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Beginners Guide – Slot
Machines |
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Best online slots, hints &
tips, guides, slot statistics, how to beat slots, slot reel layouts / reel
bands, reel strips, slot percentages, cheats, winning on slots, Best online
Fruit machines, hints & tips, guides, Fruit machine statistics, how to
beat Fruit machines, Fruit machine reel layouts / reel bands, reel strips,
Fruit machine percentages, cheats, winning on Fruit machines. Best online Fruities, hints & tips,
guides, Fruity statistics, how to beat Fruities, Fruity reel layouts / reel
bands, reel strips, Fruity percentages, cheats, winning on Fruities. ALL
coming soon to a site near you! |
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Browsing on your Mobile Phone?
(Mobile version of this website) Beginners Guides: |
Introduction Slots.. Oh dear – where do I
start??? There are soooooo many
different ones on-line it could make your brain hurt! So what I’ve decided to do with this page
is just give a brief overview, and
then list out some of my favourites I played when I stared out
(2001-2010) with my personal review of them. To start with, if you’re from
the UK like me, or other countries with ‘fruit machines’, try to forget all
about those completely rigged heaps of crap.
Online slots look similar, but are completely different because most
of them really are random! Most online slots are
traditional 3 or 5 reel type, but different slots have different numbers of
pay-lines;- 3-reel; 1, 3 or 5 win
lines. 5-reel; 5, 9, 11, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 and now even 100 win lines! In 2010 we saw the first All-Ways-Pay slots; basically all
symbols are left-to-right scatters which essentially means you are playing with
243 win lines (3 row slots) or even 1,024 lines! (4 rows, e.g. Arctic
Fortune) Note that different softwares
have different win line patterns eg: winline 4 on MG is not the same ‘shape’
as winline 4 on Crypto. See our Slots Software Guide below. Then we have different
categories of slots:- Bonus; Have one or more bonus
features triggered by getting certain symbols in view. The bonus rounds are normally ‘free-spins’
with a multiplier (eg. 15 free spins with all wins x3), or ‘picks’ where you
click on a number of symbols to reveal a mystery prize, or a combination of
both. Progressive Jackpot;
Have a common ‘pool’ of funds contributed to by ALL casinos using the same
software to give a massive jackpot which is usually won by getting the
highest ranking symbols on the highest numbered line payline on the slot.
(e.g. Line 15 on a 15 line slot). Some
progressives are also ‘bonus round’ slots and some of these only give the
jackpot in the bonus round, while others still pay as described above. Getting Started If you’re new to online slots
you really should play all those you like the sound of in ‘practice mode’ before
you play for real money so you know what to expect. All online casinos should give you the
facility to do this. You will find the
pay tables by clicking on a button on the screen. When you’ve decided to play for
real, the first thing to be aware of is what bet level the slot is on when
you initially bring it onto your screen.
The vast majority will NOT be set at the minimum bet level, but you
can manually reduce this using the on-screen control buttons. Note that the cost indicator is per line, not
per spin! They will also normally be
set at maximum paylines, which again, you may wish to reduce. E.g. Some
people like to play 25 line slots using only 9 or 15 paylines for various
reasons, including making their money last longer! Many casinos’ have ‘autoplay’
so you don’t get finger ache clicking that mouse button. MG’s is the best (access by hitting the
‘expert’ button) because you can set it to stop if you hit a big win! Reel Weighting & Randomness The most fundamental way in
which video slots differ from real slot machines is that they do not have
physical reels. This allows the slot
to have ‘weighted’ reels. This is done in one of two
ways; a) The reels on a slot do
not all have the same number of symbols on them. E.g. On Tomb Raider the reels have 24, 28,
34, 40 & 40 symbols. So the chances of getting the scatter symbol on reel 1 is 3 in
24, but on reel 5 it is 3 in 40. b) The reels all have the same number of
symbols, but the odds of each one appearing is different. E.g. Each reel could have just 10 symbols
on it, but it is programmed so that the jackpot symbol only appears Neither of these ways of
weighting means the machine is ‘rigged’ – the results of each spin is still
entirely random, but this weighting just makes for more playing
excitement. Note: Most slots described
as ‘UK Style Fruit Machines’ are NOT random in the way described above. Know your odds Like all casino games, slots
have a house edge. This varies from
one machine to another but typically the Return To Player (RTP) is somewhere
between 94-97%. However, you have to remember
that most slots are high variance and that those percentages are based on an
infinite number of spins taking into account all possible winning
combinations – including the jackpot.
