am paying more
attention to games I normally don't play. At this point I
can only report on three kinds of software as follows.
Microgaming: 95.67% (Based on actual returns at the
Golden Palace while they used Microgaming software.)
Cryptologic: 92.42% (Based on actual returns at the
Safari Casino. The Sands of the Caribbean and Inter
Casino had similar returns.)
Real Time Gaming: 97.1% (Based on the theoretical return
at Casino Merlin assuming maximum coins played. Other
licensees may select from returns ranging from 95% to
98%.) Oct. 15,
2000
Q: Concerning the Cash Splash progressive slot game
played on Microgaming sites... Is the jackpot paid by all
participating casinos? If so, does each casino have the same
payout percentage set for these machines or is it set by
each casino individually? What about mid level payouts on
these Cash Splash machines? Thank you very much. -- Helen
from Memphis, U.S.
A: I would assume that the odds are the same at
all Microgaming casinos. All casinos probably contribute
money to the same account from which the jackpot is paid.
This way the individual casino from which the jackpot was
hit does not have to reach into their own pocket when
somebody wins. Mid level payouts are probably paid by the
casino itself. Sept. 3,
2000
Q: I know this will be almost impossible for you to
figure out, but I'm curious to know approximately how many
people play Cash Splash on a daily basis and some idea of
the odds against me. I am especially curious to know if
online progressive slots offer better chances of hitting
that jackpot than land-based progressives. -- Donna of Los
Angeles, California
A: You're right, it is impossible for me to know
without Microgaming giving me the details on how their
reels are weighted. I have asked some of the major
software companies for such information but thus far
nobody has volunteered anything. However I can tell you
that the average payback for all slots at the Golden
Palace for the month of March 2000 was 95.67%. This
information is available at the Golden
Palace web site, click on the Price Waterhouse
Coopers monthly payout review.
July 9, 2000
Slot machines in specific cities
It is my understanding that the "racinos" at Monticello and Yonkers, New York, are known as "Video Lottery Terminals." I read that they are not true slot/video poker machines, because they do not use a random number generator, but are connected to a central computer in Albany, that controls the outcome of the game. For example, in video poker if you are initially dealt a four of a kind and you discard them all, it will reappear as a winner, since the central computer was programmed for your machine to get a four of a kind. Therefore, any strategy is useless. Is this correct?
The gambling scene in New York is not my strong point, but I do believe you are correct. Such machines are not confined to New York. I believe they also have them in Florida, Oklahoma, and Iowa, where “pull tabs” are legal. With pull tabs, the outcome must be determined in advance. However, it is legal to display to the player what the win is in any form you wish, such as a slot machine or video poker win. September 29, 2008
In Oklahoma we play at the Indian casinos. I understand we are actually playing bingo. If this is true do they have same payback as Vegas machines with the random number generators? - Sharon from Oklahoma
Yes, that is true. In some states like Oklahoma traditional "class 3" slots are illegal. A way to get around that law is to have a machine pick bingo cards and balls at random. Certain patterns will be mapped to certain wins and the outcome will be displayed to the player like a slot machine win. If done properly, and often they aren't, the games play just like those in Vegas. If I recall correctly I saw some popular Williams slots like Reel 'em In when I was at a casino in Tulsa, with just a little bingo card in the corner of the screen. Otherwise they looked the same to me. I don't know what return they set their slots to in Oklahoma so I can't help you with that question.
November 23, 2006
I live in Oklahoma and I have heard that the slot
machines here are not really slot machines but you are
playing bingo against other players. What is the actually
going on?
Oklahoma, and various other Indian casinos, have
what is called "class 2" slots. The outcome is actually
determined by the draw of bingo balls. Players at
different various different slot machines are linked
together, each player has different cards but the draw of
the balls is common to all players connected via the
network. There is generally a "game ending pattern" in
which if some player completes it then balls quit drawing
for all the other players. However with most
manufacturers these game ending patterns are very hard to
achieve so the element of competition is negligible.
