Slot machines have been a hit with both casinos and casino game players for decades. They give players a chance to win way more than they wager, which isn’t the case with a table game like Blackjack. They are also easy to play. Simply wager a coin on a payline, and spin the reels. If they stop on a winning combination, you win. If they don’t, you lose.

Part of the appeal of the slots is that there is no way to make the wrong “play”. Instead, they are an entertaining way to pass some time in the casino.

While slot machine payouts are set in favor of the house, there are several ways players can get more out of their time at the machines. Here are a few techniques that you can use next time you sit down to play the slots.

Play the loosest slot machine you can find. That almost goes without saying. Some of the slots in a casino have their payout percentages marked. Many online casinos have their slot machine payout records published on their sites, although to be fair these are the percentages for all of the slots combined, not a particular machine.

If you can find a machine that will payout 97%, which means that for every $100 wagered on spins, $97 will be returned to the player in the form of winners, you’ve found a good machine. The higher the payout percentage, the more winners (in terms of credits). And more winners can translate into more time at the machines enjoying yourself.

Play lower denominations. It’s easier to go through your $100 playing a dollar a spin than a quarter a spin. By playing lower denominations, you can extend your time at the machines.

Progressive Slots – if your goal is to spend the afternoon at the slot machines without breaking your bankroll, avoid playing progressive slot games. They need to take in more coins without paying out so they can award the super-large jackpots to players. This means less winning combinations will be coming your way on a regular basis.

On the other hand, if you want to “Go big or go home”, the progressive machines are a good place to seat yourself. When you win on a progressive machine, you are likely to win larger amounts. Sometimes, very large amounts. These jackpot machines are the ones that award life-changing winnings to those lucky few that hit it big.

Video Slots – pay attention to the credits more than the number of winning combinations that come your way. Hitting winners is always fun, but on a video slot, with so many paylines, it isn’t difficult to hit a winning combination that doesn’t even pay for the cost of the spin. In fact, you can hit winner after winner on these games, and end up losing money.

Take Advantage of the Player Rewards – whether you are playing at an online casino, or one of the land-based casinos, you should be playing with a player’s card. Make sure the casino knows that you’re spending time playing their games, and they will reward you. This bit of hospitality helps add some extra playing time, or some extra chances to hit it big to your experience.

Here’s How you Win at the Slots – quit while you’re ahead. If you’re interested in profiting from your time at the slot machines, you can’t count on staying ahead of the casino over the long run, so when you do manage to hit a winner and you jump ahead of the casino in the short run, take advantage of it. Walk away and enjoy your winnings!

By Robert Marinelli
Mongoose is the caretaker of http://free-slots.ws, the free online slots guide. He also is working on the progressive slots section of http://www.best-online-casino-guide.net.