My first time walking into a Vegas casino is among the most memorable moments of my life; the lights and bells and whistles are enough to blow your mind. Granted, I was five years old, and thrown out after thirty seconds inside, but those thirty seconds are permanently burned in my memory, and every time I walk into a casino now, I get that feeling all over again.
I say this because there’s something different in what gets a kid excited about Vegas, and what gets an adult excited; for grown ups, it’s the possibility of striking it rich, but for kids, it’s simply ambiance. That ambiance isn’t because of money or cards or dice, but because of the slot machines; those one-armed bandits, in all their exciting splendor make going to a casino all worthwhile, whether you’re five or fifty.
It’s easy to understand the appeal of a slot machine; one quarter can turn into riches in less than the blink of an eye. Now, most casinos even have dime, nickel and penny slot machines among their ranks, so grandma can gamble her fixed income right next to a stockbroker spending $100 for every pull of the lever. To be fair, slot machines can be profitable, and it’s obvious that they can be fun. Yet, there are a few things to remember in order to maximize your winnings (or minimize your losses, as it were) before you sit down at the slots and let the free cocktails flow.
First of all, you have to recognize that when you’re playing slot machines, the metaphorical dice are loaded. That is to say, the casino has complete control over how much each slot is going to pay out on any given night. Now that you know this, begin to understand how these casinos think.
The penny slots are going to be the tightest slots on the floor. This means, that while it can be fun playing a penny slot and pretending like you’re playing for millions, you’re chances of actually winning anything are very slim. That said, the nickel slots are going to be a bit looser than that, the dimes pay out a bit more often, and so on. So, it’s in your best interest to play the highest limit you feel comfortable playing, as your chances of winning are higher at higher limit slots.
In addition to this, it’s good to understand the layout of the casino. Traffic flows dictate which slots will be set to pay out more, and which will be set to pay out less. Slots near center aisles are often set to pay out more than the ones against the wall. This is logical if you consider the following: someone walking down the center aisles of the casino are more likely to sit down at a slot and start playing if they see someone winning. They’re more likely to see someone winning if they’re winning at a slot nearby.
So have a seat, and pump a few quarters into the one armed bandit and you just might hit it big. And well, if you don’t, here’s to the free cocktails…
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