Online Slots Games – A Beginner’s Guide to Playing

August 4, 2014 Jeff Mott

Online slots games often fill the casinos because they are extremely popular with players. One of the reasons that online slots games are so popular with players is that they are so simple to play. Despite the fact that there are thousands of different online slots game variations, they can all be played in a similar fashion.

You only need to learn to play one variation. Once you’ve done that, you can apply the same principles to each of the other games. Below is the basic information every slots player needs to know in order to have the best playing experience possible.

#1: Reading the Pay Table

Before you invest any money in online slots games you should familiarize yourself with the game first. Take a good look at the pay table. Pay tables will indicate if there are any special betting requirements for the bonus games, jackpots, and prizes.

#2: Choosing a Coin Denomination

Find a machine that best suits your particular budget. Aim for getting in at least thirty spins. If your budget is tight, a slot machine with big denominations is probably not your best bet.

#3: Inserting Your Money

After you’ve picked a game to play, you’ll need to purchase some credits. For online slots games, this means making a deposit at the online casino, which will give you a corresponding amount of money to use for wagering.

#4: Selecting a Bet Size

Once your account has been credited with your deposit you will need to determine how much you want to wager. You can “Bet Max” to place the largest bet possible, or you can choose from one of the other options:

Bet One – Pressing this button uses one credit. You can press it multiple times to increase your wager.
Bet Max – This button allows you to wager the maximum number of coins for a single spin.
Spin Button – Press this button to repeat your most recent wager amount.
Coins per line – This button allows you to bet one or more coins for each pay line

Once you’ve picked the amount of your wager you simply need to spin the reels of your chosen online slot games. You can repeat your bets by clicking the “Spin” or “Max Bet” buttons.

#5: Cashing Out

If you are lucky enough to win, you can click on the cashier button. This will take you to the casino’s banking section. Here you can place a withdrawal request for some or all of your winnings.

Additional Online Slots Games Buttons

Although they’re not always available on all online slots games, below are some additional buttons that you might come across and what they mean.

Help – Help buttons gives players access to basic information about the slots game. It usually includes things like game rules, bonus rounds, and any other important details related to that particular game.
Start Feature – Some bonus feature slots have a “Start Feature” button. You may be required to press this button after hitting the necessary symbols for the bonus round. Clicking on this button will start your free spins.
Gamble – Australian-style video slots and some other games give you the option to gamble your winnings. Click this button to advance to the gamble screen where you can take a shot at doubling your current win.
Live Chat – Some online slots games will have a “Live Chat” button you can click on to start an online chat session with a Customer Support Agent. You can ask them any questions you might have and get a response in real-time.

Online slots games can provide countless hours of entertainment and potentially huge winnings. That being said, keep in mind that the payout percentages are low in comparison to other games. Budget yourself and wager accordingly to extract maximum entertainment value.

Slot Machines: Understanding The Most Common Myths

August 3, 2014 Jeff Mott

Slot machines are among the most misunderstood of all casino games. This is important to understand because slot machines are also some of the most popular games and are beloved by the majority of online casino players. Unlike the early slot machines, modern slot machines, whether they be spinning reels or video slots, operate using a Random Number Generator. Commonly referred to as RNG, this is what determines the payouts and combinations for slot machines. It cannot be manipulated or altered in any way; online slot machines are purely games of chance.

Slot Machines Myth #1 – Combinations are Equal in Terms of a Win

Slot machine winning and losing combinations are all pre-programmed. There are many more losing and small winning combinations than big wins and large jackpot combinations.

Here’s a simple example of how slots work. Assume that the optimum combination starts at number one and the combinations will get worse as the bigger the number gets. The following combinations will be available when you place your bet by spinning the reels: 1,2,2,3,3,3,4,4,4,4,5,5,5,5,5,6,6,6,6,6,6,6,6,7,7,7,7,7 etc. As you can see, the top jackpot appears just once and as jackpots get smaller, they appear more frequently. The more the online slot machines are played, the more losing combinations or “near misses” will appear.

