There are many different types of slot machines, but one of the easiest way to breakdown categories of games is by determining whether or not it is a progressive. A progressive slot machine pays out more each time that a player spins, but does not win the jackpot. For example, if a machine has a $1,000.50 progressive meter, and you play one losing spin, the jackpot would then rise to $1,000.51, or another close figure. This is a very simple example of how progressive slots function.

Many slot machines, especially the most modern games, have multiple progressive jackpots in one. Games like Quick Hits, for example, have several tiers of jackpots. The lowest jackpot will be the easiest to hit, the highest will be the toughest to hit. You may need X amount of symbols to hit the lower progressive jackpot, and x+4 more symbols to win the highest progressive. Some games are more complex than others, however, and jackpots may be earned in different ways.

How Progressive Jackpots are Created

A progressive jackpot may seem confusing because of the large dollar amounts at hand. It doesn’t make much sense that a $2.50 Wheel of Fortune Slot would have a progressive payoff of $200,000 or more, but they frequently do. The common misconception is that this machine alone has collected over $200,000 in losing wagers that are now up for the taking, but this is not true. Instead, popular games like this are part of “linked” machines, usually across many casinos. If you are in Las Vegas, for example, all of the WOF spins may be pouring into the same pool of money. This is how the total jackpot size can be so large, even when the spin denominations are very small.

The actual amount that a progressive increases with each spin will be very small. The total increase will be as a percentage of your bet, combined with the house edge for the casino. If the expected win for the house on a $5 progressive slot spin is 7%, that would mean a 35 cent gain on every spin. Since it is a progressive, perhaps 2% is taken from this and contributed to the progressive jackpot total, in this case, 10 cents per spin. 10 cents per spin may not seem like a lot, but when there are millions of spins taking place across the US day in and day out, the total prize pool can rise quite rapidly.

Progressive slot machines build big jackpots by adding a percentage of each bet to the jackpot until somebody wins. Standalone progressives build the jackpot from bets at a single machine, linked progressives build a jackpot from bets on a number of electronically linked machines and wide-area progressives build jackpots from bets on machines. Usually, the payback of these slot machines is equal to other slot machines of that type of denomination. Still, the coins played are just distributed in a different to vary the amount of the progressive jackpot. The progressive jackpots in Stand-Alone Progressive machines are much less than the progressive jackpots from linked slot machines. Progressive jackpots are pay-outs on gambling machines, like slot machines or video poker machines, found in casinos. The machines are marked as progressive jackpot machines, so a player knows it’s a progressive machine before they sit down to play. The total of the jackpot winnings increase by small increments each time the machine is played.

How Progressive Games Work The idea behind the progressive jackpot is simple. It starts out at a minimum level and as more wagers are played a little bit of each is allocated toward the jackpot. The jackpot will only be rewarded on a random basis when an extremely rare combination of factors occurs. The Stand-Alone Progressive Jackpot is for an online slot game that is not linked to any other online slots. The progressive Jackpots in Stand Alone Progressive slots are much lower than the progressive jackpots from linked online slots. The In-House Progressive Jackpot combines a group of slots that are all linked together. The prizes here are much higher than the stand-alone progressive jackpots but they aren’t the biggest out there.

How to Be Eligible for a Progressive Jackpot Win

The biggest caveat to being able to win a progressive slot machine jackpot is playing the max bet allowed. Almost every progressive slot requires that the player complete a max wager in order to potentially win the listed jackpot. Yes, this means that you will need to have a larger bankroll to play, but you will be sacrificing a lot of value by not betting.

While betting the maximum possible, you will be giving yourself the best chance at a positive return, regardless of how many actual dollars you are putting at risk. If you can not reasonably afford to place max bets on a progressive slot, we suggest to instead play an entirely different machine. You are chasing a low ceiling if you are placing wagers that do not have any way of potentially cashing in on the progressive jackpot. Progressives are available at virtually every wager limit though, so you can bump down in stakes and still enjoy the rush of a progressive machine, even if you can’t play at high stakes.

Fixed Jackpots vs. Progressive Jackpots

When you see a slot, you may notice a big potential win advertised at the top of the machine. For lower limit games, this might be $5,000, while for $25/spin games, it may be $100,000. Whatever the total may be, you shouldn’t confuse these slots with progressive machines. The total looks the same as it does on a running progress, but these numbers do not adjust; they are simply the max win possible on that particular machine, represented as dollars instead of credits.

“Hey there, Tex. You want some free money?”

If anyone ever says this to you, run away. There’s no such thing as free money and there’s always a catch when someone tells you that there is.

If there’s anything to be gleaned from movies about gambling, it’s that casinos are evil and they want to leave you with nothing…NOTHING.

But wait. What if movies aren’t like real life? And what if your main interest lies in playing the slots?

Here’s some good news, there are right ways to play pokies and come out on top. If you’re careful and calculated, you can avoid the typical pitfalls of casino life using some slot machine tricks.

Let’s go over some of the best practices when hitting the slots. Here are some dos and don’ts for making the most of your trip to the casino.

Grab a pack of cheap cigarettes and put your ugliest suit on, it’s time to gamble.

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Wait, Money Does Grow on Trees?

That thing at the beginning about running away when someone offers you free money?

Well here’s one case where it may actually work out in your favour. Let’s talk about the first thing you should do when trying to take advantage of the slots, use no-deposit bonus codes.

If you’ve ever been to Las Vegas, then you’ve seen what can only be described as casino heaven. The Vegas strip is a veritable pig pen of casino activity, and with so much competition between establishments, the different casinos need ways to get people into their building instead of someone else’s.

