Cash Falls

Introduction

Cash Falls is a slot machine by Firebird Studios, a subsidiary of Scientific Games. The unique feature of this game is the reels have many coin symbols, which stick to the reels a limited number of spins. If the game is left in a state with enough coins on the reels, it may offer a positive expected value.

Rules

The following are the significant rules to Cash Falls.

1. The player must bet 50 credits per play. The player may choose how much a "credit" is. In every case I have seen, the choices are 1 to 50 cents, for a total bet of $0.50 to $2.50.
2. This is a "ways to win" game, as opposed to a payline game.
3. The pay table is shown below.
4. The reels have many coin symbols.
5. If a reel stops on a coin symbol, it will remain in the same position for at least three additional spins.
6. If any reel gets at least one new coin, then a counter will appear below that reel, starting at 3, indicating how many additional spins the coins on that reel will remain in place.
7. If the player gets a new coin on a reel that already had at least one coin, then the counter for that reel will reset to three.
8. Each coin shall have a value, as follows:
   • Reel 1 and 2: 25 to 500 credits
   • Reel 3 and 4: 25 to 1000 credits
   • Reel 5: 50 to 5000 credits
9. The game shall have four jackpots: the Mini, Minor, Major, and Mega.
10. The coins can also have one of the jackpots. Which jackpot can be found on which reel is explains in the second rule screenshot below.
11. If a reel as a coin on it from a previous spin, it supersedes whatever would have otherwise been there.
12. If at any point a reel is entirely full of coins, the coins will fall down, into the player's balance. At the start of the next spin, every position on that reel will be coin-free with no counter.
13. 3, 4, or 5 Free Spin symbols will trigger 10, 12, or 15 free spins respectively.
14. In free spins, there are now counters on the reels. In other words, all coins will remain on the screen until that reel is entirely full of coins or the bonus ends.
15. If, during a free spin, a reel entirely fills with coins, all coin values will be multiplied by a value on a prize wheel, from 2x to 10x. Unlike in initial spins, they will continue to remain on the screen until the end of the bonus.
16. After the last free spin, the player will win all coins on the screen. Note that coins that are on a reel that is not entirely filled with coins are not multiplied.

The pay table is below.

If my rules were not clear, please click on the thumbnails below to see the actual rule screens.

Strategy

The big question is when are there enough coins on the screen for the game to have an expected return over 100%? I analyzed a limited amount of play of this game to study average coin values, the frequency they appeared, how often they were stacked, and so on. After some hand-waving math, my basic strategy is pretty simple:

Play if any reel is one coin away from a cash fall.

That is just a starting point. Here are some possible exceptions:

• If the coins on a reel are comparatively small to the average, then don't play. Keep in mind the longer reels have higher average coin values.
• If reel 3 to 5 is lacking two coins in consecutive positions, it may be a good bet. It's important they be consecutive because the coins are stacked on the reels.
• If there are jackpot coins on the reels the player should be more inclined to play.
• If two or more reels are slightly negative, combined they may offer a positive bet.

I want to emphasize that I make no promises about this strategy. However, I didn't want to dodge the big question either. My advice to all advantage machine players is to get a feel of games like this and network with other players and find what works for you.

External Links

• Cash Falls: It’s a Slot Machine Mostly About the Cash Balls — Article at Know Your Slots
• Discussion about Cash Falls in my forum at Wizard of Vegas.

Written by: Michael Shackleford