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Before you play play free slots online or enter a land casino, you have to know slot terminology. This is the jargon used in slot machines, so make sure you understand all the terms. Slots terminology can be confusing to some. That’s why we have gathered all the terms related to slots and slots gambling. Regardless of whether you play play free slots online or are a fan of progressive slots in land casinos, these terms will be very helpful. Bet Max This button places the highest amount of coins allowed by the machine Bonus Feature Any possible way of winning besides the typical payline combinations Bonus Video Slot A video slot machine that has a bonus feature. There are may different features, but the most common most common are pick a box, free spins and wheel or fortune game style.

• Buy A Pay A slot machine with multiple pay tables. With any additional coin played, you activate an additional pay tables. Consider max bets.
• Buttons Interface of any slot machine that lets you interact with it. Coins Currency used buy the slot machines to place bets.
• Coin Size Actual value of the coins used in the machine
• Double Up Typically found in Australian slot machines. Gives you a chance to multiply your win by 2 or 4 by choosing the color or card suit.
• Fruit Machine The UK variation of slot machine that often features additions like the possibility to hold the reels, nudge and play bonus games.
• Hi / Low A feature common for UK slots, which gives you the possibility to to double your win by guessing whether the next number will be lower or higher.
• Hit Rate / Frequency How often the machine pays a winning combination. Is also used to denote the chance of hitting a bonus game.
• Hopper The area of coin storage inside a real-world slot machine.
• Jackpot The highest win the slot machine can pay
• Linked Jackpot A network of slot machines in different casinos that share the same jackpot. Usually found on progressive slots.
• Maximum Bet The highest amount of coins allowed in the game.
• Multi-Line A slot machine that has more than one payline to win.
• Pay Line The line where the combination should line up for you to win.
• Pay Out Percentage The pre-set percentage of bets that will be returned by the slot machine over the long term. Casinos cannot change this percentage.
• Pay Table The chart outlining all th wins payed by the machine.
• Pokies Slot machines in Australian slang
• Progressive Jackpot Any jackpot that increases while the game is played. A part of every bet is contributed to form the jackpot. Usually met in linked jackpots.
• Random Number Generator (RNG) The chip inside every slot machine that decides when the reels will stop.
• Reels The drums inside the slot machine that spin when you press the button or pull the lever. Modern video slots use digital images instead of spinning drums.
• Scatter Pay Typically found on video slots, a pay that wins without having to line up in the payline. Often found on bonus slot machines.
• Slot Machine Any casino game machine that involves reels
• Symbols The images displayed on the reels in the slot machine. Common symbols are bars, fruits and sevens.
• Video Slot A slot machine using a computer screen instead of physical reels to display the symbols.
• Wild Symbol A symbol that substitutes other symbols. Acts like joker in card games.
• Wild Multiplier A wild symbol that actually multiplies the win it makes a part of.
• Winning Combinations The combinations of symbols that win. Displayed on the pay table.

Had a bad run with the cards and lost a few dollars - got my pride wacked outa shape. Thought about playing video poker machine for a change of scenery, but ended up walking past the slots machines into the bar. So here’s me sitting here nursing a consolatory screwdriver and my quiet time’s disturbed by the young fellah who seems to think I owe him another piece. He’s got no cause to beef with me.

And it’s not like he’s anteing up so much cash he gets any rights to bid me what to do. He’s like a piker - stingy bettor with a big mouth. Not worth the time of day, most days.So I s’pose I’d better say a few words of reassurance - not that it’ll actually boost your confidence. The truth ain’t designed to do that.

So, let me sit you down in front of a video poker machine playing Jacks or Better on a pay table that’s offering 9-6-250 like online at goldencasino.com. For those who’ve not boned up on the jargon, that’s a machine paying 250 per coin on a Royal Flush, 9 on a Full House and 6 on a Flush. That machine’s set up to pay back only a fraction over 98% of what it takes. Even if you play a perfect strategy on this machine, the theoretical return never gets above 100%. It bears saying again. No matter which lucky rabbit’s foot you got in your pants, the very best you can hope to do is to almost break even.

