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Introduction to How to Play Slot Machines

Summary of Learn How to Play Slot Machines. Too often a beginner slots player gets lost. So much is happening at once in a casino! There really is a lot going on for beginners. And, unfortunately, a casino doesn’t help. After all, it isn’t in their best interest to help. Savvy slots enthusiasts understand what they.

Do you remember the first time you entered a casino as a beginner slots player? I know I do. What I remember most is being extremely confused. It was so dark, yet with so many lights. And the smoke was everywhere! Perhaps you remember something similar.

My intent is to be genuinely helpful to slots players. While I think I still have a long way yet to go, I also believe I have been somewhat of service so far.

But, perhaps you are only just beginning your slots journey. What have I done for you to ease your way into becoming a healthy, happy slots enthusiast? So, this blog is for you, the beginner slots player, to, well, help.

Throughout this blog article, I’ll be referencing other articles I’ve written on various aspects of slot machine casino gambling. These articles are freely available to all.

This article has the following sections:

Introduction to Learn How to Play Slot Machines
Entering a Casino for the First Time
My Initial Gambling Rules
The Changing State of Gambling, in Brief
Beginning Your Slots Journey
The Golden Rule
Journey into the Unknown
Summary of Learn How to Play Slot Machines

Keep Reading … or Listen Instead!

Entering a Casino for the First Time

My first experience at slot machine gambling was in 2003 at a small tribal casino (Kewadin Casino) in the upper peninsula of Michigan. I was taking a long drive back to graduate school in Iowa after visiting family in the lower peninsula and had found a hotel at which to spend the night.

A casino was located just down the highway from that hotel. I wasn’t aware of the casino being there until the hotel provided $20 worth of tokens to play at it.

I remember feeling a little nervous about entering a casino for the first time in my life. I mean, what would my family of non-gamblers think? But, I gathered up my courage and went on in.

I found it to be a highly distracting place: loud, lots of flashing lights, and smoke. This was a time when smoking was more fashionable than it is today, so there was a great deal of cigarette and cigar smoke in the air. This is still true today in some states, such as Nevada, although ventilation has gotten a whole lot better.

I distinctly remember rapidly spending the $20 worth of tokens on slots. Plus, another $50 besides which I could ill afford to lose. At the time I was a poor graduate student on a research stipend working a side job as a temporary instructor of college physics. I’d just spent my food money for the trip home.

Did I win anything that first time at a casino? No, I don’t think so. Why don’t I know if I had won or not? Frankly, how would I have known if I had? If I did, it wasn’t enough to grab my attention.

Maybe a few numbers changed on the player’s console, and the slot machine made an unusual sound. So? What of it? From my perspective, it was doing that every time I made a bet anyway.

I left the casino after having spent $50 I could barely afford to lose. As I continued home on that long road trip, I started thinking about gambling with slot machines. Since then, I’ve more-or-less never really stopped doing so.

After a few months of dwelling on that first experience, I happened to be visiting the Omaha Zoo just over the western border of Iowa in Nebraska. There, I saw a casino on the river. Hint: it was a riverboat casino.

With those months of thinking figuratively behind me, I’d concluded from my first visit that I needed a rule for how much I should allow myself to spend whenever, or if ever, I entered another casino.

The careful rule I came up with was this: “Take a fixed amount into the casino, say $25, and spend only that plus whatever you make from it.”

With this simple rule and $25 in hand, I entered this second casino at about 2 o’clock in the afternoon on a Saturday … and left almost 12 hours later at 1 a.m. Yes, that’s right, 12 hours. Why? Because I’d carefully followed my rule.

My error was that I hadn’t been prepared for success. This has continued to plague me, by the way. The error which my simple rule didn’t account for was this: Almost immediately after entering this second casino, I won $500 on a 25-cent slot machine.

Doing so left me feeling quite emotional, which inclined me to try to stick firmly to the rule – which I proceeded to do. As the afternoon and evening passed into the early morning, I continued to win additional small, nontaxable jackpots.

Eventually, I spent my $25 along with what I’d won with it. And so, this was my second experience at a casino. I’d gone from slots gambling for 10 minutes to a marathon 12-hour session.

I did try to find a hotel that morning, instead of driving home at such a late hour (and coming as close as I’ve ever gotten to hitting a deer on the highway), but the nearby hotel wouldn’t accept a credit card – only cash.