Therefore unless you are extremely lucky & actually hit the
jackpot, your return is normally going to be 1-2% lower than the average RTP. If like me your preference is
for the bonus slots, you also need to know what the chances of actually
getting the bonus is, because if you’re not hitting the bonus rounds, the
chances of profiting are very slim. No
casinos I know of publish this information, and it is almost impossible to
work out unless you know how many of each symbol is on each reel, and how
many symbols in total. I searched the net to try to
find this information, but to no avail.
So I decided to plot out the reels of some MG slots to get the data I
wanted. But because this takes many, many hours – don’t expect to many more soon!
The numbers written in Blue in the table below is accurate. Typically most Bonus Features
and Free-Spins hit about once in every 100 to 175 spins, except at Rival
Gaming casinos where they are much easier to hit. Bonus Rounds & Jackpots These vary from one slot to
another, but typically bonus rounds are usual triggered either by getting
certain ‘Scatter’ symbols on certain reels, or by getting a set number of
consecutive symbols on a winline. The
bonus itself is usually either a pre-set or random number of ‘free-spins’
with a multiplier, or it’s ‘picks’ when you select from a number of symbols
on the screen to reveal random prizes.
Some slots combine the two; you
pick symbols that give you a random number of free-spins! Note that while it is possible to get very
big wins from the bonus rounds, it is also possible on many slots to get
close to, or actually nothing! L The Jackpot on most video slots
is getting 5 ‘wild’ symbols on a winline. On progressive slots these 5 wilds have to
be on a particular winline (normally the highest available; e.g. line 15 on a
15-line slot). Bonus Video Slot Strategy People who don't play them
often can't understand how you can profit from games with 95% payout, but you
can! They are no different from any other casino game - the house edge
is always against you and if you keep playing any game long enough you will lose. Let's compare to Blackjack; If
you play 100 $1 hands with a H.A. of 1%, on average you will lose just
$1. But a run of good or bad luck could see you end with +$20 or
-$20. More than that is very unlikely because BJ is a very low variance game. Play 100 $1 spins on a Bonus
Slot with H.A. 95% will average a loss of $5, but this is very UNLIKELY due to very high
variance. You could find you have rotten luck and lose $50, or even
more! But if you hit a good bonus feature you could easily win 50, 100,
200 or even more times your bet! You'll NEVER get that with Blackjack! The key to success (as with all
games) is money management - knowing when to stop. Don't lose too much
on one particular game, and quit when you're ahead & switch to a
different game. Sounds simple I know, but
to be honest it isn't that easy. I often break my own rules - but I try not
to do it too much! Like any strategy
for any game you do need a bit of good luck, (or at least - not too much bad
luck). More importantly than anything - you need self-control. Given that what I want is the
bonus rounds, and that they occur once every 120 – 160 spins, what I do is
start with up to 25 spins at double my minimum bet (in case I get lucky) and
then 100 at minimum. (Depending on the slot, my minimum is usually either 2c
or 5c per line). I will then increase my bets every 25 or 50 spins e.g. 2c,
4c, 6c, 8c. If I get past about 250
spins with no feature, or my bank has dropped by more than my pre-set limit,
I stop & try a different slot. Sometimes
I alter the total bet by changing the number of win-lines as well as, or instead
of just changing the stake/line. That’s pretty much all there is to it! Note: This method by itself is not a guaranteed way to win on slots
– it’s just the way I like to play. I feel that it improves my chances, but
this can not be backed up mathematically. It is possible that you are just as
likely to be successful by flat-betting all the time, or using any different
betting pattern. However by using this method, along with taking generous
casino bonuses, I made profits every year 2005-2010. Of course I don't always win,
and I have uploaded 3 of my genuine play logs to show what can happen:- A great winning run. $100 deposit led to
$800 withdrawal – and I wagered more than 2x the WR! A miracle recovery! $225 start crashed right down to $1.07, but recovered to cash out $200
profit! A diabolical losing
session. $240 start (100% bonus) – total blow out not
even half way to WR. These Excel spreadsheets show
how I record my wagers – the sheets are set up so I only input the blue
figures – the rest is calculated using very simple equations. I’ve also linked some pretty screenshots! If you study them carefully you
will see I only low-roll the majority of the time – even when I’m well ahead.
