S L O T M A C H I N E S BASICS Slot machines are an easy way to enjoy the excitement of casino gambling. They require no particular skill to play and the bankroll required can be modest. Additionally slot play is comfortable and can be played without having to interact with a dealer or have actions observed by other players. Most casinos offer a large variety of slot machines. They vary in design, types, denominations and payoffs. Designs include all-mechanical, electro-mechanical and electronic. Different types are single coin, multiple coin, multiple line and progressives. Denominations may be nickels, dimes, quarters, half-dollars and dollar or larger tokens. Payoffs vary from small amounts to large jackpots with a corresponding variation in the frequency or odds of winning. Slot machines are always available to play and can be found in all areas of the casino. Most beginning casino gamblers make their first bet in a slot machine. ___ | | +-------------------------------+ | | | @@@ @@@ @@@ Pays 100 | | ### ### ### Pays 100 | | *** *** *** Pays 10 | |_______________________________| | | | ------- ------- ------- | | | @@@ | | *** | | ### | | +++ | + *** + + ### + + *** + | | | | | ### | | @@@ | | @@@ | | | | | ------- ------ ------- | | | |____________________________ | | | | |___| | | | L U C K Y | | | | D O L L A R |__| | | |____| |_______________________________| | | +-------------------------------+ Play begins by placing one or more coins or tokens in the machine allowing the handle to be pulled. Some machines also have a "Spin" button that may be pressed instead of pulling the handle. The payoffs for different reel symbol combinations will be displayed usually above the reels. The original slot machines used fruit as symbols because many slot players then were illiterate. Today fruit and a variety of other symbols decorate the reels. The reels spin and then stop at a random location. When the symbols stopped at correspond to a winning combination, the payoff coins will drop to a tray at the bottom of the machine. Some machines have a "credit" feature and winnings will be added to it. To play again, the player may press the play "Credit" button or insert additional coins. The credited coins may be cashed out any time. If the payoff is a large amount it may be paid in part or whole by the "Slot attendant" or "Slot supervisor." If the player requires change or there is a problem or question regarding the machine, push the "Change" button. The slot attendant assigned to that area will come. If required they will call a "Key Person" who has a key required to open the slot machine to clear a jam or do other maintenance. DESIGNS The first slot machines were all-mechanical in design. The force to rotate the reels generates from springs and levers initiated by pulling the handle. Each reel completes a timed number of revolutions and then stops at a random location determined by pawls dropping into ratchets. The symbols on the reels and the payoff display establishes the frequency of wins and the casino percentage advantage or "PC." In some casinos these all- mechanical slot machines may still be available. They usually can be identified by the action of the reels when coming to a stop. Instead of coming to a smooth sure stop they will jerk to a stop and resonate before completely coming to rest. Most machines today are electro-mechanical designs. Pulling the handle or pressing "Spin" causes an electric stepper motor to rotate the reels and stop at a random location. Many use a microprocessor computer chip. Its programmed instructions or firmware selects a random number that decides how far the stepper motor will drive the reels and where they stop. Gambling authorities monitor and control this firmware. The electro- mechanical machines are the most popular type of slots because they retain the outward mechanical appearance and feel of the all-mechanical slot machines. All-electronic slot machines are also available. Instead of actual reels, they have the image of reels spinning displayed on a video screen. The microprocessor and its firmware controls everything. Players do not favor these as much and therefore are not as popular. TYPES Single coin machines are the simplest type of slots. Only one coin may be played at one time. The payoff display will be easy to comprehend. Multiple coin machines allow the insertion of one or more coins before initiating play. Be sure to review the payoff display on multiple coin slots. Some machines have payoffs that will be proportional. When playing one coin and three reel symbols line up, the payoff will be ten coins. Play two coins and the payoff will be twenty. Three coins pay thirty. Other multiple coin machines have bonus payoffs when the maximum coins are played. One coin pays ten, two coins pays twenty but three coins might pay sixty or more coins. Multiple line machines are multiple coin machines that pay when the reel symbols line up on different lines. The most popular is three coins-three lines. These also vary with proportional or bonus payoffs. The payoff display will be more difficult to comprehend but it is important to understand it. Progressive machines have jackpots that increase continuously with each play. A small part of the money put in gets added to the progressive jackpot to be won when the appropriate reel symbols line up. The increasing jackpot will be displayed on the machine or above it in an electronic display. Some progressive slots have limits on the maximum amount the jackpot can reach. Progressive machines may be individual or linked to other machines. Individual progressive machines are free standing and the