The hotel staff insinuated that people would provide a credit card to the hotel upon arrival, but afterward max out their credit limit at the casino. At check-out, they wouldn’t be able to pay their hotel bill the following morning. That shocked me.

My point here isn’t about my not being able to get a hotel room, but that this was my first real clue that gambling was … complicated. It consisted of more than just the act of making a bet by pushing a button.

It exists in a unique environment where loud sounds, flashing lights, second-hand smoke, and even gambling abuses can occur. How fascinating!

My Initial Gambling Rules

After these first two casino gambling experiences, I spent more and more time thinking about them without much progress in learning how to win. I wasn’t yet thinking about how to win, however. Rather, I was mostly thinking about the potential dangers of what I was getting myself into.

Eventually, I made a decision to keep trying to figure out this whole slots gambling thing. I wasn’t expecting to win any significant amount of money, not ever. But, I was hoping not to lose a significant amount of money.

At the time, for me, my primary motivation was wanting to develop better control over my emotions while gambling at a casino. When there, I was feeling overwhelmed by my strong emotions. I didn’t like feeling ruled, at times almost controlled, by my emotions.

If my reaction to these strong emotions was a personal weakness, I knew I wouldn’t just find myself exposing this behavior at a casino. I could potentially be surprised by it at any other time. For example, while living my life or when working professionally. I felt I needed to understand and, if I could, address it.

So, with this reasoning in mind for proceeding with gaining additional slot machine gambling experiences, I took a long look around where I lived for any nearby casinos within driving distance. As it happened, there was a nice casino relatively nearby.

This local casino (Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa) had table games, floors of slot machines, a high limit slot room, and horse racing. And, oh, the splendor of the buffet!

To all my senses, it was simply delightful. So, with that limited assessment of a gambling establishment, about every month or more I’d take about $25 from my monthly stipend to go there with the full expectation of gambling it all away on slot machines.

But, would I…? For what happened next, you’ll need to take a look at another article called How to Win at Slots at Older Casinos Built Before 2012. But, that’s my story. Instead, let’s talk about your story.

The Changing State of Gambling, in Brief

Legal large-scale gambling in the U.S. started in Nevada in 1931. There was Las Vegas, of course, but also Reno, Lake Tahoe, and others. It basically stayed there until legalized in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1978.

Legalized gambling in Atlantic City provided casinos convenient to gamblers on the east coast. And, this balance of gambling between Nevada and Atlantic City continued until around the end of the 1980s. At that point, everything started changing more and more rapidly.

Basically, in 1988 tribal casinos became permitted by federal law. Although, tribes did need to negotiate state-tribal compacts with the state their reservations were located within. These negotiations typically took years.

Another substantial change happened in the early 1990s when riverboat casinos became legal in several midwestern states. Originally, state law required these casinos to travel on water, or at least unmoor from a dock, before any gambling could occur.

In the mid-90s, online gambling started up outside of the U.S. This got out of control fast, until various legal restrictions began protecting players. For a while, this protection was to block online gambling in the continental U.S.

By doing so, the U.S. Senate was not just protecting players, but also land-based casinos hurt by online gambling from outside the U.S. Not long after, Canada did much the same. Besides tribal gaming, this was the limit of federal laws restricting gambling in the U.S. until the banning and recent un-banning of sports betting at the federal level.

What all this means is simple. Gambling has become prevalent in the U.S., especially the most popular type of gambling there is: slot machine casino gambling.

There is another side of the coin, as it were, to all this growth and expansion of gambling. All through these changes to the gaming industry in the U.S. and abroad, the technology of gambling was also growing and expanding.

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For example, as you might imagine, the impact of microchips and the internet was profound to slots. For a succinct article capturing these near-constant technological developments of slots machines, see my article on it called The Ultimate Guide to Slot Machine History.

My point of view is that slot machine casino gambling has changed a lot in the last few decades. Further, I believe that these changes will keep on happening. Knowing what has happened in the past will help us understand the future.

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Some of the biggest changes occurring right now are related to slot machines no longer being fully random. Frankly, there are degrees of randomness. In the past, most casinos controlled the odds of winning on a slot machine by having slots mechanics physically adjust the odds on a regular schedule perhaps 2 weeks long.

Nowadays, at casinos built or heavily renovated since 2012, this is automated. Doing so both reduced the casino labor force and provided a near real-time understanding of the performance of the casino for its operator.