Unless the game ending pattern is achieved a certain
number of balls are drawn, your cards are automatically
daubed, and you are paid according the highest paying
pattern you cover, and there are hundreds of patterns. A
video representation of a slot machine is only to
illustrate how much you have won. If done well, and they
often are not, the games play almost just like a Vegas
slot machine. Dec. 20,
2004
Do you ever test the slot machines in Ontario, Canada.
I'm worried that since the government has a monopoly on
gambling in Ontario they are setting the machines
tight.
I never tested the machines in Ontario but did
test a machine in Montreal. Quebec casinos are also
government owned so the concern should be the same there.
The 5-cent machine (equivalent to 3 U.S. cents) I played
was set to 89.975%. For a small coinage this isn't too
bad and comparable to the Las Vegas Strip. I have played
blackjack at the casino in Niagara Falls, as well as
Montreal, and the rules were the same as in Atlantic
City, resulting in a house edge of 0.41%. I think this
goes to show that the government there is not abusing
their monopoly but giving the players a decent bet. See
my slot machine
appendix 3F for more information.
Aug. 23, 2004
Have you calculated any of the odds for the slot
machines at Harrah's Cherokee Casino? NC law requires games
of skill. As a result of this law all of the common slots
such as Double Diamond, Red-White-Blue, etc were installed
with a two spin option. After the first spin you may hold or
respin any of the three rows to obtain final results. Charts
are available on every machine to show the total number of
each symbol and blanks in each row. Since these machines are
IGT machines I assume that the symbols are weighted and
randomly selected as posted. If this is true then the
payback % can be calculated just as it is in video poker.
Just curious if you had any info. - David Burns from
Peachland, North Carolina
I've been asked about these North Carolina slot
machines so many times I'm tempted to fly there just to
see them for myself. Yes, if they did give the
probability of each symbol for each reel then an optimal
strategy and a return could be fairly easily calculated.
However I have never actually seen such a table and have
never worked out the odds. Aug.
4, 2002
Slot machines and tipping
Due to table-game tips to dealers being "highly
recommended", each hand/play costs or "loses" the player a
little bit (as little as ~$0.50-$1.00 just to be considered
'live' by dealers) each time. With games of low bankrolls
and minimum bids (i.e. ~$1000 in pocket and ~$2 per play),
the tip & house-edge would often make games like
video-poker more worth while as far as returns and
(possibly) comps are concerned.
You make a good point. Tipping definitely does
add to house advantage in table games. If one were to tip
one bet until every 100 hands that would add 1% to the
house edge. Slot and video poker players also get comped
and in general treated much better. These are things to
consider when deciding which game to devote your time to.
Jan. 16, 2005
[Bluejay adds: When you consider tips, video poker
can lose less per hour than table games but only
slightly, while slot machines remain a money-sucker.
Consider 99%-return $0.25 video poker at 500 hands an
hour, which is $6.25/hr. in expected losses. This
compares favorably to blackjack with an hourly loss is
0.5% edge x 100 hands x $5 = $2.50, + $5/hr. tips =
$7.50/hr. A typical quarter slot machine loses more than
twice that per hour. And slots are even worse if you tip
for hand-pays, like the Wizard recommends.]
As to the question posed by a writer of "Are you
supposed to tip the person who pays you if you hit a slot
machine for an amount not paid by the machine itself?....",
you stated " If you just hit a jackpot over $1200 requiring
a hand pay then it is proper etiquette to tip...." I think a
qualification is in order. I had to wait 38 minutes to get a
hand pay. It probably would have been a longer wait had I
not seen a lady in the cleaning crew and asked if she could
find a floor person for me. She did. I didn't tip the person
paying but I did give that cleaning lady a $20.
Point taken. I probably would have done the
same. My statement was more of a generality.
