Gambling has been the preferred pastime of many around the world for hundreds of years. Many casino games have an element of skill, which makes them popular since this means there is a potentially increased chance of winning.
One game however that does not rely on skill, are slot games. One of the biggest questions that gets asked frequently is; Can you change the odds while playing slots to be in your favor or is it all luck based? Continue reading to find out if there’s anything that can be done to change the odds.
How house edge works
The house edge for slot machines is usually at around 8-10%, but can go up as high as 17%. The problem is that the house edge is difficult to calculate at player level, and can only be seen over the long-term. For example, if a slot game has a house edge of 10%, this means that if a game is expected to receive around $1000 in bets, the casino will receive $100 of that, and the other $900 will eventually make its way into the hands of many different players.
Another thing to consider is that a slot game can spin around 600 – 700 times per hour, so at that house edge, no strategy and total randomness, you will likely lose a lot of money. Enjoy the experience by playing at a slower pace and choosing games which you visually enjoy. For example I love the design of the games from Casino Secret, especially king of the jungle and Gonzo’s quest. Playing these games makes the experience much more enjoyable for me, if you want to check out these games Japan 101 has the best promotions I’ve seen for new players, you can learn more here.
Payback percentage and hit frequency
One common mistake that many people make before playing a slot game, is just choosing a random one, feeding money to it and playing. Every slot game has many factors that determine the likelihood of winning, and more importantly, losing. Two of those factors are payback percentage and hit frequency.
Payback percentage is the money that you win, which is a percentage from the total amount of bets made by all players, when winning. Hit frequency is the percentage that determines how often a game will align the symbols in a way that allows you to win. Knowing these two factors will allow you to choose a game that won’t take all of your money, if you play wisely, probably.
Pay tables and winning combinations
Another two factors that influences the payback percentage and hit frequency of a slot game are the pay tables and winning combinations. The pay tables of the slot machine refer to the increase or decrease in payback percentage based on the denomination that you use when playing.
Usually, a $5 bet will have a higher payback percentage than a $1 bet. However, the amount you bet doesn’t only affect the payback percentage, it also affects the hit frequency of winning combinations, and those in themselves have an entirely different set of statistical probabilities. For this reason, it’s important to realize at this point that there is no strategy or way to improve odds when playing slots.
Random number generation
Something that every gambler should know is that there is no machine or game that is due a win, and playing for an extended period of time will not guarantee a win either. This is because every slot game uses random number generation, which calculates hundreds of thousands of numbers per second, which are all connected to certain symbols.
What this means is that every single spin is completely independent from the last, and is totally random. In other words, you could be on a losing streak for the entire evening, and there is no guarantee you will win. Understanding this is important if you wish to lose less money.
Don’t believe in myths
When it comes to randomness and the unexplained, you can also expect to find a few myths or beliefs that attempt to apply rational reasoning to the chaos. This was observed by a behavioral scientist by the name of B.F. Skinner. At random intervals, he would drop food pellets into a pigeon’s box, which eventually led the pigeons to associate their behavior before the food pellet dropped, to it actually dropping. As a result, a few pigeons would repeat certain behaviors in hopes of making the pellet drop again.
Many gamblers do the same thing by thinking that a win is due, or even believing that certain actions would cause a win to occur. Not doing this will help you to lose less money.
