Tips & Strategies for Slot Players

May 1st, 2009

1. Always play with money you can afford to lose.

Let’s face it. No matter what tips and strategies I give you on this page, the house still has the edge on any slot game you play. So the best way to play smart is to play with entertainment money, fun money. DON’T play with the rent money. Scared money always loses; whether or not you’re superstitious.

2. Always play the max bet.

If you don’t play the max bet, then you reduce your payout percentage considerably, because the biggest jackpots always require the max bet in order to win. And the biggest jackpot is calculated into your payout percentage. You want your payout percentage to be high, and in order for that to happen, you MUST play the max bet. If you can’t afford the max bet, then play lower limits.

3. Understand the rules and payouts of the machine before you play.

My winning slot strategies are always aimed at maximizing the entertainment value of your slots play. To me, that’s just being realistic. And the best way to enjoy any game, and especially a gambling game, is to understand what’s going on.

4. Set win goals.

This one might be controversial to some people, but the fact is that if you’re up for a session, you might as well quit when you’ve hit your win goal so you can feel good about it. Go see a show, enjoy a nice meal, or catch some of the tourist attractions before you play all your winnings back. People who win quit when they’re ahead.

5. Set loss limits.

Bankroll management (loss limits and win goals are bankroll management techniques) do not affect the odds or payouts on a slot machine game. BUT, they can help you preserve your bankroll and keep you from losing money you can’t afford to lose. And if you don’t have the self-discipline to keep yourself from playing back all your winnings or to quit while you’re ahead, then you shouldn’t be gambling at all.

6. Understand the hourly cost of playing.

Realistically speaking, most people actually play 600 or so spins per hour. If a machine pays out at 95%, and you’re playing $1 per spin total, that you’re looking at an hourly cost of 5% times 600 spins X $1/spin, which means it costs $30/hour to play. Why’s it important to know how much it costs to play? Because you need to budget your gambling. Only you can decide what is an appropriate hourly cost for the entertainment you’re receiving from playing the slots.

If you stick with these slot machine tips and strategies as your starting guide, you won’t go wrong as a winning slot player. (And you’ll understand that a ″winning slot player″ is something like a ″jumbo shrimp″ or ″military intelligence″–an oxymoron. But there are different ways to define winning.)

All About Video Poker

April 29th, 2009

Video poker is a casino game that has much in common with slot machines, but it is a slot machine game combined with the rules of five card draw poker in a very specific manner. Video poker is often considered by many experienced gamblers to be vastly superior to slot machines because of the effect that skilled play has on the potential payback of the machine. While slot machines are programmed to pay back a certain percentage of the money that is fed into the machine, video poker pays back a percentage that can be affected by perfect strategic play.

Video poker games first appeared in the 1970’s, but didn’t start enjoying widespread popularity until the 1980’s, when slot machine manufacturer IGT became involved in the production of video poker games. Many people in casinos who are nervous or intimidated by table games find video poker to be a lot more ″friendly″ than blackjack or live poker. This is probably because video poker combines the strategic thinking of a table game like blackjack with the solitary playing experience of a slot machine.

Video poker games are easily played. The player wages 1 or more coins in order to get dealt five virtual cards on a computer screen. (A smart player always plays the max bet, usually 5 coins, since the max bet triggers the bigger payoffs on the higher ranked hands.) The player chooses which cards to hold and then draws cards to replace his discarded cards. The final hand pays out based on the payout table for the particular video game.

Popular video poker games include deuces wild and jacks or better, both of which are often played either as single hands or in a multi-hand version, where the player gets to play 3, 5, 10, 50 or even 100 hands of video poker at the same time.

Depending on the payout schedule for the different poker hands on a certain machine, the payback percentage on a video poker can be very good indeed. Jacks or better with a ″full pay″, or the highest standard payback schedule, pays back at 99.5% with perfect play. A full pay deuces wild machine pays back at 100.7% with perfect play. In actual practice, players who don’t play perfectly and make mistakes reduce the practical payback percentage on those machines by 6% or more, making video poker one of the most profitable games in the casino, especially since many video poker players play upwards of 500 hands per hour.

Learning how to play video poker with perfect strategy is not terribly hard to do. There are numerous video poker strategy guides available for sale, and Bob Dancer’s excellent tutorials and software teach video poker strategy through a series of both charts and lists of principles that will work effectively for different learning styles.

Practicing has become much easier also, now that free video poker games have become so prevalent online. Games like these allow you to play online with no download and no cost, and they’re played using the same rules as the video poker games found in traditional land-based casinos.