April 4, 2004
Are you supposed to tip the person who pays you if you
hit a slot machine for an amount not paid by the machine
itself? I heard that this is proper etiquette. This seems
absurd if I were to win say $375 on a machine after putting
in approximately the same amount beforehand. I am certainly
not against tipping, but it's not like this person is a
dealer who I actually have some sort of contact with. Thank
you, Sal Vetro Miller Place,NY
If you just hit a jackpot over $1200 requiring a
hand pay then it is proper etiquette to tip. Even if you
lost more than that in your sitting you still should tip.
The reason is the slot personnel perform a service not
just bringing you your win (and W2G form) but also making
change and refilling machines. Losing is not a valid
reason to avoid saying "thank you" with your money. That
goes for table games too.
It is another matter when you hit "cash out" and your
machine runs out of coins before it can finish paying
you. Although I haven't seen this addressed elsewhere I
will go out on a limb and say that tipping in this
situation is not necessary. The reason is that it is
partially the casino's fault for letting the machine run
low on coins, and that if anything the casino should tip
you for the inconvenience of waiting for the hopper fill.
Personally I welcome the advance of coinless slots, and
with them the elimination of hopper fills.
July 14, 2003
Other questions about slot machines
How does the taxation (Form W2-G) work on machines whose coin-in values are near or greater than the $1200 threshold? Hypothetically, if a player bet $5000 on a Red, White, & Blue slot machine, and got three blanks, which returns the original bet, would the player get a W2-G? – Adam H. from Las Vegas
The W2-G is based on the gross win, not the net win. So, yes, if the player got a $5000 push on a Red, White, & Blue, he would get a W2-G. May 21, 2007
Quick question about withholding tax. As a Canadian I know the casino will withhold 30% on any slot winnings over $1200. My question...on the ticket out system in most Vegas hotels would the tax be charged on any ticket cashed out over $1200? Even if it wasn't won on one specific jackpot and had accumulated over time? Will any $1200 always be a hand pay jackpot? And how do casinos handle players on high denomintaion machines? ie. three of a kind on a $500 machine would require a tax form. - Tim from Brampton
Only single wins of $1,200 or over are subject to withholding. If you won over $1,200 in small wins you would not be subject. When you press the cash out button the machine doesn't know your citizenship and will just print a voucher for whatever you had. Any $1,200 or over win will always lock up the machine until an employee unlocks it. On high denomination games, usually starting at $10 or $25, the casino may keep a log of all your taxable wins. On a $500 machine, I'm sure they would have somebody standing right next to the machine do the paperwork. When you are done they will give you a single W2G form for the sum, and in your case subtract the withholding from that.
September 22, 2006
I have used your site to knock down myths and betting systems with many friends and your proofs always win the day. On the Pink Panther (and some others) there is a bonus round that presents a screen with pictures from which to pick. Behind some are coin amounts and others have a symbol that ends the bonus round. Once you are presented with the bonus board the placement of the symbols cannot be changed, can they? – Jack from Rockaway, NJ
Thanks for helping in the fight against betting systems. First let me say that I have never worked for a major slot machine company and don't have direct knowledge of this. However, I know many people in the industry and those I trust pretty much are in agreement on this topic.
That said, it is my understanding that in all forms of electronic games, including video slots, video poker, and video keno, the outcome is usually determined the moment you make your decision. Meanwhile the possible outcomes are constantly being shuffled, thousands of times a second. I can't speak for every slot machine but I believe that with the major U.S. slot makers the outcome is not predestined but depends on the exact microsecond you press the button to make your play.
July 31, 2006
After recently visiting Las Vegas for the first time in 15 years, I noticed that the slot machines at the casinos I visited accepted only credit slips, cards or dollar bills, not coins. Have all of the slots become this way? - Margueritte from Los Angeles
Most of them are now "ticket in ticket out" as they say, or just TITO. Personally, I applaud this change. No more dirty hands and waiting for hopper fills. Some of the older casinos downtown still use coins and tokens, but I doubt for much longer.
