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Slot Machines - The Basics
SLOT MACHINES - THE BASICS
Slot machines are by far the easiest - and one of the most
fun - games in the casino to play. Simply insert your coin
and pull the handle. One of the oldest jokes in the world
is to call slot machines "one armed bandits" because - with
some of the highest odds against you in the casino, that is
exactly what they were - and still are! However, it's now
more appropriate to simply call them bandits, because you
don't have to pull the handle anymore - just push a button.
Electrical motors and computer chips do everything else.
HOW SLOT MACHINES WORK
Decades ago, when slot machines were young, they were
basically mechanical devices. The force of the handle being
pulled down turned the metal gears that turned the wheels on
the machine.
Later on, electrical motors were added to turn the wheels
and the force of the handle being pulled no longer had any
bearing on the results. In fact, you no longer had to pull
the handle, since the wheels were electrical. All you had
to do was push the "play" button to start the wheels. The
odds were controlled by how many winning symbols were on
each wheel.
More recently, most casinos have are converting to
computerized slot machines that no longer have wheels at all
- just a computer screen that plays a video simulating
spinning wheels. A computer "random number generator"
determines the results. As soon as you put your coins in,
the result is predetermined.
Whether you pull the handle unhurried or fast, whether you use
the handle or the play button, whether a jackpot has
recently been paid on that machine or not, none of these has
any bearing on the result. It's randomly determined each
time by the computer. The casino can set the payout high or
low simply by changing the computer program, although they
are cautiously regulated by the state to ensure the numbers
are truly randomly generated and that the overall payout
percentage is what the casino says it is.
Since the results are completely random with each play, the
fact that a machine hasn't paid a jackpot for a long time
doesn't mean that it's "ready" to pay. Conversely, a
machine can pay several jackpots in a row. It's simply
impossible to tell if a machine is ready to pay a jackpot.
As the saying goes, "You pays your money and you takes your
chances."
Good luck!
Tom is the webmaster at
http://www.blackjack-for-everyone.com, which is a website
dedicated to turning beginning Blackjack players into
serious recreational players.