Slot Machines Myth #2 – A Near Miss Mean a Win is Close

Anyone who plays online slot machines regularly can tell you that after playing for some time you’re likely to hit several combinations that are very close to a big payout. This is not unintentional. These “near misses” are meant to make you feel that a big win is extremely close at hand. It’s hard to walk away when you can feel that a huge jackpot could be just a click away. The hard truth is that these near misses are just misses. There is no reason to think that you’re any closer to a big win because the RNG controls every combination and these aren’t based on any previous combinations. This is just a ploy by the slot machine manufacturers to keep you playing.

Slot Machines Myth #3 – Avoid Them After a Jackpot Win

Because the outcome of every spin is unrelated to any other, just because a jackpot has been one it doesn’t mean that the slot machines have “gone cold.” There is just as much of a chance of a machine paying out a jackpot twice in a row as there is if there were multiple spins between wins.

Slot Machines Myth #4 – Worst of the Casino Bets

Sometimes people will try to steer players away from the slot machines because they tend to have lower payout percentages than other casino games. This is not entirely true. For example, craps tables offer bets that have worse odds than the majority of slot machines.

Sure, there are other casino games that offer much more competitive payout percentages. However, these games generally require a certain level of skill in order to capitalize on the higher payouts. Without the necessary skills, players can easily end up being worse off than they would have been had they opted for games of chance like slot machines.

Online Slot Machines – Symbols and Storytelling

June 28, 2014 Michael Schultz

Online slot machines are beloved by millions of players the world over because they are easy to play and potentially offer gigantic windfalls. This is a big reason why they are more popular than any other online casino game. What you might not realize, however, is that in addition to providing lots of heart-pounding entertainment and the chance to win lots of cash, online slot machines also offer a vast amount of intelligence about the world in which we live. You’ll need to make some effort to extract this wealth of information from the games, but you’ll be glad you did.

Back in the early days of online slot machines the symbols on the reels were often meaningless. However, today’s online slot machines are often based on a theme. The symbols reflect this theme and understanding their meaning can lead to all kinds of interesting information of which you might not otherwise be aware. Consider a Viking-themed slot machine for example. The reel symbols would generally represent some aspect of Viking culture. In the online casino slot game, Arctic Fortune, one of the reels features the symbol of a large horn with a variety of fruit spilling out. A quick search on the internet reveals that this symbol represents the Horn of Plenty, something that is featured throughout much of European mythology. The story tells of a horn that produces vast amount of fruit, thereby ensuring than nobody would go hungry. You may recognize this symbol from Thanksgiving celebrations as well. American Indian-themed online slots are also very popular with players. Here you may find a symbol that consists of a circular hoop decorated with feathers. This is known as a dream catcher. Some American Indians believe that dream catchers can change a person’s dreams simply by trapping the bad dreams and only allowing good dreams to filter through.

Online Slot Machines – Characters and Symbols

With some online slot machines this learning process applies to virtually all of the reel symbols. Many slot machines base their themes on stories from Greek mythology. An example of just one of these games is Stash of the Titans. This slot game features lots of villains, heroes, and other well-known Greek characters. These characters will be easily recognized by anyone who is familiar with Greek mythology. However, anyone who isn’t knowledgeable will undoubtedly be entertained by these fascinating characters and their famous exploits. One of these popular stories involves Medusa the Gorgon. Medusa famously turned those who looked at her to stone and was ultimately slain by Perseus. Then there’s the story of the Minotaur, a monster with a man’s body and the head of a bull. The Minotaur feasted on virgins and young men until he was killed by Theseus.

The slots themes aren’t solely based on mythology. Some popular online slot machines are based on characters from great works of literature. For example, Scrooge is a slot game that takes his cue from Charles Dickens’ novel, A Christmas Carol. Symbols, reels, and animations are all based on characters from the famous tale. Many players enjoy these machines because in addition to the entertainment value provided by the game itself, players are also reminded of a classic Christmas story and can enjoy the warm sense of spirit that brings.

Although the classics are popular, they don’t hold a candle to the Marvel superhero online slot games from gaming providers Playtech and Cryptologic. The Marvel comics have a rich history and the characters are legendary. Every superhero slot game delivers information on the character’s alter egos, the origins of their super powers, their sworn enemies and weapons of choice. These intricate details that are woven throughout the fabric of the game bring the excitement to an even higher level. Because the online slot machines of today have an auto play feature, interested players have plenty of time to research the background associated with their chosen game.