July 22, 2006
In your March 27, 2006 column someone asked about who would win the money if someone put money into your machine and hit the spin button and won. You replied "According to my understanding of the law, the person who pressed the spin button wins the money. Whoever is sitting in front of the machine, and why, or even who put the money in, or even whose money it is, does not matter." Are you telling me someone can just run through a casino hitting other peoples spin buttons and any winnings are theirs to keep? -- Nicole S. from Brooklyn
I asked three casino executives about this hypothetical situation. They all said that you can't win a bet if you don't make a bet. In the case where betting somebody else's money is consensual then they will pay the person pressing the buttons. However in the case where it is not consensual they will not pay the person who pressed the button. A more difficult question is whether they will pay the person who did put money in the machine. That seems to be taken on a case by case basis. Considerations include whether the player was vigilant in guarding his machine, how much the player was playing for, and if he is a known good customer. Basically a player should follow the McDonald's rule of "keep an eye on your fries." However even if the player was remiss in guarding his machine the casino may not want to anger a good customer. It also helps to be playing a high denomination game.
May 2, 2006
This is not a game theory question, but I figured since you answer dating questions you might handle this. I had a dream recently where I sat down at an open slot machine. I was getting my player's card out of my pocket when a guy came up from behind me and put money in the machine. I told him it was my machine and hit the cash out button and gave him his ticket. He said he had his eye on the machine and since he had his money in first it was his machine. I turned to call a slot attendent and while I was doing that he put his money in again, pushed the button and hit a jackpot. In my dream we then had an argument over who gets the money, the person who clearly had the machine and intended to play it or the person who unsolicited put the money in the machine. I realize this is a bizarre situation but who do you think would win the argument? - Bill from Columbia, MD
My understanding is that the person who is pressing the buttons gets the money. I asked Brian, who helped with the last question, about this. Here is what he wrote, which I agree with.
In the scenario described, the person who put in the money and pressed the buttons would receive the jackpot.
What I find interesting about this question is the paradox that in all likelihood, the jackpot never would have occurred without this chance encounter.
As you know, the random number generator in the slot machine is continuously working even when the machine is not in play. So even though one patron feels cheated, their run-in ultimately led to pressing the spin button at that exact millisecond when the RNG was on the winning combination. So, if one patron had acquiesced, there is never a jackpot to fight over.
April 5, 2006
Just wanted to let you know that while tickets do expire, generally speaking you can still have them cashed in at the cage. Most of the time they won't say anything to you at all and if they do, they will cash it in with any sort of pushback from the guest. -- Trent from Las Vegas
You are not the only one to take me to task over my comments on ticket expiration dates in my Feb 1, 2006 column. To ascertain whether casinos honor expired tickets I plan to do an experiment. My next trip to the Strip I will get tickets from several casinos and deliberately let them expire and then try to redeem them. Stay tuned for the results. However I can say that Jerry's Nugget refused to honor the follow winning sports ticket that I tried to cash about six months after it expired.
You can see from NFL.com that New England won that game 27/19.
March 13, 2006
I like coming and checking on your website and reading your analysis of games and various probablities. My question is one that I believe can only be answered by someone who is close to the slot machine industry. There is a slot machine that my girlfriend and I like to play. It is a regular 3 reel slot machine with either quarter or dollar denominations. The fun part of the machine is if you get the "hamburger lady" in the 3rd reel and it starts a bonus game. The game involves the player pushing a button that starts a digital die moving and stoping on 1-6 and then the player moves along the hamburger and obtains credits as you go along ultimately trying to get to the top for the huge bonus of 5,000 credits. My question then is that is the bonus already decided for the player before the bonus starts or since after every die move the player has to push the button is the bonus amount completely random. There are various points in the bonus game that if you get a specific die roll the bonus will end but can the player avoid these early terminations or is the bonus amount predetermined even before the start of the game. I say that the bonus is predetermined but my girlfriend beleieves otherwise. Please help with this argument. -- Pedram from Claremont
Your girlfriend is right. Nevada Gaming Control Board regulation 14.040.2(b) states...