Slot Machine Basics 101

April 28th, 2009

Let’s begin with a little bit of basic knowledge about slot machines.

Modern Slot Machines work on a computer program that randomly selects winning combinations. Winning percentages and odds are set by the manufacturer and are calculated by millions of spins made with computer simulations.

A Slot Machine is a mechanical device employing three, four, five, or more circular reels of varying dimensions. Each of these reels has several symbols, either painted on or attached to it. Most common designs are Cherries, Bars, the Jackpot Symbol, and the Number 7.

Theme Machines are very popular, using red, white, and blue 7’s symbol which trade on American patriotism. To better understand Slot Machine Strategies and how Winning at Slot Machines can be easy, you must first know what kind of Slot Machine you are playing and understand Slot Machine Strategy.

Three Reels vs. Four Reels

Common sense should dictate that it is far easier to line up three matching symbols for a Slot Machine win, than four. To get four of anything is very hard, even on liberal Video Poker. On a Reel Slot Machine, three 7’s can be achieved much more often than four 7’s on a Four-Reel machine. Look for Three Reel machines to play.

Progressive Slots

Progressive Slot Machines are usually Four-Reel machines which offer an open-ended jackpot that increases in value after each pull on every machine within a linked group. The top jackpot can be won only if the maximum number of coins is played and all the winning symbols correctly line up on the pay line. Progressive Slots do not pay off very often, however if you want to play a Progressive Slots, pick one whose Primary and Secondary jackpots are at a high level.

Two-Coin vs. Three-Coin Machines

In a Two-Coin machine, for the top jackpot, or maybe even the top two or three jackpots, the second-coin play will pay considerably more than just double the one-coin jackpot. For example: top jackpot payoff on a Two-Coin machine is three 7’s, paying $1,000, the same three 7’s pays only $400 if you played only one coin. The Three Coin machine will show much higher payoffs for the top jackpots with the three coins played. Three-Coin machines might look more lucrative in their payoff than Two-Coin machines, but don’t be fooled! The player also has to bet more to get the higher payout. Consequently, the player will lose more money. One final piece of advice: whatever slot you play, Two-Coin, Three-Coin, Four-Coin, etc., always play the maximum number of coins. If you don’t, you are not maximizing your winnings.

One Payline vs. Three Paylines

Most Slot Machines show the Center line marked as a payline. To win you must line up a winning combination on that center payline and on that line only. But many machines show Three Paylines: at the top, center, and bottom of the window. This means that a winning combination lined up correctly on any of the three Paylines will pay. The advantage of Three-Paying Machines is they give you more chances of winning and you can get double and triple pays if winning combinations appear on more than one payline together. The disadvantages are that the payoffs are usually very small and the top jackpot is paid only if you line up the proper winning symbols in the correct sequence on the bottom, or third payline. Another disadvantage is that Three-Payline machines are always three-coin machines. Some machines offer five, or even eight paylines but, once again, you have to play five or eight coins per pull. Remember, great advice, play Two-Coin maximum, Three Reel, One Payline Slot Machines.

Double-Up Symbols

An increasing variety of machines now employ so-called Double-Up symbols on their reels. This symbol, usually circular or in the shape of a diamond in a circle, and always bearing the words ″Double″ across its face, can be very valuable to the slot player. The payoff amount is Double and these Double Symbols also substitute forany other symbol. However, there are not many Double Machines available at casinos. The good Double-Up machines are normally found stuck somewhere in the middle of a group of bad machines, or are relegated to some obscure part of the casino.

Tunisia Casinos

April 26th, 2009

Tunisia is a country in North Africa where casinos are the only form of legalized gambling. The country currently has four casinos scattered across its cities and with Tunisia’s mild climate and sandy beaches, it has become a popular holiday resort for gamblers.

The largest Tunisia casino is the Grand Pasino Djerba which is located in Djerba. Djerba is nestled between Algeria and Libya. They are open twenty four hours on a daily basis. They offer one hundred and fifty nine slot machines and video poker terminals. They also hold fourteen gaming tables that include blackjack, poker, roulette, and stud poker.

The Grand Casino Yasmine is found in Hammamet. It boasts one hundred and fifteen slot machines and video poker games and nine gaming tables. The games are blackjack, roulette, and stud poker. The casino is open daily between the hours of 8 pm and 4 am. The Grand Casino Yasmine also houses an American bar for its gamers.