That’s where no-deposit bonus codes come in. These are essentially free money vouchers. The casinos use them to bring people in the doors, where they know that will power will eventually fade away along with the free money. So evil, right?

But if you’re smart and careful, you can take this free money and use it to make more money using some of the tricks we’ll outline here.

A Couple Slot Machine Tricks

Sure, most folks just waltz on to the casino floor and just start losing money, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you get to know the way that casinos work, then you’ll be at an advantage.

Or at least an advantage over the other gamblers. The casino always has the advantage. Remember, you’re in their house.

Loose Slots

Yep, there is such thing as a “loose” slot machine. This is an old-school term that basically means that a slot is more likely to pay out.

In the age of digital slot machines, the actual mechanics of the machine don’t cause it to pay out more, but machines today have random number generators (RNG’s) that do pay out at different rates.

Casinos always keep the machines that have higher payout rates away from the ends of the aisles and away from doorways. This is to keep gamblers from winning big on a machine and immediately taking their business elsewhere.

So always make sure to get into the thick of it before you settle down at a machine.

Bet Max

What? Bet the max amount? Isn’t that the quickest way to bankruptcy?

Yes and no. Machines nowadays have multiple bet lines so when you bet the max you can take advantage of multiple lines. The odds of you winning don’t increase, but the amount you win will greatly increase when you do win if you bet max.

Different machines have different volatility levels. Machines with high volatility are quicker to run you out of town, but the winnings will be way better. Low volatility machines pay out less money at a higher frequency. Keep this in mind.

Play Classic Over Video

Those big flashy video slots with all the fun graphics and loud music? They aren’t just there to entertain you. They’re there to take your money.

The video slots are there to draw people in, and it works. But the casino’s cost of running and maintaining video slots is much higher and they take up tons of space compared to the other machines, so the payout is almost always lower.

Stick to the boring old slots. There’s less to look at but you might just leave them with heavier pockets.

Random or Progressive?

Temptation is the name of the game at the casino, and progressive slots are really tempting.

A progressive slot machine is one that pools all the money from everyone that’s played it since its last jackpot. There are also multi-slot progressive jackpots that pool a few different machines to tempt people with enormous payouts.

How Progressive Slot Machines Work

Keep It Random, Y’All

Random slots obviously look a bit less enticing, as they have a fixed jackpot. They do, however, pay out those jackpots more frequently. Pick your poison, but often good things come to those who wait.

Pay Tables

Take a look at the pay tables of different machines to compare. A pay table shows the payout for each combination of symbols/amount bet.

Pay tables can be an indicator of a machine’s volatility, and doing a little comparison rather than just sitting down randomly at a machine can help you in the long run. It’s better to take your time and find the right machine that your research tells you is more likely to pay out.

Talkin’ Bout Practice

Did you know that practice always makes perfect? Well, not perfect in this case because it’ll never be perfect. But there are websites where you can try out some of your strategies, look at pay tables, multipliers, and other game features without losing your hard earned dough.

Check out a practice site to try out different games and learn about the nuances of each slot machine. There is a lot of variance between machines when it comes to free spins, bonus rounds, and multipliers, so it will benefit you greatly to familiarize yourself before you do it for real.

Try Math

Listen, these god-forsaken machines were built on math. And if you really want to beat them, you have to fight fire with fire. This requires a lot of time and brainpower, but it is possible to give yourself a chance.

There are loads of math based strategies available online. While they certainly don’t guarantee success, they at least allow you to feel like you’re in control over the game. Get a good pocket-sized calculator, a notepad, and a pen and go get yourself some money.

Know When to Give up on a Machine

This is an easy one. Sometimes you just have to know when to give up if a machine isn’t paying out. It’s not exactly following your gut, but more like letting the results dictate what you do.

You never want to end up like the old person sitting at the same machine for hours on end in their sweats, smoking cigarette after cigarette, dumping all of their excess money into the slots.

And what was stated earlier rings is all too true. The slots will always win in the end.

The easy way to avoid this is to have the willpower to walk away and find another machine. You can do it.

Bounce Around

How Does Progressive Slot Machines Work Better

Not staying too long at one machine is one of the more obvious tips. But if you have the option, bouncing around to different casinos is another good move.

Casinos are all vying for your business, and as mentioned earlier, they will offer you different perks to get you in their clutches. Why exploit the generosity of just one establishment when you can get free spins, chips, and bonuses from two? Or three? Or four? Don’t limit yourself.

Have Limits

No, but do limit yourself though. If you’re not having a good day at the races, pack it in early.

It’s really easy to go down a dark gambling hole, and that’s what the casinos want you to do. But you can always go back, so don’t be discouraged.

Set a limit for yourself on how much money you are willing to spend at this place, and fastidiously stick to it. Yes, the next spin could change your life, but what if it’s actually about 150 spins from now? Be careful out there.

Good Luck

The bottom line in all of this is that this is all luck based. If you are playing the slots and using slot machine tricks expecting to win, you’re doing it wrong! There are lots of so-called “experts” telling you how to play the pokies, but the best advice is to not let the pokies play you.

All that you can do is employ some of these strategies and hope for the best, and you’ll be in a better position than if you just go in blind. Even the most seasoned and strong-willed gambler is at the mercy of the slot machine.

How Does Progressive Slot Machines Work At Home

In any case, good luck to all and visit our pokies blog for more articles about all things pokies or look at one of our many gambling guides to gambling in Australia.

Progressive Slot Machines Winners