"For gaming devices that are representative of live gambling games, the mathematical probability of a symbol or other element appearing in a game outcome must be equal to the mathematical probability of that symbol or element occurring in the live gambling game. For other gaming devices, the mathematical probability of a symbol appearing in a position in any game outcome must be constant."
In other words a representation of dice must have the same odds as real dice. Thus there would be no way to predestine an outcome because the player could roll anything during the course of the game.
March 13, 2006
On slot machines with bonus rounds like "Jackpot Party" or the one with the leprechauns are the winning boxes or pots of gold predetermined the second you hit the bonus round or on an individual basis by a random number generator when you select each box. -- Jerry from Tacoma
It could be done either way. I think most slot makers prefer to have the prizes constantly mixed up, so the outcome is a function of both which box you pick and when you pick it. Mathematically speaking it doesn't make any difference which way of the two they program it. March 5, 2006
Hi. I was upset when I returned from LV and later found I had placed a paper ticket from a poker machine into my purse (being in a hurry to meet someone). When I discovered it at home it had expired! Although it was only for $8.00 I felt the Aladdin had already gotten enough of my dough. Do you agree? - Bev from Akron
Yes, I agree 100%! Most slot vouchers expire in 60 days, with a range of 30 to 90 days. I have had tickets expire on me too under similar circumstances. There can be no reason for the short lives of the vouchers other than the casinos are greedy and are hoping to minimize the percentage of tickets cashed. If customer service was more important than short-term profits, there would be no expiration at all. After all, you can cash in chips from table games a year later so why not machine tickets? This is getting off topic but I also have a pet peeve about gift certificates. Retail stores market them aggressively in part because they know the redemption rate is only about 85%. In my opinion gift certificates are a terrible gamble. That would make the house edge on gift certificates 15%.
Feb. 1, 2006When playing video slots and there is the option to
stop one or more wheels or to stop all of them, does that
change the outcome of the spin or would the results have
been the same if you did not use the touch screen? Great
site. Keep up the good work! -- Kevin from
Fallon
Thank you for the kind words. I passed along
your question to an industry insider. Here is his reply.
Manually stopping video reels early has no impact
on the outcome. If it did, this would make it a true
physical skill game, which is not legal in any US class 3
gaming jurisdiction that I know of. In fact, in some
states, physical slot games which can award cash or
prizes are allowed only if they offer a true physical
stop mechanism which turns the device into a physical
skill game. Sept.
18, 2005
This happens to me 100% of the time: A slot will pay
out normally to start and then after about a half hour's
consistent play, it will produce a declining win pattern,
and an increasing lose pattern. Once I hit $20.00 in my
account balance, the losing pattern will intensify to
sometimes 20 straight loses in a row. (This is on a 5 reel,
9 line slot). I can almost sense when the slot goes into
this "mode". I hardly think it is fair to flag an account
due to prolonged play. Is this a programming ploy to prevent
large wins that would normally come after consistent play on
the same slot and to get you to make that next
deposit?
I will say that for class
3 slots by major slot makers like IGT, Bally, and
Williams do not resort to these sort of tricks. With
respectable slot machines every play has the exact same
probability of winning. If you don't believe me then why
don't you go from machine to machine playing each one for
half an hour. Jan. 2,
2005
I understand random number generators, virtual reel
stops, and physical reel stops. What I don't understand, and
can't find any information on anywhere, is how the game
determines what the pay-out will be for the selected
symbols. For example, in an IGT Red, White, and Blue game
number SS4335 the top jackpot which is the Red Seven, White
Seven, Blue Seven correspond to virtual reel positions 044,
043, 044 and physical reel stops 08, 08, 08 respectively.