The House took millions of extra profit. Half the room got to playing the Martingdale System. They were doubling their bets after every loss. So why do some folk get so all-fired sure they’ve been cheated by slot machines? In a word: frustration. They were hot, certain their luck was in, but had a long bad session. That always makes the loss harder to bear - when your emotion gets in the way of your judgement. Gambling’s got streaks of luck both ways. But they tapped out of money before the streak ended. Was there anything wrong with the wheel? Nope! The math god smiled and it was true.

If I stopped there, there’s no sense in any casino cheating on the slot machines. But there’s no denying you’re right ’bout one thing. I’ve seen a few do it to put the money in their own pockets - most of them got decent burials, too. Yeh, there’s some cheating going on, but most of it’s on your side and it’s not very subtle.

One last thought before the thinking’s done: some of you load up your own software to run alongside video poker machines - kinda like a coach. They might not like some of the things they find - not within the spirit of the game from their point of view. Remember the old Chinese saying, “Big fish eat small fish.”

See you in a casino!

I am skeptical of much of what Scarne has written about blackjack, so I’ll quote from Mickey MacDougall’s MacDougall on Dice and Cards (Coward-McCann, 1944, NY), which was published prior to any of Scarne’s books: “Many professionals dress up the game by giving prizes for certain hands. I believe Epstein’s information is taken from Scarne, and Scarne states that he discovered the origins of blackjack in America as a result of his private discussions with old-time gamblers, not from any published texts that can be looked up today.

According to Richard Epstein, blackjack became popular game during World War I, and was called “black-jack” from the custom of paying a bonus to a player who held an ace of spades with a jack of spades or clubs. According to some historians, by 1919a Chicago gambling equipment distributor was selling felt table layouts embla-zoned.

In an honestly dealt single-deck game, this gimmick bonus would give the player a substantial edge over the house, assuming the player knew basic strategy (an unlikely assumption). I would also assume that a gambling house that offered this bonus would be using any number of illegitimate methods to assure the house a healthy edge.

That amusing bonus payout that gave blackjack its name, however, has long since disappeared. There may be some casino somewhere that pays a small bonus if a player is dealt a natural 21 which includes a jack of spades or clubs, but that is no longer a normal rule of the game.

Thorp also included a Simple Point Count in this new edition of his book, but at the time that strategy seemed way too simple to most players to gain much of an edge, or to be taken seriously by players who wanted to beat the game. Later, the power of Thorp’s simpler method of adjusting the running count, without keeping a separate count of the exact number of cards played, would be shown.

That’s when Ed Thorp dropped another bombshell. Under the auspices of their Vintage Paperback division, Random House published a revised and expanded edition of Beat the Dealer. And the most important addition was Harvey Dubner’s Hi-Lo counting system, which Thorp called the Complete Point Count, with a computer-optimized strategy devised by Julian Braun. Today, a blackjack is simply any initial two cards that consist of an ace and any ten-valued card. To the casinos’ frustration, this was a system that could more easily be applied to multiple-deck games.

During the early 70th, Dr. Kit Taft began developing the first concealed blackjack computer, and soon, Kit had started using a computer in the Nevada casinos to play “perfect” blackjack. By the mid-’70s, Kit and his son, Marty, had met Al Francesco, and they would be putting together teams of players using computers to beat the blackjack tables.

Nevada had no laws at that time prohibiting the use of devices at their tables. Kit’s first computer weighed fifteen pounds. He went on to develop dozens of concealable computers and other electronic devices over the next two decades, ever smaller and more powerful.

In the toe of each shoe there were two “switches” - one above each big toe and one beneath - for a total of four switches. By using a series of toe taps, kind of like Morse code, the player could relay to the computer everything it needed to know in order to make a decision in a blackjack game: which cards had already been dealt, what cards the player held, and the dealer’s upcard.

There is only one thing that you must always bear in your head when playing online casino poker. Your experience level can’t prevent you from situations where you’ll need help. There are three main rules that can be followed to improve the game of all players, regardless of how well they play.

Showing other players that you are new to the game can sometimes help in giving you a better advantage. If a person sees an inexperienced player, some will tend to be lenient towards you. This is the key to having fun, and of course winning the money.