jackpot builds as it alone is played. No one other than the gambler playing that individual machine can win the jackpot. Linked progressive machines are electronically tied with other machines forming a central jackpot. The linked machines may be grouped together in a carousal or may be spread out around the casino. As any of the linked machines are played, a small portion of the money gets added to the central jackpot. If anyone lines up the appropriate symbols on any of the linked machines they win the central jackpot. There are also progressive machines linked to machines in other casinos. Some may be connected to hundreds of machines and offer very large jackpots. Many linked progressive machines also offer individual progressive jackpots. DENOMINATIONS Slot machine denominations include nickels, dimes, quarters, half-dollars and dollar or larger tokens. Nickels, quarters and dollars are the most popular. Casinos use dollar tokens inscribed with their name. They may not be used in the casino's non-gambling facilities or other casinos. PAYOFFS Payoff displays should be reviewed and understood before beginning to play. Some machines offer small jackpots with probable corresponding frequent wins. Others offer large jackpots and corresponding probable infrequent wins. The player is responsible to recognize winning combinations that must be paid by the slot attendant. Most machines will not allow further play until reset by the key person but this is not universal. Be particularly careful with machines in which only a portion of the jackpot is payed by the machine and the balance by the attendant. It is the player's responsibility to notify the slot attendant when this payoff situation occurs. If the player doesn't recognize it, inserts another coin and continues to play, the jackpot will be lost. CASINO PERCENTAGE Contrary to popular belief, there is no "screw" in a slot machine that controls the frequency of wins. Many players believe this screw exists and can be easily tightened up or loosened at the casino's discretion. The casino percentage advantage or PC can be calculated on the all-mechanical machine if the payoffs and number of reel symbols are known. To understand this better, consider a fictitious one reel-twenty symbol dollar machine. There are 20 possible outcomes with each play. A Cherry pays 1 coin. There are three Cherries on the reel therefore there is 3 chances out of 20 that a Cherry will appear. An Orange pays 3 coins. There are two Oranges on the reel therefore there is 2 chances out of 20 that an Orange will appear. A Plum pays 10 coins. There is one Plum on the reel therefore there is 1 chance out of 20 that a Plum will appear. The summary of the payoffs, frequencies and total amount paid out is: Item Payoff Frequency Total ---- ------ --------- ----- Cherry 1 3 3 Orange 2 2 4 Plum 10 1 10 Total 17 For every twenty dollars played in this machine, the average pay out would be seventeen dollars. The machine keeps three dollars or fifteen percent for the casino PC. This is the statistical expectation over the very long run. In the short run many Plums could appear or none could appear. The actual results are strictly random. The casino's PC is unfailing and can be accurately predicted and monitored. If any machine does not appear to be meeting its expected return, it will be pulled from service and checked. There is a difference in the ability to calculate the casino's PC with electro-mechanical or electronic slots controled by microprocessor firmware. The stop frequency of the different symbol combinations on these is determined by a random number generated by the firmware. Every fraction of a second a different number gets generated. What number gets selected is determined by the exact instant of time the handle gets pulled. This is another common misconception of slot players. Just because a machine was played for hours, only to have the next player hit a jackpot, doesn't mean the first player would have hit the jackpot. The exact instant of time the handle was pulled would not have been the same. The microprocessor system has allowed the large jackpot payoffs to be established. The firmware on these machines only randomly lines up the jackpot combination one time in a very large number of spins. These may be called virtual reel machines because the hit frequency is not limited to the number of symbols on the reels. Casino percentage advantages on slot machines are not available to the public. In general they can be anywhere between 3 to 20% with exceptions both ways. Some illegal slots have been found to have 50% PCs. They usually vary with denomination and location within the casino. Low PC machines may be scattered among high PC machines. Where competition is keen, casino PCs are usually less. SMART GAMBLER STRATEGY There is no system that can turn slot machine play into a long term winning proposition. Play them for fun at levels that can afforded. There are some things however that can be done to minimize the entertainment cost of playing slots. First to decide is what coin denomination level is going to be played. The casino must purchase the slot machine and license it. It occupies valuable square footage on the casino floor and requires change, key and supervisory personnel to support. Nickel machines require nearly the same casino overhead to maintain as higher denomination machines and tend to be configured to hold the largest casino percentage. Quarter machines tend to have a less casino PC and dollar machines tend to have less yet. Large "Big Bertha" type machines tend to have large casino PCs. While the higher denomination slot machines are desirable