Each of the three reels have seven symbols, the Red Seven,
White Seven, Blue Seven, Red Bars, White Bars, Blue Bars,
and Blanks. That equals 343 symbol combinations. I know that
the SS chip does not contain a table with all possible
combinations and pay-outs. It has to be indexed somehow. How
does the machine know that reel stops 08, 08, 08 correspond
to the Red, White, and Blue Sevens and how does the machine
know how much to pay out? I hope you can answer this
question. If you cannot could you recommend any articles or
books that can.
There is a "look up" table that maps the various
random numbers to stops on the reels. However I wasn't
sure how they go from there to actually determing what
the player won. So I asked a former slot machine
mathematician, who asked not to be identified, about this
one. Here is what he said, "Your first idea is
correct. The position on each reel strip is independently
selected via the RNG. The code then examines the symbols
along each bet-upon payline to determine winning
outcomes. Scatter awards could also be determined this
way. ALL of the major video-based slot manufacturers do
it this way. You could view the algorithm as a big series
if-then-else's but actual implementation might be a bit
more elegant." I hope that helps.
UPDATE. After this column first appeared I received
another answer from someone knowledgeable about this
topic. You can read
that answer. Dec. 13,
2004
In which order would you place these machines for
playing or not playing? Thanks. Double Diamonds, Triple
Diamonds, Triple Wild Cherry, Wild Cherry.
I would rank them all equally. Generic 3-reel
slots tend to be set to about the same return for the
same casino and coinage. Nov.
28, 2004
If a person is playing one of the 5-cent ticket
machines, and while making a 9 line bet, a winning
combination comes up. . . if they had bet 1 line, or 45
lines instead, would that same combination of symbols have
come up, or does each type of bet and amount carry its own
set of combinations, probabilities, and house percentage
payoffs? In other words, if a person is betting 1 line for
several spins, and then when they feel that the machine is
about due to hit a combination pay off, they start betting a
few 45 lines. Is this a good strategy, or are they just
fooling themselves because the 1 line set of combinations,
and the 45 line set of combinations are two totally separate
things? Thanks, Robert
For purposes of determining the game outcome the
slot machine does not consider how many lines you bet or
how much per line. The only thing that matters is the
exact nanosecond you pressed the spin button. Random
numbers drawn at exactly that time will determine the
outcome, since the machine is picking numbers even when
you're not playing. Sept. 14,
2004
I have heard it is illegal for a slot machine to
deliberately have too many near misses. Can you tell me what
you know about this?
To answer your question I asked a well connected
gaming consultant and he said Nevada regulations state
that one stop on a reel can not be weighted more than six
times more than either stop next to it. So if a jackpot
symbol were weighted by 1 and both bordering blanks were
weighted by 6 then there would be 12 near misses for
every one time the reel stopped on the jackpot symbol.
This would be the maximum allowed near miss effect. My
own results detailed in my slot
machine appendix 1 back up this theory well. The red
double seven was the highest paying symbol and I saw the
blanks above and below it about 5 to 6 times as often:
|
Double Strike Actual Results
|
|
Symbol
|
Reel 1
|
Reel 2
|
Reel 3
|
|
Blank
|
250
|
248
|
291
|
|
Double red 7
|
52
|
51
|
55
|
|
Blank
|
259
|
292
|
262
|
The same source said that New Jersey and Mississippi
likely have adopted the Nevada regulations.
April 11, 2004
Dear Wiz: The horserace track that I attend is
introducing video lottery machines. Can you tell me anything
about them? Are they the same as slots? Any info you can
give would be helpful and appreciated. Thanks, Mike
S.
Another Mike S., what are the odds? Lots of
racetracks permit what is called "class 2" gaming, which
must be lottery or bingo based. The way to offer slots
under this rule is to have a lottery or bingo game going
on behind the scenes and the outcome is displayed in the
form of a slot machine win. For example if the lottery
game determines that you win 20 times your bet it will
display whatever slot machine symbols pay 20. So it is a
clever illusion. April 4,
2004
Is there any ways to cheat the slot machines? -
Michael V.
