The Basics of Slot Machines

The King of Casino Games

Up to this time of writing, slot machines can rightly be considered the most brilliant casino game ever made. It appeals to the masses of gamblers since they are the easiest to play; it benefits the lucky players because of the big prizes; and it makes the casinos happy because they generate the most income for the house. Slot machines, in fact, can hold their own against all the other games put together.

Slots Origin

The first slot machines appeared in San Francisco, California in the year 1890's by Charles Fey. The earliest slot machines had only 5 symbols and 3 reels. Another gambling machine at the time was based in poker, but it had too many card combination possibilities that made payout difficult. Fey's model became the standard on which future slots were based. Slots were very popular in bars where the prizes given were usually free drinks, chewing gums and cigars.

Slots Mechanism

A player buys the right to play slots by inserting coins, paper money or a ticket with a bar-code.

Older slots were activated by a lever linked to a shaft that held the reels. Built-in brakes stop the machine and then symbol set is sent to the payout system, which pays the player if it is a winning set.

Modern slots are computerized. A computer chip called a random number generator is forever making symbol sets, even when the slot is idle. When the button or lever is pressed, the current set is picked and the reels will stop there. The player is paid if it is a paying set.

Slots can and have been rigged. Traditional slots could be manipulated physically with foreign objects, or broken into with brute force. Modern slots are harder for players to crack into, but a programmer can program a slot game to pay out (or not) if played in a certain way. Needless to say, a programmer caught doing this goes to jail.

Skill, Strategy & Luck

Slot machines don't lend themselves well to strategies. Once the slot machine is activated, there is nothing a player can do to improve his or her chances of winning. Some people might claim otherwise, but these are usually those who sell slot strategies to begin with.

Slot machine play cannot be controlled because other than making the reels spin and playing bonus games, there's no play involved in slots. What you can do is find the right slots to play and then plan your bets. If you find loose slots and follow a well-planned betting system, you will be able to play longer and win more.

The rest is luck, divine intervention (if you believe in it) and fun. Even if the former two never happen, slots is above all about fun. It's a great game and games are meant to be enjoyed.