How to Know When a Slot Machine Will Hit
How to tell if a slot machine is ready to pay? How to tell if a slot machine is hot? These are some questions every gambler asks at some point. We want to preface this article by saying that there’s no way you can accurately predict when a slot machine is about to hit the jackpot. That’s because slots are games of chance and you can’t do much to influence the outcome.
That being said, there are some ways in which you can improve your chances of winning. And we will present the best of them in this article. So keep reading to find out everything you need to know about playing slot machines - and winning!
How Do Slots Work?
Before we get into the tips and tricks, it’s important you understand how a slot game works. When you first look at online slots, you will notice that they don’t look that much different from their land based counterparts. You have some reels covered in symbols that will spin and award you wins when you get lucky. And while a physical slot machine doesn’t have special features and animations, they still work in the same way.
The main difference between online slots and physical slots is the way in which the result is decided. Every online casino game provider will use an RNG (Random Number Generator) technology to determine the outcome of every spin.
And if having a piece of software deciding if you win or not might be worrisome to you, fear not - every game provider and online casino has to have their RNG system tested by accredited third-parties. Without the fairness of their RNG tested and proven, they can’t get their operating license.
What is RNG?
We kept talking about RNG but we haven’t clearly defined it yet. RNG stands for Random Number Generator and is part of the backend of every single online slot you play. This system is constantly choosing random numbers - thousands per second, in fact. Each and every one of these numbers is connected to a different spin outcome. This number will be generated in the very second you click the “Spin” button.
To put it plainly, here’s what happens during every spin:
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You click the “Spin” button;
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The RNG system starts generating numbers and decides when the reels should stop;
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When the game is done calculating the result, the reels stop;
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You see the outcome - win or lose.
It’s good to know that the previous spin’s result will not affect the outcome of the next one. That’s because this RNG software is entirely random. There’s no way for you to know for sure if the next spin will be a winner or not.
Now that how slots work is not a secret to you anymore, it’s time to find out how to pick a winning slot machine. There are a few things you can do to improve your odds. So keep reading to find out!
Take RTP and Volatility into Account
Before you choose a slot, make sure you take a good look at the RTP and volatility. You can usually find it on the game provider’s official website. If you’re choosing a slot from our selection, you can find this information right here:
These values are important, especially if you want to win a slot jackpot. Along with the RNG technology, they decide the outcome of your slots playing sessions. Let’s have a look at what they mean.
Slot RTP
A slot RTP is short for Return To Player. This percentage shows the rewards you can expect to win from a certain online slot. For example, a slot with a 97% RTP will pay you back $97 for every $100 you bet on it. To put it plainly, the RTP gives you a better idea about how much you can expect to lose when playing an online slot.
You should understand that this RTP is calculated using a huge number of spins - usually in the millions. This means that you can’t expect the slot to pay you back those $97 after exactly 100 spins.
While you can’t tell when a slot machine becomes due, you can increase your chances at winning by choosing the best payout slots. Our top 5 recommendations of casino slots best payout would be:
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Beat the Bank by WGS: 99.17% RTP;
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Ugga Bugga by Playtech: 99.07% RTP;
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Mega Joker by NetEnt: 99% RTP;
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Cosmic Quest: Mystery Planets by Rival: 98.9% RTP;
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Crystal Clear by Realistic Games: 98.7% RTP.
Slot Volatility
Slot volatility is used to assess how often slot machines pay out. The volatility level determines the risk of a player losing the bet. To put it plainly, slot volatility tells you how often or how rare you can expect to win and how big the payout will be. Slot games are mainly categorized in three levels of volatility: high, medium and low.
Take a look at the table below to determine which volatility works best for you for hitting jackpot on slot machine:
| Volatility | Description | When to Choose It |
|---|---|---|
| High | High risk, slots rarely pay but when they do, the payouts are huge. | When you have a huge bankroll, along with time and patience to wait for the machine to hit. |
| Medium | Compromise between high and low volatility. Offer predictable wins when they hit. | When you want to play games for fun but still want some decent wins from time to time. |
| Low | More chances to win but the payouts are very small. | When you have a smaller bankroll but you want to play for longer and take smaller losses. |
Claim Casino Bonuses
The internet is chock-full of online casinos, each offering different games and benefits. All of them offer welcome bonuses as a way to attract new players. And knowing that bonuses are not always what they seem, you might be asking yourself: “Should I choose a casino bonus or not?”
The short answer is yes. Casino bonuses are a great way to overturn the house edge and predict the amount of money you’re going to leave with. The casino bonus is not an answer to the age-old question of “How do you trick a slot machine to win?” but a way to increase your chances at having a better bankroll at the end of your gambling sessions.
Here’s how a casino bonus will improve your odds at winning at a casino slot machine:
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You get a head start. If you’re new or inexperienced, a no deposit bonus will allow you to play for free for a while. When you don’t risk losing any money, you can try out different slot machines and see which one works best for you.
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Your losing chances are reduced. A casino bonus will act as a sort of “safety net”. Sure, you will lose some amount of money but this will be reduced if you claim a casino bonus.
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You get rewards for different games. Almost every welcome bonus includes some free spins for a certain slot or selection of slots. Your chances at winning some extra money are considerably increased when you get to play some spins for free. To get some extra “training”, you can also play free slots with bonus spins.
Stick to the More Popular Games
While you can’t exactly tell how to make a slot machine hit jackpot, you can tell for sure which ones are the most popular. Usually, online casinos will have a dedicated section for their most popular games. And these games are popular for a reason - big wins, good jackpots and great features.
When it comes to progressive jackpot machines especially, you should stick to the most popular ones. First of all, because the jackpot builds over time, using other players’ bets, until a lucky gambler wins it all. The more players, the bigger the jackpot gets. Just keep in mind that you will have to place the max bet to qualify for the jackpot.
You will notice that some progressive slots are more popular than others. That’s usually not because they have a better jackpot record than other machines. They’re more popular because more people play them.
Methods That Don’t Work
Any online guide that will tell you they know exactly how to know when a slot machine will hit is lying to you. That’s because over the years, gamblers developed different strategies and tricks on how to tell if a slot machine is loose or tight. Here are the methods that don’t work and why should avoid them:
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Trying to find loose slots. Over the years, players have been trying to find out how to find a loose slot machine at a casino. This happens at land-based casinos and has started from the rumor that casino managers put the loose slot machines in the back. If you ask any casino manager, they will tell you that was never the case and it’s just a myth.
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The zig-zag method. The zig-zag method involves finding a slot machine where the symbols are stopped and a winning combination is almost lined up. But not quite. Because you can see the symbols on the reels above and below the main payline, it’s easy to see how an almost-win would form a zig-zag pattern on the reels. This is a myth and was never an indicator that a slot game was about to pay out.
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Sizing up your bet. Slot machines work on an RNG technology. As we’ve explained above, you can’t really do anything to influence the RNG. So sizing up your bet doesn’t hold more chances at making a sure win.
You Need to Play a Slot For Real Money to Hit the Jackpot!
Keep in mind that when you’re playing slots in demo mode, you can’t win real money. It makes sense, otherwise, both casinos and game providers would go bankrupt in an instant. If you want to increase your chances at a jackpot, you should always play slots at new online real money casinos.
Before choosing a casino from our list, make sure everything is according to your needs. They should have different payment methods (such as PayPal or Skrill), great bonuses and even better customer support.
All in all, we hope this guide was useful to you and we can’t wait to hear your success stories after your slots online win real money playing sessions!