There are many different types of slot machines, including classic three-reel games and modern five- and seven-reel slots. Each game has its own unique set of odds and payout percentages. The goal of any slot player is to maximize their winnings while playing these games.
A successful slot strategy starts before you even walk into a casino. You must first decide what your main goals are while you’re there: are you looking to have fun, play for entertainment, or win cash?
The RNG – Random Number Generator
All slot machines, both live and online, use a random number generator to determine the outcome of each spin. Computer science has not yet developed a way to create a truly random system that can be trusted 100%, but the RNGs used by most slots are as close to random as they need to be to ensure players are not cheated.
Symbol Weighting and Probability
Until the 1980s, slot machine manufacturers assigned a similar probability to every symbol on each reel. This made it difficult for the average slot player to tell when a losing symbol would appear. Eventually, manufacturers began using microprocessors in their products to program the computers to assign a different probability to each symbol.
Volatility – How High or Low the Payout is
The volatility of a slot is one of the most important factors when it comes to choosing which slots you should play. The lower the volatility, the higher your odds of striking a winning combination when you spin the reels. However, it is also important to note that lower volatility slots offer smaller wins compared to higher volatility slots.