Being a winning slot machine player is impossible. All slot machines are developed specifically as a way to offer the house a long term edge, so the house shall always come out ahead if you play long enough. The only real way to counteract the home edge on slot machine games is to play a game with a really big jackpot, bet the max every time you play, and hope that you hit the jackpot. Then whenever you do hit the really big jackpot, guess what you do next? Stop playing that game.
Do not get me wrong. I am not saying that you shouldn't play slot machines. In fact, I think slot games, particularly the great ones, are a lot of fun. But you want to keep within the forefront of your mind that mathematically, what you are doing when you're playing a slot machine on a long-term basis is paying for entertainment. You can calculate just how much you're paying for that entertainment by multiplying the house edge times your average bet times your range of spins per hour.
As an example, if you're playing a slot game with a payout of 95%, then the home edge is 5%. (The casino keeps 5% of every bet you make long-term.) And if you're average bet is $3, then you're going to pay a typical of 15 cents per spin to the home. (5% times $3.) Assuming you're making 500 spins by the hour, that game costs you $75/hour to play, which may or might not be a reasonable price for you entertainment. That is dependent upon your bankroll.
Another thing to factor into your calculation is just how much the perks and bonuses you are getting back from the casino are worth. For anyone who is playing in a land-based casino where you are getting free drinks while you play, then you can subtract the expense of those drinks from you're hourly cost. (Or you may add the expense of those drinks to the value of the entertainment you're receiving--it's just a matter of perspective.) My recommendation is to drink top-shelf liquor and premium beers in order to maximize the entertainment value you are receiving. A Heineken can cost $4 a bottle in a nice restaurant. Drink two Heinekens per hour, and you have just lowered what it costs you to play each hour from $75 to $68.
Slot clubs also give back a portion of your losses each hour, so definitely be sure you join the casino's slot club and ALWAYS use your card to track your play. There is absolutely no reason not to do this. Casinos also reward their larger slot players with comps like meals, show tickets, and free rooms, which all add up to reduce the amount of cash you're spending each hour that you're playing slot online on their machine.
Now how to be a winning slot machine player? I'd sum it up by saying know simply how much it's costing you to play each spin and each hour, take advantage of all of the comps and the perks, and go for the big progressive jackpot.
Do not get me wrong. I am not saying that you shouldn't play slot machines. In fact, I think slot games, particularly the great ones, are a lot of fun. But you want to keep within the forefront of your mind that mathematically, what you are doing when you're playing a slot machine on a long-term basis is paying for entertainment. You can calculate just how much you're paying for that entertainment by multiplying the house edge times your average bet times your range of spins per hour.
As an example, if you're playing a slot game with a payout of 95%, then the home edge is 5%. (The casino keeps 5% of every bet you make long-term.) And if you're average bet is $3, then you're going to pay a typical of 15 cents per spin to the home. (5% times $3.) Assuming you're making 500 spins by the hour, that game costs you $75/hour to play, which may or might not be a reasonable price for you entertainment. That is dependent upon your bankroll.
Slot clubs also give back a portion of your losses each hour, so definitely be sure you join the casino's slot club and ALWAYS use your card to track your play. There is absolutely no reason not to do this. Casinos also reward their larger slot players with comps like meals, show tickets, and free rooms, which all add up to reduce the amount of cash you're spending each hour that you're playing slot online on their machine.
Now how to be a winning slot machine player? I'd sum it up by saying know simply how much it's costing you to play each spin and each hour, take advantage of all of the comps and the perks, and go for the big progressive jackpot.