And therein lies the secret to winning at slot machine casino gambling. But, all that is a bit much for the beginner slots player. What you need to know is, the randomness of slot machines isn’t always fully random. There are patterns to this randomness and, if you know to look for them, you can find them.

Beginning Your Slots Journey

Maybe you’ve yet to visit a casino. Maybe you have visited a casino and wondered what the heck just happened. You might even have gone many times, but want to restart your slots journey for one of several reasons.

If you’re just started on your slots journey, you may not know how much playing slots has changed so much in the last few years. That’s fine, as more than a few regular slots players haven’t kept up with all the changes of late. Or, rather, what the changes mean.

So, let us begin your journey together. Your first step? Well, it’s probably not visiting a casino. Your first step is getting online. Most people have several casinos near them. In Iowa, for instance, every resident has at least one casino within an hour drive.

So, what about you? How many casinos are near you? Well, I shouldn’t explain how to use Google, but here’s a hint: Type “casinos near me” in Google. Doing so will show a map with all the casinos in your area. Cool, huh?

What you want to do is visit their websites. See what they have to offer that you might like. You’re likely not entirely focused on gambling. For instance, you’ll probably want a nice meal occasionally. So, look at what nearby casinos have to offer which might interest you.

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That’s about all the preparation you’ll need to start, other than the Golden Rule.

The Golden Rule

There is a danger to gambling for the first time. I’m not a medical professional, so I cannot explain this danger as well as I would like. But this is the danger: You don’t know how you will involuntarily react to gambling until you do it the first time.

It’s kind of like that first alcoholic drink. With it, some people immediately realize they are an alcoholic. It can ruin lives, and doing something about it successfully will be a life-long endeavor.

I don’t mean to scare you. Not at all. Many people find recreational gambling to be quite entertaining. But, others find out they are compulsive gamblers. This can be hard on everyone. So, I have a few things to share about it.

First, please understand that casino’s reprimand employees, or fire them, if they tell a casino patron they are spending too much money and should go home. That’s just the sad truth. On the other hand, advertisements all over casinos explain how to get help.

Second, I don’t encourage non-gamblers to gamble. I assume anyone who finds me is deliberately looking for information on slots gambling. But, if you decide you want to gamble, then I take it as my responsibility to explain how to do it.

Third, there truly is a Golden Rule. Here it is: Don’t spend any money at a casino which you cannot afford to comfortably lose. That means you’re spending disposable income, which is money left over after all your bills are paid along with an additional amount put into your savings account of choice.

Journey into the Unknown

I suppose we should also discuss how a slot machine operates. Most newcomers sit down at a slot machine, put some money in, and start pushing some buttons. But, what do the buttons do?

There are several physical components to slot machines, including various interfaces with the player. I’ve already written an article about the common elements of a slot machine called How Slot Machines Work from a Player’s Perspective.

That article, or at least the schematic of a slot machine found in it, should go a long way toward taking the mystery out of how all the buttons, etc., work on a slot machine.

Another thing you’ll want to do is get a player’s club card from the casino. At its simplest, this is like your grocery card. In exchange for your contact information, you can earn points by spending money on gambling. They’ll also make some interesting offers.

You’ll get free stuff from the casino, most likely starting when you sign up. Sometimes, in the long term, it’s often the only way gamblers make a profit. Here’s another article with my explanation about these casino rewards clubs called Seven Advantages of Players Clubs for Playing Slots.

So, let’s recap what I’ve pulled together for you to start at slots:

Go to the websites of casinos near you to understand their differences relative to your wants and needs.
Check to make sure you have some amount of disposable income if you want to play slots.
Visit your casino of choice and get a player’s club card at the front counter or kiosk.
Pick a slot machine, make a bet, and see what happens next.

So, what does happen next? One example would be what happened to me, as explained. Or, something similar. If I had one wish for you, it would be this. I hope you don’t win.

That’s probably shocking, but it really is for the best. If you win big at your first visit to a casino, it sets an unrealistic expectation you might take years to recover from … if ever. I hope you win big on your second visit to a casino. That’s what happened to me.

Once you’ve visited the casino a few times, maybe you’ll want to know more about why casinos are the way they are. If so, I have plenty of articles about them. But, they may be too soon. When you’re ready, they’ll be waiting here for you.

I hope you have a good time at the casino playing slots. As I’m always saying: Have fun, be safe, and make good choices.