The second Tunisia Casino based in Hammamet is the Casino La Medina. This casino holds one hundred slot machines and video poker games. It also has thirteen gaming tables including American roulette, blackjack, and stud poker. The Casino La Medina also offers its own Lebanese restaurant and numerous shops for the gamblers to take advantage of. The casino is open daily from 8 am to 4 pm. This may seem a strange time for a casino to be open, but it is based on a newly built complex containing various restaurants and shops for locals and tourists alike, so the company obviously felt that these opening times would maximize on their profits.

The final Tunisia Casino is the Grand Casino Kantaoui which can be found in Sousse. They are open daily from 5 pm to 4 am and hold fifty slot machines and video poker games. They also have ten gaming tables including blackjack, roulette, and stud poker. There is also an American bar for the convenience of its gamers.

Though these casinos don’t offer sleeping facilities, there are plenty of quality hotels nearby that you can choose from. All hotels offer a wide range of superior facilities and luxurious rooms. These include various water sports and numerous restaurants, which offer not only an international menu, but also traditional Tunisian cuisine. During the summer months, tourists can choose to partake in the various summer festivals held here, enjoying open-air concerts and the local atmosphere. With all the casinos being located near these seaside resorts, you can take in the sand, sea, and surf on a daily basis to fully maximize your vacation.

How to Play Keno

April 25th, 2009

Keno is one of the easiest gambling games to play. When you learn how to play Keno, you'll be able to find a Keno game in just about any Las Vegas casino hall or online casino. Similar to Lotto, Keno originated in China and was brought to the United States by Chinese immigrants in the mid-1800s. One of the best reasons to learn how to play Keno is the potential payout: in most online casinos, a $1 bet can pay out up to $50,000 in winnings. The rules for how to play Keno are just as simple as playing your state's lottery.

Would you like to know how to play Keno? There are no cards involved in this simple game of chance. Keno play consists of selecting a minimum of four and a maximum of ten numbers, called spots, between 1 and 80. Your game is called according to the number of spots you select; for instance, if you pick eight numbers, you're playing 8-spot Keno. Winning numbers for each Keno game are randomly selected, and winners are determined by how many of your numbers match the winning numbers. In some cases, such as in 10-spot Keno, payouts are given if you don't match any of the numbers. If you know how to play the lottery, you know how to play Keno!

Generally, there are two options for how to play Keno. In most Las Vegas casinos there are Keno lounges specially designated for playing the game. Screens called Keno boards are located in the lounge and display the results of each Keno draw. Most casinos hold Keno draws every ten or twenty minutes. For players who want to participate in Keno outside the lounge, Vegas casinos have Keno screens throughout the hall to display the results, and employees called Keno runner circulating through the crowds, who will collect your ticket and deliver your winnings. Knowing how to play Keno means you'll always have something going on when you're at the casino!

Another method for how to play Keno is video Keno. This is the version available for online casino play. Video Keno is similar to live Keno, except you don't have to wait ten minutes between games. Like a slot machine, you can play video Keno as many times in a row as you wish. The payouts for video Keno can be as high as $100,000 on a $1 wager. Video Keno is available at just about every online casino. So, now you know how to play Keno. See you at the boards!

Las Vegas Comps and Online Comps

April 24th, 2009

Las Vegas comps or casino bonus extras from an online casino are the best way to get free rewards just for playing. A lot of players inside land based casinos like those in Las Vegas will spend thousands and thousands of dollars not realizing that the casinos want their business so much that they will spend money just to keep them coming back. The online casinos are the same way. Most will offer a 100% or more sign up bonus to get you in and based on your play, will reward you with deposit bonuses in addition to other incentives just to keep you coming back there. Las Vegas casino comps can get you free rooms, show tickets, and fine dining at world-class restaurants. Plus, even cash to gamble with! So what is the secret? It is very simple to get casino comps, just sign up for a players card in a land based casino or a players rewards program with the online casinos. In Las Vegas they have the sign up desks inside of their casinos. Generally, it is the line of people looking like they are trying to get on a ride at Disneyland. So to avoid the lines, you should go early in the morning or if you will be going to Las Vegas soon, search for the casino that you will be staying at over the Internet. More and more land based casinos are allowing you to sign up for their players card program online, so take advantage of it. The cards will be waiting there when you arrive! Signing up for a players card is a good idea to do in any casino anywhere, so don’t wait for the Vegas trip. Almost all of the newer casinos on Indian reservations, riverboats and other areas are managed by former Las Vegas executives who know what loyalty means to the bottom line, so you can expect to have players card programs available wherever you go. The players card is becoming more important as technology continues to advance. Signing up with one program can allow you to gain rewards at a number of casinos instead of just one. At some casinos, technological advancements makes it possible to withdraw the cash earned on your account using a pin number at self-serve kiosks that are on the casino floor. Wagering bonuses earned for slots are also being placed on your card to be used at slot machines in the casinos. And when you are at home, you can use your card number to enter events online with casinos and win more comps and free goodies. So once you get a card, make sure you keep up with it! (In the event that you do lose it, the casino will make a new one for you easily.) Now for online casinos or poker rooms, their bonuses are mostly in the form of bonuses deposits, ″player point programs″ or free entries to tournaments for big money. This is a great benefit for gamblers as it gives more opportunities to win! Records are kept of how often and how much you gamble with them. And periodically, they will let you know what you have qualified for. For example, poker players can use ″player points″ to enter major online poker tournaments instead of having to pay entry fees. Chris Moneymaker proved playing poker can make millions in 2003 and Gregory Paul Raymer did it again in 2004 with both winning World Series of Poker championships. Both signed up with a major online poker room and ended up becoming millionaires! Imagine receiving big money from a tournament and knowing that you never paid one dime in entry fees! Giving the player ″points″, is one of the ways that online poker rooms comp their players. From this point on you should start getting more from your gambling by following these ideas. Print up this page and keep it with you on your next trip as a reminder. Good luck!