Sure. There are lots of ways. Putting in fake
coins just to name a simple one. Be warned that in Nevada
cheating in a casino carries the same kind of penalty as
bank robbery, or so I hear. Let the record show that I
disapprove of all forms of cheating.
March 21, 2003
Hi Wizard, I'm Andrès Varillas from Lima -
Peru, South America, I begun to play just 6 years ago, and I
loose 20 thousand dollars in this years, for me is too much,
I'm really upset of this situation and I want your help, I
offer you if you make me win I receive you here in Peru to
take vacations, Peru is a beautiful country, and you enjoy
Know it, in the Casino I play, there are many machines of
IGT Co., like Catch a Wave, Cleopatra, The Monsters,
Leopard, I really loose in 1 of 15 chances, I want to try
back my money. Maybe you can give some secrets to win in
these machines. I appreciate your help, and send you a big
hug. - Andrès from Lima, Peru
Sorry to hear about your misfortune. However
that is the fate that awaits most who overplay their
bankroll, especially in slots. There is no way to beat
any of these games. I would recommend you quit gambling
completely. Feb. 4,
2003
I play 50 cent slots and higher. I am happy with
making a profit of $20 to $150 each session. I quit playing
when I reach these levels. Are the high volatility, low
frequency and low jackpot machines the best to play using
this strategy? Please give me names of particular lines of
machines to play. - Darin Hall from Iroquois, Canada
No. If your goal is a small win then you should
be playing low volatility, high hit frequency games. I
can't suggest any particular games but look for ones with
comparatively small jackpots. These will also help you to
play longer. Aug. 4,
2002
Did old slot machines, that were not computer operated
have greater chances of winning? If so, how did they work? -
Sarah from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
I don't know whether the chances of winning were
better or not. They worked the same way as they do now
except each stop on each reel had an equal chance. The
very early ones didn't pay money but chewing gum, which
explains the bar symbols (sticks of gum) and fruits
(flavors) on some modern slot machines.
June 28, 2002
In your Slot Machine Advice you indicate to play
machines with variable states that are in a high state or
progressive machines with the meter high. Could you please
explain? How do you know a machine is in a high state? - Ken
Green from Naperville, Illinois
For variable-state slots you have to know what
the positive point is for that model of machine. For
example on the Piggy Bankin' slot machine I think it
becomes positive when there are about 40 credits in the
bank. At that point the player is supposed to play one
coin at a time until the bank is hit. The book Robbing
the One-Armed Bandits by Charles Lund (1999) covers
specific positive points for various machines, however
many of the machines covered in that book are now hard to
find. It is not true that my "Slot Machine Advice" says
to play machines with a high progressive meter. That text
is actually in a section called "Systems don't work". As
for how to determine when a progressive jackpot is
unusually high, you'll either have to observe it over a
long period of time or find someone who has done the
same. For example SlotCharts.com
keeps data on progressive slots at online casinos. But
even when a progressive slot is unusually high, it's
impossible to know at what point it becomes high enough
to be a positive-expectation game without knowing how the
probabilities on the machine are programmed.
May 1, 2001
What is the best method for receiving comps from slot
attendants when playing slot machines? - Donald Rumsey from
Golconda, USA
This is not my area of expertise. However Jean
Scott--the Queen of Comps--says you should establish a
relationship with a casino host anywhere you plan to play
a lot. Then ask them for a comp after you have given them
sufficient play. Feb. 10,
2001
How many numbers does the RNG pick for each spin? Is
it 3 numbers (1 for each reel) or is it 1 number that's
mapped to a unique combination of symbols for all 3 reels?