In truth however, most players are only looking at what they are doing, and will tend to ignore any others that are in the room. Therefore, there is no need to concentrate on any other player during a game other than your own hand. This way, the game will run smoothly, and you’ll be guaranteed to have fun.

The second rule that is stressed to those playing poker is to gain information about the room you’re entering. So many players sit down to play a game without taking anything in. The staff in the poker room are there to help all players, so if there are any queries you might have, these are the people to help you. They can inform you on the types of games that are offered, the rewards and incentives that come with the games, and they can also tell you other things such as how long the games typically last.

It isn’t a requirement that you enter a poker room and start playing, and it is possible to watch others playing a game to determine the experience level of each player before deciding whether or not to play. Helpful hints are always good to have when deciding on different rooms of casino poker.

Finally, the last rule in casino poker is to take breaks. Concentration is a key factor in playing online poker, and it is very common for players to become frustrated with newer ones who play too long and then begin to falter in the speed of their game.

When walking around the poker room, you should notice the dealers first. Watching them will give you an idea of the speed of the game that is being played. This is so that the newer or more inexperienced players can have the opportunity to obtain refreshments as and when needed without disturbing others. Not only that, taking a break will enable you to walk around the room, and obtain any other information about the players that might help you improve your game.

Which way one decide to go to the casino? The answer is easy: go with what you know. But the follow up answer is: grow with what you like. What do I mean by that? Browse yourself to find the best online casinos. If you enjoy the casino games offered and what to try them out, why not? Most importantly, if the site offers a variety of the game that you like plus provide you with the other famous casino games you want to try out, you should definitely get in on the action. However, being that playing these online casino sites is really one big game of chance and odds, it would be safe to say that by trying your luck at more games, you are increasing your odds all the way around, right? So be smart when you find the online casino that’s right for you. Find one that offers more games, more odds, nice payouts, and amazing software to work with. This will leave you feeling like you are playing smart, increasing the odds that you will be back to patronize that particular gambling site.

Some people believe that playing slots can be a game made solely for losers; one that is connected to nothing at all, and requires no skills or techniques in order to win. These folks are often think that there are nothing they can do about slots and that all that can influence on the game is lady luck. Operated by a random number generator, the game of Slots is always maintained to generate fresh, random numbers regularly. This makes you think that you’re playing in the best videogame ever. Also, you do have to require a familiarity with the game so that you can play correctly and leave happy, knowing that there was nothing you could have done to sway the outcome. One thing that you should know is that when you play free slots you won’t win anything. This is a practice style game. When you do bet real money, you should always try to go for max bet, especially if these are slots. This would mean that your payout. Now, this is something that you should know if you choose to play slots. Or you can remain uninformed about the game and walk away with less than you could have potentially walked away with. Would an uninformed slots player do that? I don’t think so.

Many people think that slots are a game that only allows the best players to win. Those people, though, would be wrong. Slots are a game that offers the ultimate in the “trying your luck” experience. You could literally be anyone, walking around, with nothing to do. You could also have nothing in your pocket but some spare change. Chances are you could find yourself spending that change in a slot machine, trying your luck. If lady luck shines on you in that moment, at that slot machine, you may find that you win a generous amount of money. When you play slots, you are giving away total control to the fates. And if you are lucky, you can have a life-changing experience. The same simply cannot be said about other casino games. You should have a sense of the game and some skill about the ways the games are played. The options for slots have grown and are now endless. Don’t mistake luck for dumb-luck, though. You should know that you can play the best slots around at the right places. You can play free slots online and try your hand at luck from the comfort of your own home. Slots online is one of the places where you can find the games best suited for your skill level and your lucky day!