Summary of Learn How to Play Slot Machines

Too often a beginner slots player gets lost. So much is happening at once in a casino! Lights! Sounds! Smoke! There really is a lot going on for beginners. And, unfortunately, a casino doesn’t help. After all, it isn’t in their best interest to help.

Savvy slots enthusiasts understand what they are doing. They are all self-taught. Well, it’s time to fix that. With this primer, a beginner slots player doesn’t start from zero.

Why? Because I’ve explained the basics. When you’re ready for more information on playing and winning at slots, it’ll be here for you. Best of luck and let me know if you have any questions!

Slots History

The history of the first slot machine dates back to 1895. The father of the first slot machine was Charles Fey, whose original slot machine had poker symbols on its three spinning reels. The symbols also included hearts, horseshoe, bells, and spades. Since the game only had 3 reels automatically, it was easy to make the game payout for the winning combinations. The game paytable was available at the top and it showed players the different winning combinations. The highest combination paid 50 cents when players got 3 bells on the win line.

In 1891, Sittman and Pitt invented another form of slot machine. This new machine looked a lot like the early version of slots that can still be found to this day. The game included five reels and 50 cards with a poker game theme since players were paid according to the poker hand they formed. This is why they were called poker machines. Players would start the game by putting a nickel into the game’s slot and by pulling the lever in order for the reels to spin so they could get a poker hand. Most of these machines used to pay players in the form of gifts such as cigars, drinks, or food or other things that were sold at the pub or bar where it was being offered. In order to increase the odds of the house and make it hard to get a poker hand like a Royal Flush, the game did not have a 10 of Spades or a Jack of Hearts.

In 1907, Herbert Mills invented another machine that was called Operator Bell and by 1908 these slots were installed in every bowling alley, cigar store, or salon. One of these original “Liberty Bell” slots can still be found in a Reno Restaurant in Liberty Bells Saloon.

Another great development occurred in 1963 when Bally invented the 1st electromechanical slot machine called The Money Honey. This was the first slot to have a bottomless hopper and it offered automatic payouts as well. The biggest reward that could be claimed was 500 coins. This machine was one of the reasons behind the skyrocketing rise of electronic gambling. Reel Em was the first-ever video slot that offered players bonus rounds.

In the 1990’s multi-line slots made an entrance to the scene. These games had more than one winning line. This meant that players could claim payouts according to combinations on more than one line aligned on the game’s screen. With the emergence of online gambling, slots were one of the first games to be adopted and transformed into online games. They developed quickly and can now offer up to 100 lines and 1024 ways to win. They also offer players a lot of bonuses in the form of wilds, scatters, and progressive jackpots.

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How to Play Slots

Slot machines can be found at every gambling venue, whether online or land-based. The online gambling world has fewer restrictions in terms of technology and development, therefore players will find a wider array of slot machines than those found at land-based gambling venues. We are going to discuss the gaming procedure for both online slot machines and land-based slots:

For Land-Based Slots:

For land-based slots, players will have to buy bar-coded coins, quarters or other cash values the game accepts. Usually, players will see the cash value the game accepts written on the game itself. After players enter the coin or cash in the game’s slot, they will pull down the lever or press the spin button, causing the reels of the slot to spin. The symbols on these reels are usually themed around fruits that are accompanied by bells, sevens, and the usual one bar, two bar, and three bar symbols.

After the reels stop spinning, players will be rewarded if they have a winning combination on the game’s win line. Players can find out the combinations that would make them eligible for a win at the game’s paytable. This paytable can be found at the top of the reels, or these days on the game screen itself. It will show the different combos and their rewards.

There are also slot machines that resemble video slots that can be found online. (Some can even be found with the same features online.) These video slots usually have a touch screen that players will use in order to control the game like in video poker.

For Online Slots:

Players who want to enjoy this game at an online casino will have to follow another gaming procedure. For online slots, players will first choose the game, then they will choose their wagers. Choosing the wagers, whether a classical or a multi-line video slot, includes 3 options:

Choose the number of lines that players want to activate by placing their stakes on.
Choose the coin value that players want to use to place wagers and get rewards.
Choose the number of coins they wish to place on every activated line. All of this creates the wager. The total amount of their bet will be seen under the Bet Cell.

After placing the wager, players will be able to start the game by clicking on Spin. It is usually found under the reels in the game’s control panel in between or next to the wagering options that were mentioned above. The symbols will spin and, after they stop spinning, players will be paid according to the paytable, their bet, and the winning combination. The paytable can also be viewed at the top or as players click on “View Pays” or Paytable that is found somewhere on the game’s screen.