The Slot Machine

April 24th, 2009

The very first slot machine (called ‘Liberty Bell’) was created by a man called Charles Fay from his workshop in San Francisco in 1887. Slightly smaller than today’s average slot machines, Liberty Bell contained 3 reels and 20 symbols and operated pretty much in the same way as today’s slot machines. Within a relatively short period of time, Fay’s creation became so popular and successful that he began to work overtime in his workshop to meet the demand for his slot machines. Capitalizing on their success, Fay rented the machines to gambling establishments at a 50% commission rate, refusing to sell the manufacturing and distribution rights of his slot machines to gambling manufacturers.

In 1907, Herbert Mills, a Chicago manufacturer created ‘Operator Bell’, a slot machine similar to ‘Liberty Bell’ in design. Produced and distributed at a greater rate than Fay’s ‘Liberty Bell’, the ‘Operator Bell’ slot machines experienced even greater success and by 1910, slot machines were very common in the United States of America. As soon as slot machines had reached a new peak in popularity and became common throughout the USA, new laws were introduced and passed to ban slot machines. In spite of this, slot machines continued to be popular throught America during the 1920s and 1930s. During the late 1940’s, Bugsy, a well known gangster, added slot machines to his Flamingo Hilton hotel in Las Vegas where the profit from slot machines eventually exceeded that of table games.

The objective of the slot machine is to try and spin a winning combination of symbols on the payline.

There are basically two types of slots.

Straight Slots: A Straight slots jackpot will remain at a set amount of money until it is won, after which it resets and starts over again at that same amount. For example, a straight jackpot may be set at $20,000 and will remain at $20,000 until it is won, no matter how many coins are deposited into the slot machine.

Progressive Slots: On the other hand, the amount of money that may be won playing progressive slots is determined by the amount of money deposited into the machine. Thus the progressive jackpot continuosly increases with each player until it is won.

To play straight or progressive slots, the player deposits a coin or set of coins into the slot machine and selects the number of coins to bet per spin. The player may then either press the ‘Spin’ button or pull the arm of the slot machine to spin the reels. Once the reels stop spinning, the player will either win or lose that spin. Whether the player wins or loses, he may ‘Cash Out’ his share of money from the machine or continue to play.

Today, slot machines are amongst the most popular games found in casinos, accounting for over 30% of casino profit. This is due to a number of reasons.

(1) Slot machines are very easy to play and require no real test of skill or knowledge. A player simply deposits coins into the machine and presses a button. Once the reels stop spinning, the machine will alert the player if the winning combination is struck or not.

(2) There is no pressure to play against or interact with other players as one may do in games such as Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat and Poker.

(3) There is no risk of someone trying to cheat during the game or of the dealer making an honest mistake during a bet.

(4) There is no time frame for one to make the next move. A slot machine may be played at one's own pace without the player feeling the need to hurry because someone else is waiting for his/her turn.

(5) The game is played with real money and not casino chips. This makes the game much more exciting in the sense that the player has the opportunity to gamble with real currency.

(6) The payout is instant and can sometimes run into the thousands of dollars, especially if one is playing progressive slots.

For these set of reasons, the slot machine is currently one of the most popular games found in a casino.