The young fellah just called. Caught me in a mellow mood for once. He thinks - well, we can suspend judgement on that for so long as he keeps paying me - he thinks I should explain myself. In one piece I’m saying there’s, “a proper mathematical playing strategy for online video poker.” In the next, I’m saying there’s a gambler’s fallacy and you can’t predict the cards. He thinks they doesn’t fit right together. So here’s a few words to make it all crystal. There was never a hint of walking through the door with a system for winning at the tables or on the slot machines. Hollywood got it right for once. The only way you guarantee a big score at a casino is as a thief - and you’ve to be lucky to enjoy your “takings” and avoid the hail of bullets if you get caught by wrong people. Look around online. You’ll see a small army of people touting their systems for beating all casino games with a house advantage. Play slot machines, win big. Win at blackjack without counting. When I was growing up, my mother used to play 78s all the time. She loved the musicals of the 1920s. She’d never been on the chorus line, but she’d a hankering for it. Her parents disapproved of theatrical folk and that was an end of that. Anyways, one of my favorites was Banana Oil - kinda like snake oil but always applied to lounge-lizard lines. “When he tells you, ‘I adore you,’ that’s banana oil.” In other words, everything he said to get his mark into bed was bullshit. Well, the same goes for all these salesmen pushing betting systems for slot machines. They’re trying to scam you outa your money. Take it from me. There ain’t no system around that even dents the House edge on games where the probabilities are set in the House’s favor. Math is math. Mind you. It’s not my money - you wanna fool yourself you can shade the odds in your favor on video poker, then feel free. So, how do these systems work? You’re supposed to base your bets on the most recent outcomes. Take roulette as an example. Wait for a run of blacks, then bet on red - the longer the run, the bigger the bets on red. If you see a pattern emerging, you’re supposed to think that the probabilities of the game itself have changed. When I worked for casinos, we always nodded wisely when someone cautiously asked if they could play a system. Another little chicken ripe for the plucking. So I got me a little snifter here. Jack’s been working his way through some freebies - a new supplier’s trying to break into supplying the casino. Reckons he needs to make sure all the right people get their taste of the good stuff and we’re both of us out to oblige him. Damn, but some of this stuff is good! Makes me wanna give up the poker and the slot machines, and settle down with a bottle or two to enjoy my retirement. My father was counting deaths by the million over decades for the life companies. Short-term, you’ll find anomalies in all slot machines but, over time, the basic patterns are set in stone and in the House’s favor. You’ll see lucky streaks that look like they’re never going to end. But, so long as the House keeps its nerve, the winner will lose it all back again. It’s the same with the so-called systems. They aim to build up the small wins to offset the big losses. If you’ve the bankroll, you can often win over a session. But you’re obsessional kind, ain’t ya? You’ve invested that money in a system. You’re not going to quit while you’re ahead, are you? Which means that any small winnings you picked up on the good days will all get given back to the casinos on the bad days. It’s just the way the House edge works. Like I say, you can’t beat the math. Which leaves me with my strategy, which I’ll get back to when I’m good and ready.

The biggest company in the casino games industry is Playtech. They have produced the first progressive network to link online, mobile and real-world jackpots. The network has just made a jackpot payout of slightly less than US$2.5m. Over the last three months, this is the second payout exceeding $2m. The total amount paid out on this system since its launch now stands at more than $33m.

One of the winners got $2 million at one second. Now, you might think this is a single system all on its own. It may be making big payouts, but not every progressive is making big payouts.

Another winner from England won $1.2 at one glance of eye. That he was extremely surprised by his good fortune probably does not quite capture the moment. It is possible that he has resigned his job and is currently sitting on an island somewhere with a glass in one hand. What he has in his other hand is anyone’s guess.

All these guys are exceptions of one rule, that it is impossible to win playing against the slots machine. Ren and Klaus have joined a fairly exclusive band of players that have “hit the big time”. For the record, Klaus was the thirteenth player to become an instant millionaire on this particular online progressive (let no-one say that thirteen is always an unlucky number). But, by any standards, a win of more than $5m is fairly impressive. It brings the total winnings since the system came online to $27m.

That last sentence puts the win in its proper context. There were twelve previous winners of more than $1m plus the latest win. That makes $17.7 as a minimum or less than $10m paid out to all the other jackpot winners over the last few years. The win of $5.5m is one of the largest the online industry has seen. It took months for the progressive to build up to that level. It took millions of “pulls”. There were an uncountable number of players who did not win.

But still. . .

You can go in and watch the cycle through as many times as you want. So this is where I came in when I started writing this article. People are fascinated by the prospect that, for a small outlay, they might hit it big. The trick is to keep the odds in perspective and never spend more than you can afford chasing the dream. Subject to that, it never hurts to drop a coin or two into one of the casino games. You never know, today might be your lucky day when fantasy does become reality and changes your life.