Slots Rules

The rules differ from one slot machine to another. Each slot machine will have its own set of rules printed on the game itself or, in the case of online slots, players can view them by clicking on “Game Rules.”

Max Bet Only Triggered Bonuses:

Some bonuses and jackpots will not be triggered or activated unless players have placed the maximum wager.

Wild Symbols:

Wild symbols differ from one game to another and can substitute for any other symbol the slot machine has. These wild symbols will not replace other bonus or scatter symbols.

Triggering the Jackpot:

The jackpot is triggered when players get a certain combination of symbols on any of the winning lines of the game. It can be found at the paytable.

Scatter Symbols:

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Scatter symbols are special symbols that reward players generously in the form of scatter payouts. They can also trigger free spins. Free spins mean players will get a number of spins on the slot for game free. They are usually triggered when players get three scatters on the reels or three of the bonus symbols on the payline.

Apart from these rules, there are also some rules of etiquette that players should follow when playing at a land-based casino or a venue that is offering these slots.

Players can play on two slot machines side by side provided that the gambling venue or the casino is not crowded. If it is crowded and there are players waiting to be seated, the attendant will ask players who are playing on two slots to end one of the sessions.

Some players prefer to keep rapidly clicking on the buttons thinking that it gives them better luck. This is usually frowned upon because it causes the buttons to wear out quickly and causes a lot of disturbance to other players in the casino or the gambling venue.

Players who want to watch another player spinning the reels should leave one chair between them and the players unless they plan to play on the slot machine right next to that person. If they do not do that, an attendant will approach them and ask them to move away.

It is ok to celebrate when you get a big win or hit the jackpot, provided that you do not celebrate for too long. Also, when you get a big win, it is customary in certain parts of the world to tip the attendant who is getting the payout for you. It’s common etiquette.

Lastly, if you spot a slot machine that has a leaning chair on it, it is advised to leave that slot machine alone. It signals someone is still playing at the slot machine and he had to go to the bathroom or get something to drink and will be back shortly, it is courteous to leave it for a maximum of 10 minutes before you move the chair and take a seat.

Slots Odds

Slots are usually programmed to payout 82 to 98 percent of what was wagered in the form of winnings. This percentage is known as RPT (Return to Player) or the Theoretical Payout Percentage. The minimum RTP for every slot machine depends on the regulations and laws of the state or country. In Nevada, for example, the minimum percentage is 75 percent, in New Jersey it is 83 percent and in Mississippi, it’s 80 percent.

The winning combinations and patterns on a slot machine, the amount it pays, and the frequency of these payouts are carefully calculated and selected so they pay a specific fraction of money to the casino or the house while giving back the rest to the players. For example, a spin on a slot machine costs one dollar and it has an RTP percentage of 95. It can be calculated that over the long term, for example after one million spins, the game is going to give back $950,000 to players from the 1,000,000 dollars they have put into the slot. The house or the operator will keep the remaining $50,000.

The RTP is not the only important statistic in slots as the percentage of every payout on the game’s paytable is also important. For example, in any slot machine that has 12 different rewards in the paytable, the probability of every reward equaling 0 percent except the jackpot can be quite deceptive. If the jackpot win is 4000 times the wager, then it would happen 1 time every 4000 spins and would make the game have an RTP of 100 percent, despite being a very dull game.

The table of the probabilities for any slot machine is called the Paytable & Reel Strips sheer, also known as PARS. PARS helps players understand the psychology of the slot machine. For instance, if the game has 13 payouts that range from 1:10 up to 2400:1 it will show that the 1:1 payout would happen once every 8 spins, the 5:1 would happen once every 33 spins while the 2:1 payout will happen once every 600 spins. The PARS sheet is usually confidential and developers and manufacturers never post them; however, it is possible to find the PARS sheet of any of your favorite games posted online. Despite this, they are not of any real value to players as slot machines usually have 8 to 12 different programs that have varying payouts.

Slot machines are also known for the “Taste.” The Taste refers to a small amount of money the game pays every few spins to those who are seated at a slot machine to keep them engaged in the game. The logic is simple: if players keep losing their bets without winning any back, they will eventually grow bored and leave the game. The taste is usually the 1:1 or the 2:1 payout.

