Friday, February 29, 2008

choosing your slot game

By Steve Briggs

How do people go about choosing the slot machine they ultimately play? Do they choose it because of the slot machine's theme? Perhaps they're prompted by the colors of the game? Perhaps they like that game's wild symbol? Finance most likely plays a part for some players. If you're on a fixed budget you may not opt for that high-end slot game. By the same token a player more interested in the bigger payoffs isn't going to be interested in a smaller investment/smaller payoff slot game. So surely there is a financial edge to this decision.

We've all heard that saying about how the slots at the land casinos always pay off best at the front of the casino because people see those machines paying off and are tempted to enter and gamble. There is also the saying that you should never play two slot machines which are side by side because the casino would not put two machines that pay off in a high percentage right next to each other. And perhaps there is some truth to that, it certainly makes sense.

None of the above except finance really comes into play though when discussing the habits of the online gambler. What drives their decision process when choosing an online slot game besides the cost? I'm sure to a degree that word of mouth plays a part. Hearing someone else won a nice chunk of money while playing a certain game will likely drive interest to that game. Microgaming software powered casinos feature some brand name slot games such as "Tomb Raider", that surely carries a following.

What goes into your decision making process when choosing a slot game online? Once a slot game is chosen its pretty easy to guess from there what it is that keeps a player loyal to that game. They hit a nice win at some time while playing the game or else know somebody who won a lot of money playing that game. Other possible reasons for keeping a player loyal to a certain slot game would be some type of option it has which is unique such as serial game where you collect parts to complete a whole. Perhaps it has a unique way of paying out such as a bonus screen, free spins or perhaps a multiplier.

For those still seeking a process for choosing a slot game may I suggest first taking a financial approach and choosing a game which you can afford to play for an extended period of time or more than a few spins. All slot games are designed to payout higher amounts but less often so you will almost surely need more than a few spins before you can reasonably hope for hitting a big win. Of course I wish you better luck than that and some will experience quick wins but any experienced slot player will tell you its unlikely to happen very often.

Keep watching the casino newsletters and websites for the "recent big winners" section. They often will provide which game the big win was attained and in a short period of time you may see the same game appearing more often than others. Of course it is very possible that particular game is just hitting a lucky stride but its a better starting point than just choosing a game because you like its colors. That said when you're feeling lucky go with your gut and you'll seldom have regrets. You may not win but you won't at the end of the day question "what if I'd followed my gut instincts?".

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difference between real gambling and virtual

By Steve Briggs

The difference between gambling online and gambling at a land-based casino greatly favors the player if used correctly and if abused can of course lead to ruin as with any gambling hobby. The reason gambling online is an advantage over doing so at a land casino is not because they usually have better payout odds (when playing at a reputable online casino) but because of several factors of which better payout odds is only part of the picture.

Almost any professional gambler will tell you that you need to be relaxed so you can stay more focused on the task at hand. What can be more relaxing than gambling at your convenience from the comfort of your own home ...and wearing (or not) whatever you choose? And you stay relaxed throughout your entire gambling session because if you need to use the facilities or something to eat the game waits on you. No worries about someone coming along and taking your hot machine or losing your seat at a table because you were gone too long. No worries about a new dealer coming on shift and changing your luck. And for slots players if you want to increase the amount your gambling per slot spin you don't need to find another machine. You simply increase your credit values at the machine you're already playing. The same goes for wanting to bet less, no need to switch machines though I'd suggest if you're wanting to bet less its because you're not doing well so move to a different game.

There's no waiting when gambling online. No hoping your favorite machine will be free. No struggling with getting the slot machine to take your bill (something truly frustrating). No waiting on the dealer to change out $100 every what seems like 10 minutes. No waiting for cards to be shuffled, dice to change hands or for bets to be laid by other people (unless playing at a multiple player table).

You don't walk into the casino frustrated because some guy cut you off on the highway without signaling. There's no having to hand your player's card to the machine or dealer in order to gain comp points because online every bet is recorded and you are given credit for every spin of the slots or roll of the dice or hand of blackjack that you play. *Check with your chosen online casino for loyalty comp programs.

Monthly promotions are much easier to participate online than having to be at a casino on a certain date at a certain time. Most promotions at online casinos run for days, weeks or even all month long so you can enjoy them at your convenience not the casinos.

Online casinos provide a much bigger variety of games than do their land-based cousins. Take blackjack for instance. Most land casinos offer at best 3 kinds of blackjack at tables with much higher minimums compared to the online game which has at Microgaming powered online casinos a choice of 9 versions of blackjack which can be played at $1 minimums or as much as $200 or more. Progressive slot games pay off their jackpots at a much higher rate because there are so many more people participating in the games at all times. A million dollar progressive game at a land casino can take forever to payout but online they are paid out on a regular basis by several different games.

Playing online does have its downfalls also however. Not knowing the right casinos to play can be a disaster. Some don't pay their big cash-ins and some don't pay at all. There are scams and cheats out there which don't exist when you choose to play at your local casino or riverboat but as long as you play at a casino using a publicly traded software to power the games you can count on getting fair-odds games just not on the fact the casino will pay you if you win. Publicly traded software is leased to provide the games to many different online casinos and the parent software company has no financial interest in the outcome of the games unless they were providing anything but fair-odds results created by a random number generator which is the standard for creating random fair-odds game results. These are the extremes however and you should be fine if sticking to casinos listed at your favorite casino portal.

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