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The Las Vegas Gambler

Slot Machines

Slot machines have come a long way. When first introduced, they merely took a coin and a mechanical spring driven mechanism spun three reels that were linked to a payout system and the games began. Payouts on these early mechanical machines were controlled by a series of wheels that could be manipulated to change the payout rate.

Now, even the most simple three reel machine is powered by an internal computer. The heart of this computer is a random number generator that is constantly running. This chip determines at which position each of the reels will stop. It is always running, that is there are always numbers being generated. When the first coin is dropped, the generation of numbers stops and the position of the reels is immediately determined even before the reels begin to spin.

There is "NO SUCH THING" as a machine being "READY TO HIT".

Our primary advice when playing slot machines is: BE SURE OF THE MACHINE'S PAYOUT TYPE!! What we mean by this statement is very simple. There are basically two types of machine payouts. Those that pay in a direct PROPORTION to what you drop in the slot and those that have a pay schedule that is in direct RELATION. The most common machine pays in more or less direct PROPORTION to what is dropped into the coin slot. That is to say, when you drop one coin, the payout is 500 for the top prize. When you drop two coins, the payout would be 1000 for the top prize. These machines are simple to spot as they comprise the majority of machines that you will find in Las Vegas. The second type is the type that you should ALWAYS play MAX COINS. We make this statement because these machines pay in direct RELATION to the coins that are dropped. As an example this type of machine would pay for cherries or bars on the pay line if only one or two coins were played. However, if you wanted to win the top prize you would have to play three coins. These machines are very clearly marked, but you must be aware of them as there is nothing sadder than to see a player staring incredulously at a machine with "7-7-7" showing and nothing dropping out of the coin chute because he only had one or two coins in when the machine required three coins for the top jackpot.

Be Careful

All numbers are randomly generated from millions of combinations. Several annomalies MAY occur during this number generation. Because it is random, there may be WIN CYCLES. When playing machines, if you are lucky enough to be playing during one of these cycles, you should take advantage of it. Take your winnings as long as they continue. BUT, remember our admonition in the homepage. Set Limits. Both win and loss limits. When you reach your loss limit, leave the machine. More money is lost by chasing a win because a player feels that the machine is "DUE TO HIT".

Casino "take" from machines is determined by what is known as a "Pay Chip". This is the microcircuit that is in the mother board of the slot machine that determines the total payout of that machine. Usual pay rates on the Las Vegas Strip for slots vary from one property to another, but as a rule are in the 89% to 98% rate. That is to say, Over the life of that machine, it will pay you back between 89 and 98 percent of what you insert into the coin slot. In some locations, machines are advertised to be higher than this stated percentage, some even claim over 100% payback. How can they pay out more than they take in? Very simple, as I stated, this payout rate is determined over the life of the machine, very few of us play a machine long enough to see this advantage. The best that we can hope for is to get in on a "Pay Cycle".

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