Slots Strategy

Slot machines are games of luck, so there are no strategies or techniques to implement. On the other hand, there are some tips and suggestions that may be quite useful for any player who is looking forward to spinning the slots:

Stick With Slots With a Low Jackpot:

If you are a land-based casino player, you will notice that the slot machines that offer millions in jackpots are not that popular because the chances of hitting the jackpot are very slim. This is why you should stick to slot machines that have a jackpot in the $1,000 range since you have a better chance of triggering it. These smaller jackpot slots are known for paying out better rewards and more frequently, too.

Know When You Should Move On:

Like any other casino game, you might find yourself on a losing streak. When that happens you should just move on or stop playing or perhaps go to another slot to change your luck.

Quit While You Are Ahead:

If you have been on a winning streak or have just hit a jackpot, it is a good idea to cash in your winnings and leave. The more you play the bigger the chance you might lose what you won (or at least a big chunk of it). Like any casino game, you should quit while ahead.

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Work According to a Betting Pattern:

You should always follow a wagering pattern that will help you earn rewards. For example, always start with the minimum wager possible and, if you lose, up it up a notch and keep increasing the bet after each spin. When you win, do the opposite. The + / – betting pattern is not guaranteed as there are no guaranteed betting patterns for slots because it is 100 percent random, but this can help increase your odds.

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Placing the Maximum Wager:

Although this contradicts the last tip, it is another way of playing. The aim is to place the highest wager so you can earn high rewards. This is essential in online video slots as some bonuses cannot be triggered if players do not place the max bet.

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There are also some misconceptions we have to clarify:

Playing the game faster will not increase the chances of winning.
Clicking on the spin or pulling the lever rapidly will not affect the outcome of the slot. They are all the same.
Each spin is independent, so the game will never be “due to hit”.
When someone wins a great payout on a slot machine that you left does not mean that you missed that payout. There is a big chance that you wouldn’t have hit the same payout because you would not have pulled the lever at the same fraction of a second that the player did.

Pro’s Perspective: Slot Strategies and Tips

With John Grochowski

Modern slot machines are multimedia technological marvels complete with animation, sound effects, and sometimes even video clips from movies and television shows.

While three-reel slots still exist, the majority in both live casinos and online casinos have five reels, and sometimes have six, seven, or more. Instead of one payline, modern video and online slots usually have 20, 30, 40, or more pay lines. Some don’t even use pay lines at all, making any combination of the same symbols connecting from left to right a potential winner, even if they’re not on a line as such.

During regular play, you may win a trip to a bonus event during which you have a chance to win money without making any additional wagers. Here are a few of the most common bonus types.

Free spins

You could win a specified number of free reel spins. Many free spin bonuses are played on the same reels as the main game and it’s possible to win any of the usually available prizes. Sometimes, the main reels fade from the screen and are replaced by bonus reels with different symbols and different winning potential.

For example, in the last few years, games have been introduced in which the lowest-paying symbols are removed from the bonus reels. It’s still possible to win nothing on a bonus spin, but the frequency of big winnings are increased.

Wheelspins

The original wheel spin game, Wheel of Gold, was introduced in the mid-1990s and it led to the ever-popular Wheel of Fortune slots. Since then most slot manufacturers have incorporated wheel spins.

In a wheel spin bonus, you see a wheel divided into prize segments. On some, all prizes are credit amounts, but some wheels offer credit multipliers, progressive jackpots, and trips to other bonus events. You start the wheel spinning, then hope it lands on a big-paying space.

Pick’em events

The reels are replaced by a different scene. Some have included aliens in hiding spaces, dancing gift-wrapped boxes, dishes on a Chinese menu, fishermen on a pond, and much more.

You touch the screen to choose an icon, and the item then reveals a credit reward for you to collect. On some pick’em events, you make just one choice. On others, you keep picking until you choose a bonus-stopper symbol.

Personal preference

All these bonus events are designed to make the games interactive and fun to play. How much they contribute to the overall payback differs from game to game and manufacturer to manufacturer, but as much as 40 percent of the overall return may come from bonuses.

Free spin games tend to be more volatile with the potential for bigger wins offset by the possibility of spins that bring no credits. Pick’ ems are used in what the slot industry calls “entertainment” games in which it’s larger goal is to add fun and extend your play rather than to offer big wins.

Ultimately, which is best for you comes down to personal preference. Do you like pick’em entertainment or do you want to keep those reels spinning?