Oceanbreezepoker.com Announce the Official Launch of Their All New Online Casino Site

April 22nd, 2009

Oceanbreezepoker.com announce the official launch of their all new online Casino site. Oceanbreezepoker.com NEW online Casino features the most advanced 3D online casino software in the industry.

Oceanbreezepoker has added more than 40 new video poker, online casino table games and progressive slot machines. This includes the most popular table games such as Blackjack, Craps, American Roulette, European Roulette, Red Dog, Mini Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Casino War, Carribean Poker, 3 Card Poker,and more.

You can play all of Oceanbrezepoker casino games for free or for real cash.

The launch of the new casino site adds to their online gambling portfolio which includes already popular and well established online Poker Rooms and Sportsbook.

Senegal Casinos

April 22nd, 2009

Senegal, a former French colony in West Africa, offers a plethora of options for those looking for a spot of gambling. Senegal casinos can be found both in the capital Dakar, and the port town of Saint-Louis, a couple of hundred miles to the north. There are four casinos to draw in the punters in Dakar, the Casino Du Cap Vert, the Casino Du Port, Casino Terrou-bi, and the Casino Café de Rome, whilst Saint-Louis has one, the Casino De St. Louis.

Senegal casinos tend to be located in resort complexes. The largest, in Dakar, is the Casino Terrou-bi, located on the Route Corniche Ouese. This report features not only a casino, but a hotel, gastronomic restaurant, swimming pool, and night club. The casino’s air-conditioned Salle de Jeux offers twelve gaming tables, playing English roulette, blackjack, and stud poker. The opening hours are 10 pm to 3 am every day of the week. The casino also enjoys 130 slot machines, also in an air-conditioned room with a panoramic view of the ocean. The slot machines are available to play from 2 pm to 4 am, again every day of the week.

Dakar’s second largest casino, the Casino Du Port, owned by the same group as the Casino Terrou-bi, is to be found at 19 Boulevard de la Liberation. Again, in climate-controlled surroundings, gamers can enjoy 100 slot machines and ten gaming tables- playing blackjack, Caribbean Stud Poker, and English roulette. Additionally, the resort offers gamers a 300 seat bingo hall, with games on Wednesday and Sunday. It is open every day except Sunday, and the opening hours are 8 pm to 3 am, Monday to Thursday, and 8 pm to 4 am on Friday, Saturday, and public holidays.

There are two more casinos in Dakar. The Casino du Cap Vert, or Green Cape in English, is on the Route de Ngor, in Dakar-Yoff. It has sixteen slot machines and five gaming tables - three playing American roulette, two blackjack, and one poker. Finally, there is the Casino Café de Rome.

For visitors who would rather place their bets outside the capital, some 200 miles to the north is the port town and world heritage site of Saint Louis. Here gamblers will find the fourth of the Senegal casinos, the Casino De St. Louis, which is located on the Quai Roume. This casino has ten gaming tables, offering gamblers a choice of American roulette, blackjack, poker, and 24 slot machines.

Casinos - What Do They Offer?

April 21st, 2009

Casinos often offer much more than gambling. In Las Vegas, casinos are famous for their live entertainment, free buffets and much more. At Caesar's Palace, there are regular shows by all types of famous celebrities including singers, comedians and magicians. Caesar's Palace also offers a wide range of eating venues from fine dining restaurants, to casual dining cafes and plenty of bars and lounges. In addition to all of this, there is a large shopping area, and at the famous Venetian you can go gambling to your heart's content, then take a gondola ride to wind down the evening. If you are not interested in gambling, entertainment, dining or shopping, maybe you can wind down with a full body massage in Caesar’s Palace spa and fitness center.

Of course, all the free food, live shows and other features are really there to help diversify your gambling experience. The real reason the casinos exist is to provide you with quality entertainment with games of chance. Those games have come a long way since the old James Bond movies where hero and villain sit across the casino's roulette wheel or the poker table matching wits.

Today there is video poker, progressive slot machine gambling, video blackjack and much more. The high-tech games are just as enticing as their older counterparts, and when you hear the jackpot sirens ringing on these machines, there's no question who won, or where. Casinos today are bigger, more sophisticated and more dazzling than ever before.

To get more people into the casino, many establishments are offering incentive packages including books of coupons for discounted drinks, and some even offer a 'bet matching' incentive coupon that doubles your winnings on certain games. The casino scene offers many enticements and incentives, but the main attraction is always fun. Take a casino trip with a spending limit, good moderation habits and you'll have just as much fun as any other night spot in town.