You will also see some mad moments when I totally lose the plot, so I am
human – honestly! J Best Slots This is all a matter of opinion
of course, and it’s unlikely any two players will agree on this. One thing
most of us do agree on (backed by a recent online poll) is that the best
software for slots playability is MicroGaming far and away better than the
competition. But I also enjoy many
slots on other softwares, as you’ll see in my favourite slots table below! |
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My Favourite Slots 2007 |
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(So just a little bit out-of-date!) Key to table: |
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Name |
Name of
Slot / (Software) |
Jackpot |
Multiplier of max jackpot
if hit during ‘normal’ spins. (Bet per line x N) |
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R L P |
Number of Reels Number of win-lines Progressive jackpot? |
KK (SS) |
Kasino King’s personal
rating of the slot (out of 10) Screenshot of one of KK’s
great hits! (if applicable) – click on SS
to view! |
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Description |
Black; How
the bonus feature/jackpot is triggered. Blue; KK’s personal review. Red; Bad points about the slot (if any). |
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B? |
Bonus Rounds? (No. of
types) |
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B spin |
Approx. spins between
bonuses. (Blue
= actual, Green = estimate) |
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Where to play |
Recommended casinos to play
this slot. (Sign-up or other bonuses
offered). |
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Name |
R/L/P |
B? |
B spin |
Jackpot |
KK |
Description |
Where to play (Bonus info) |
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Dolphin
Tale (Microgaming) |
5 40 No |
1 |
150 |
x 3,000 (x60,000 in free
spins) |
10 |
3
scatter clam symbols anywhere in view trigger the free spins where you face a
difficult choice. You pick how many spins you want & get randomly awarded
one of three multipliers: From 25
spins at x2, 3 or 5 down to 5 spins at x10, 15 or 20. What makes it even more
fun is any symbol can randomly turn wild during the free-spins, greatly
boosting your win! This feature on this slot is just about my favourite
free-spin variant. I usually go for just 5 free-spins then pray for the x20
and 1 or 2 really big hits! (Note: I
find 40 win-lines is too many, so usually play this one anywhere from 17 to
25 lines) |
100% up to
£/€/$200 WR
only bonus x35! |
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Atlantis (Grand
Virtual) |
5 11 No |
4 |
30-40 |
x 2,000 |
9 |
This
slot has FOUR different bonus features:- Free-spins: 5 to 25 spins for
3-5 Nautilus: Wild symbol multiplies wins by x5, and any bonus round awards
are tripled! Treasure Hunt: 3+ Astrolabes take
you to a prize maze – Navigate the Mermaid though the caves collecting
prizes, monster repellent and trap keys, avoid the Kraken & the traps
until you find the exit. Obelisk: Reach the top of
the column for the biggest prizes. Seahorse Race: Pick 3 from 6
horses and race to the finish line. With
all the features, the more scatters that trigger the round, the bigger your
prizes! This
is simply the most amazing slot I’ve ever played! The graphics & sounds
must be seen to be believed. The unusual
graphics & reel layouts takes a bit of getting
used to. |
No-where! This
super software was scrapped in 2013 – what a tragedy! |
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Rain
Dance (RTG) |
5 20 Yes |
1 |
130 |
x 5,000 |
9 |
One
of many different ‘Real Series’ slots, on this one the bonus is triggered by 3
or more scatters in view. Your chances are enhanced by an extra free-spin if
you get 2 in view. You get 10 spins @ x3 for 3 scatters, 15x4 for 4 &
100x5 for 5! Three or more scatters in the free spins give you the same bonus
again. Therefore, if you do get 5 scatters initially you are guaranteed a
MEGA win! I
have never had the 5 scatters myself, but I know others who have. I live in
hope! All the Real Series of slots have a
maximum win of 40,000 x line bet, so if you get the 100 spins with
re-triggers it’s likely you will be capped before finishing all your spins. L |
iNetBet (200% slots bonus) Sun Palace (125% to $500)
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Tomb
Raider (Microgaming) |
5 15 No |
2 |
Lara’s: 124 Idols: 70 |
x 7,500 |
9 |
3
or more round Lara scatter symbols give you 10 free spins with all wins
multiplied by 3 (except Tomb Bonus), can retrigger. Or 3 or more Idols on a winline give you a
corresponding number of picks in the ‘Tomb Bonus’. Very playable slot
as you should normally get one bonus or the other every 47-50 spins. Only bad point is many MG’s have it at 5c/line min. |
100% up to
£/€/$200 WR
only bonus x35! |
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Reel
Crime (Rival
Gaming) |
5 15 No |
3 |
60 |
x 750 |
9 |
This
slot is unique in that it follows a story line, with comic-book style
animated scenes between each of the rounds. When you complete each section
you get a prize bonus round before moving on, or going back to the start,
depending on the outcome. As you start each section you get the opportunity
to change your stake which is then fixed. The symbols on the reels also
change as you advance. In addition
they have free spins triggered by scatter symbols. Great fun to play! This is a
low very variance slot = little chance of really big wins, but money can last
a long time! |
Superior Casino ($75 FREE) Vegas-2-Web (SUB $150)
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Hampsteads (CryptoLogic) |
5 9 No |
1 |
130 |
x 5,000 |
9 |
3
scattered Toasters anywhere in view randomly award from 1 to 5 bonus rounds.
