Many novice gamblers make the mistake of believe that the slot machines are only a game of luck and that there is no strategy at all to this game but that is not completely true.  While the slot machines may not involve the keen understanding of the game, aggressive strategies and knowledge necessary to excel at poker, it does have its own nuances that can help you to increase your odds at profiting from the one armed bandit that has sent many gamblers home with nothing. 

Understanding How Slot Machines are Programmed

The key to being successful and walking away with winnings from the slot machines is understanding how they work and when they pay out.  It is absolutely true that the house maintains and advantage over the gamblers when it comes to the slot machines but that statement may be somewhat misleading.  Most casinos maintain approximately a 1% advantage over the gamblers.  This means that when a slot machine is programmed to maintain a 1% advantage over the gamblers, it will take in 51% of a pre-determined amount and then will begin to pay out 49%.  While this may still sound as though playing the slot machines is futile because you are always at a disadvantage, it is important to note that the house maintains this 1% advantage over all the gamblers who play a particular slot machine combined and does not maintain this advantage over them individually.  The slot machines know how much money they have taken and not who has been feeding the money into the machine.  In addition to the percentage requirements, many slot machines are also programmed to pay out during a certain time period during the day.  You can use this knowledge to your advantage to play the slot machines in the smartest way possible.  

The Time of Day Method

As previously mentioned, many slot machines are programmed to pay out during a specific time each day.  With a little diligence and a reasonable investment, you can determine which time of day a particular slot machine is programmed to pay out and therefore which time of the day you should play this particular machine.  In order to determine which time of day a particular slot machine is more likely to pay out, you will have to invest some time and money to conclude which time of day is most profitable.  Start by choosing four one hour blocks and playing one particular slot machine during these hour blocks for one week.  During these test sessions, you should start with the same amount of money each time and only bet the minimum amount the entire time you are playing.  At the conclusion of each session, record the amount of money that you ended with.  The table below is a good example of how to determine which time of day a particular slot machine is likely to pay out.  In the example below, $40 was used as the betting amount and it is clear to see that 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm is the most profitable time of day for this slot machine because it is the time period that consistently showed the highest yield of winnings.  Based on this information, it would be wise to play this particular slot machine between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm and to bet the maximum amount during this time period. 

The Counting Spins Method

Counting the number of spins that it takes to receive a large payout is another way to increase your odds of winning big with a particular slot machine.  Staying at one machine, bet the minimum amount repeatedly until you receive a payout that is ten times greater than your bet.  Record the number of spins that it takes to receive your payout and then start counting again.  Continue this through a total of six payouts and after each one document the number of spins that it took to receive the payout.  Take the second highest number from your data collection and use this as your key value.  Now begin spinning again, while still betting the minimum and as you approach the number of spins that you are calling your key value, begin to start betting the maximum.  Since you are approaching the number of spins where your slot machine is likely to yield a large payout, increasing your bets to the maximum helps you to maximize your profit.

Knowing When to Walk Away

Now that we have established the fact that there is some strategy involved with playing the slot machines, it is important to also advise gamblers who enjoy the slot machines, to know when to quit playing.  The ideal time to quit is when you have winnings that equal a predetermined amount of money.  You should always set a reasonable goal for yourself in terms of how much you would like to win before you quit playing and you should stick to this amount.