I love playing the slots. I learned how to choose a slot machine by playing thousands of different slot games in hundreds of casinos and slot parlors all over the country.
In fact, I consider myself something of an expert in picking the best slot machine to play.
In this post, I share my method for choosing great slots.
Do Your Homework
Lots of different types of slots exist in this country. That makes sense because we also have a lot of different places to play slots.
Success at finding the best slot machines to play depends heavily on where you’re playing.
If I’m headed to Las Vegas, my choice of slot machine will be different than if I’m gambling in Atlantic City. The slot machine scene in Tunica is very different from the way slots are played in Chicagoland or in tribal facilities in Louisiana.
Before you hit the casino, you need to look up slot play in the area where you’re playing.
If you’re in luck, you’ll be gambling in a state that requires the reporting of slot statistics. In Nevada, for example, you can look up the average return percentage for different slot denominations. That means you can decide ahead of time whether you should play nickel slots or dollar slots or whatever.
A few other jurisdictions require this kind of reporting. It’s worth investigating before you head out to play the slots.
The One Thing You Must Do Before You Play Slots
When I get to the casino, I go straight to the customer service desk to get my rewards card.
The benefits of using this card are too many to list here; if you know, you know. By sliding my card into every slot machine before I play it, I make myself eligible for comps and rewards from the casino.
You may only get a free drink or two, but the cost of those drinks cuts right into the casino’s edge against you.
You should always join the loyalty club before you play and remember to swipe your card on every slot machine.
Try Lots of Different Slots
My mom used to ask me, “How do you know you don’t like it if you don’t try it?”
Eventually, I figured out she was right.
If you’re new to slots, you need to try a variety of games so you can settle on the best slots for you.
Try old-school mechanical slots. Try progressive slots. Try a few rounds of high-limit slot play. Make sure to dump a few bucks into a licensed game featuring characters that you like.
Slots come in a ridiculous rainbow of options. Hopping from one machine to another for an hour or so should give you plenty of exposure to make a good choice for your own slots play.
It should also help you get an idea of which slots games have the best odds.
Stick to Games You Enjoy
Here’s my overall best advice for people trying to choose a good slot:
If you like a game, play it. If you don’t like it, find another one.
Imagine two slots next to each other. One has a posted 99% return. The other has a posted 97% return. The 99% machine is incredibly boring. It’s just three reels and a few symbols with no bonuses, effects, or anything special. The 97% machine is a blast – it features your favorite licensed characters and has all the bells and whistles.
You’d be a fool to sit and play the boring machine for a 2% increase in your potential return.
Don’t be a fool. Find the slot machines that you enjoy and play them.
After all, slots are a form of entertainment. Unlike sit and go tournaments, you can’t get an edge playing slots, so don’t worry much about the odds.
Conclusion
Learning how to choose a slot machine takes time.
You have to poke around in different casinos, try games from different slot machine manufacturers, and gain a few hours of slot experience before you even learn what you like to play.
Dollar for dollar, I find slot machines an inexpensive form of entertainment, no more expensive than 18 holes of golf or a family night at the cinema.
Once you learn what sorts of slots you enjoy playing, you’ll also learn where those kinds of games are located. You’ll be ready to plan future slot play trips.