Click the 9 squares to match 3 characters and win the biggest prizes. I love the
feature on this fun slot, mainly because I have hit the top prize more times
than I can remember! ($225 from a 90c spin)
This slot is very old, and looks it.
Slow & jerky play, but I forgive that due to the potential for big wins.
Min bet too high (10c/line) |
This
slot is no longer available as far as I can tell L |
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Lotto
Madness (Playtech) |
5 20 Yes * |
1 |
130 |
x 10,000 |
9 |
Get
the ‘Lotto Wheel’ scatter feature anywhere on reels 1 & 5 and spin the
wheel for your free-spins & multiplier; anything from 3 spins @ x2 to 20
@ x10! Has an optional progressive
‘Dollar Ball’ side-bet. The feature is great if you get a high number (obviously),
but the normal wins are usually frequent & often good, making this a very
playable & fun slot! |
This
slot is no longer available as far as I can tell L |
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Ladies
Nite, Spring Break, Thunderstruck (Microgaming) |
5 9 No |
1 |
143 |
x 10,000 |
8 |
3
scatter symbols anywhere in view trigger 15 free spins with a x3 multiplier.
Can re-trigger. Wild symbol doubles
all wins. I’ve
grouped these three together because they are all basically the same slot,
just with different symbols & sounds!
Thunderstruck has arguably the best graphic & sounds of any slot,
but I seem to win more regularly on Ladies Nite, but then I’ve hit the
jackpot on Spring Break..! |
100% up to
£/€/$200 WR
only bonus x35! |
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(Microgaming) |
5 25 No |
1 |
127 |
x 2,000 (x50,000 in free
spins) |
8 |
2
champagne bottles anywhere on reels 2 & 4 trigger a bonus of 6 to 30
free spins. Each win then has a random
multiplier of x2 to x25 applied to it. Can
retrigger.
Possibly the most playable 25 liner ever! Often 25 lines = crap wins, but |
100% up to
£/€/$200 WR
only bonus x35! |
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Fruit
Frenzy (RTG) |
5 25 Yes |
1 |
130 |
x 10,000 |
8 |
I
think this was the first ‘Real Series’ slot with 25 win-lines. But I know it is the most fun to play with crazy cartoon
graphics & sounds! Any 5-of-a-kind
win triggers the ‘Fire the Strawberry’ feature – win from 5 to 20 free-spins
played at 25 lines (regardless of how many you were playing before getting
the feature) with all wins doubled. This slot just makes you smile – even if you’re losing! |
iNetBet (200% slots bonus) Sun Palace (125% to $500)
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Some of my Major slot hits! |
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(May 28th, 2007)
That’s a $2.50 spin which paid out $2001.50 = 800 x cost of spin! J The win was: Any 5 of a kind in column 5
with 5 the same on any horizontal line pays 8000 to 1. (and I had just upped my bets
from my usual 10c/line…. J ) |
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July 2007; a $478 win from a 75c spin: (This was hit on the last
free-spin, with all bets x6)
December 2008 – a fabulous $2002 win from a $6 spin: (Ended up making a $2,350
profit from a $200 deposit!)
July 2009 – Several re-triggers lead to €1028 from a €4
spin:
To see my “ScreenShot of the Month” from January 2005 to
2010, please see the right-hand column on this page: KK’s Month by Month Results
Log |
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Page created: March-2006. Last full review: 27/03/07. Last
update: 16/05/22