-- Vincent Altobelli of Chicago, Illinois
The machine picks one number for each
reel. Nov. 11, 2000
I've noticed some new video slot machines (Money to
burn, High Bid, Money for nothing, Who Dun it, etc) that
differ from the normal 3 reel slots in the following ways -
first they have 5 reels. You can typically bet on 1 to 9
paylines (even though some have as many as 15 different pay
lines), and multiple coins per line; thus, with 9 pay lines
and 5 coins played per line, you would have a total bet of
45 coins (even in nickles, this can start to add up!). Most
payoffs are multiples of the line bet, even though there are
some "bonus" wins that pay multiples of the total amount
bet. My question is - Is it best to always pay all possible
pay lines, or is there an optimum combination of pay lines
to play to achieve the best return. I suspect that getting a
winning combination on any particular pay line is the same
for all, but wondered if you have any better insight to
share. -- Scott Harris of Leawood, USA
I believe each frame in these video slots are
weighted the same way. Assuming this to be true any given
line is equally likely to produce any given combination.
Thus the return is the same regardless of the number of
coins played. However I am not sure of this, slot makers
are notoriously secretive about such
things. Nov. 11, 2000
Q: Your explanation of virtual versus physical slot
machine reels was most informative.
- Given the random number generator stops on a
virtual Cherry say, how does the machine make the
physical reel stop on a visible cherry? I mean
technically speaking.
- Does this explain how Pachislo machines from Japan
can electronically alter payout percentages without
altering the physical reel symbols?
- Suppose the machine decides its time for a BAR,
the only BAR on the third reel, just as one passes the
payline. Does it let the reel go one full turn and catch
it on the next go-round?
- Suppose a physical reel stops on a paying
combination by mistake, i.e. a symbol other than the
virtual one pre-ordained. What happens then?
Thanks much. - Larry Hatch from Redwood City,
California
- It is just programming code that dictates to the
machine that if the virtual reel stops on a cherry to
make the actual reel stop on a cherry. There are actual
notches on the reels which may help the machine to stop
in the right place. If you peer through the glass at and
angle you can sometimes see these notches. However I am
not an engineer and am not sure exactly how the machine
knows to stop at just the right moment. It just take it
for granted that it can.
- Theoretically the casino could change the payout on a
slot machine with just a remote control. The remote
control could tell the machine to use any previously
programmed virtual reels. Practically speaking the major
casinos need to get approval from the gaming authorities
to change the payback of a machine. If they did get such
authorization all a slot technician has to do is replace
a chip inside the machine, known as an e-prom. This
happens infrequently and would not warrant the expense of
a remote control.
- I don't think the machine ever fails on the first try
to stop where it wants. If we can send a man to the moon
we can get a machine to stop a spinning reel where
desired.
- Again I don't think the machines ever make mistakes.
However hypothetically speaking if it did accidently stop
on paying symbols it would pay off. From what I
understand it is the notches on the reels that actually
indicate where the reels are and what the machine should
pay. Sept. 3,
2000
Q: Do you have any info on the Indian casinos?
Particularly the super 6 lotto slot machines. I am curious
if the Indians are regulated at all? Any info would be
appreciated. Thank you. - Mike Nangle of Coral Springs
A: I'm afraid I don't know anything about the
super 6 lotto slot machines. In general the Indian
Casinos are either unregulated or self regulated. This is
not my area of expertise but I believe the big ones hire
independent companies to audit their games to make sure
they are fair. April 29,
2000
Q: If a slot machine had 5 reels and the probability
of getting a cherry were the same on each reel what would be
the probability of getting any specified number of cherries
on a spin? -Jay
A: Lets let p be the probability of getting a
cherry on any given reel and n be the number of cherries
on the payline. The probability of getting n cherries is
combin(5,n) * pn * (1-p)5-n.
Combin(5,n) denotes the number of ways that n cherries
can appear on 5 different reels. In particular
combin(5,0)=1, combin(5,1)=5, combin(5,2)=10,
combin(5,3)=10, combin(5,4)=5, and combin(5,5)=1. This
function can be used directly in Excel and is explained
in more detail in my section on probabilities
in poker. However to take a specific example if the
probability were 5% of getting a cherry on any given reel
then probability of getting 3 cherries would be 10 *
.053 * .952 = 0.001128125 .
Feb. 5, 2000
This is page 2 of slot machine
questions.
Be sure to see page
1.
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