for their lower PC, it is important that an individual's bankroll can support play at those levels. See the $mart Gambler tutorial on Money Management for more information and the Planning-Money Management feature. Next decision to make is what is the goal in playing slots. Is the player satisfied with small wins so as to stay in action for the longest period? Or is the player shooting for a big jackpot? Review the payoff displays and know that generally the frequency of winning most likely corresponds to the payoffs. The casino's percentage advantage is a very important factor. Unfortunately there is no way anyone can readily find or figure out what the casino PC is on any given machine. Some casinos may advertise dollar machines with "Up to 99%" pay back. Note the "Up to" phrase. If only one machine in the casino is configured to have a 1% casino PC, the advertisement is truthful although misleading. Machines at airports, small out of the way clubs and other retail businesses tend to have overly large PC's and should be avoided. Possibly the best indication of low PCs is how busy a casino and their slot machines are when visiting. Slot players will not stay long or return often to machines that don't payoff frequently. Watch the action, a short wait to get an open machine may be worthwhile. Another method is to keep records and use the $mart Gamblers program's reporting features to identify the best casinos and type of slots to play. See the $mart Gambling tutorial and Report features for more information. Multi-coin or multi-line/multi-coin machines require an especially close review of the payoffs before playing. If the machine has a bonus payoff for the maximum coins, they should be played with the maximum coins. These are the machines that pay for example, $100 for $1, $200 for $2 and $500 for $3 when a given combination of symbols lines up. By playing less than $3, the casino enjoys a greater PC than warranted because the calculations include the bonus payoff. If an individual's bankroll doesn't justify that denomination of machine, they would do better to find a lower denomination one in which the maximum coins can be safely bet. Multi-coin or multi-line/multi-coin machine with proportional payoffs may be played with less than the maximum coins. This does not give the casino a greater PC. Some players like to do this using a progressive betting plan. If the machine pays they increase the amount of coins bet on the next spin. This adds to the excitement of playing but there is no statistical advantage. An important item to remember when playing multi-coins is the responsibility to ensure all coins register. Most casinos have a policy statement similar to the following on the machine or posted in the casino. "It is the Player's responsibility to be certain that all coins inserted have registered in the machine before the handle gets pulled." This is regarding the situation in that three coins were meant to be played but the third coin didn't register. If the handle was pulled, only two coins were officially in play. A large jackpot could be missed because of the unregistered coin. One more slot machine strategy point. Some players believe if a machine hasn't hit a large progressive jackpot for awhile that it is "due." Casinos play on this false expectation. When a progressive jackpot will hit is absolutely randomly determined. It may hit now, tomorrow, next week, next month or next year. It may hit twice in a row or three times in a row. It is an unpredictable event. The slot machine's stopping mechanisms or microprocessor random number generator does not know or care that it is due. Slot machines are big profit makers for the casinos. If played, know that the cost for their entertainment will be relatively high. On a limited gambling bankroll, they may be the only outlet someone may have to experience casino gambling. If the gambling bankroll supports it, players may wish to consider the difference between playing slots and table games such as blackjack or craps. Situation: Three day gambling trip, 15 hours of play, dollar machines, casino PC of 5%, average of 180 decisions per hour, average bet of $3. Playing slots, the entertainment cost will average $405 for the trip. Sometimes the gambler will win but over the long run they will lose an average of $405 per trip. Compare this to playing a correct game of six deck blackjack or craps for the same duration. There would be fewer decisions per hour but the average bet would be $5. These games will cost an average $75 per trip based on a casino percentage of less than 1%. Multiple this by four trips a year for ten years and the difference is $13,200. See the appropriate $mart Gambler tutorials for more information. Another alternative for slot players is video poker. It offers one big advantage over slots, that being the payoffs will clearly suggest the casino's PC. Additionally, if the player likes to participate in the outcome of winning or losing, they will find video poker more interesting. See the $mart Gambler tutorial on video poker for more information. Slot machine players are notorious for getting ahead and then putting it all back into the machine. They sometimes appear to become mesmerized by the machine. When playing slots, buy in a set amount of coins, keep a rough track of the status of them and have a plan to end play. See the $mart Gambler Money Management tutorial and Planning-Money Management feature for more information. $mart Gamblers who do play slots follow these strategies resulting in more entertainment for the money put in the machines. Copyright 1992-1994 PC Information Systems All Rights Reserved