How to win at slots—Our top tips for mastering slot machines
Slots might seem intimidating to new players. They feature a lot of animations, dazzling graphics, and loud sounds. But they aren’t as confusing as they might seem at first. While slots are games of chance—there’s never a guarantee that you’ll win—understanding how they work and developing strategies for play sessions can help maximize your enjoyment. Read on for our comprehensive guide to slots and how you can maximize your chances of winning when you play.
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- Use Promo Code: BESTBONUS
How do slot machines work?
Slot machines come in so many formats and styles, it’s hard to boil them down into a single short description. At the highest level, they usually feature reels and rows of symbols that spin and land randomly. Any matching symbols on a pay line will result in a win for the player, based on the value of the symbols that won. Most slots also feature bonus rounds that offer chances at big wins.
The bottom line is that slots are games of chance. While you can deploy strategies and play in specific ways, you can never guarantee yourself a win. For that reason, we recommend playing to maximize the amount of fun you’re having.
Our top 5 tips for online slots
Before you start playing slot games, it helps to brush up on some tips that can impact your experience. Consider these five tips before you jump in.
1: Consider your slot selection wisely
Online casinos have hundreds of slot games. It’s important to choose your game with careful consideration of many factors, including volatility, RTP, theme, and more. We cover how you can for these factors further down on this page.
2: Learn basic slot strategy
Slots are all chance-based, but you can use certain strategies to enhance your enjoyment and make your money go further. For example, you should view how a slot works on a game information page (as shown in the screenshot below), choose slots with RTP/volatility levels you like, decide on playing the bonus buy feature (when available) ahead of time, and alter your bet level throughout your play session.
3: Try different slot types
Slot mechanics and play styles are just as varied as slot themes. Look for gameplay elements such as hold and win, Megaways, free spins, and others. Trying them all can help you decide which ones you like best.
4: Practice with free games
You can play slot games for free in demo mode right here on PlayUSA. No or is required, and you don’t have to use real money. This is an ideal way to test out different games, themes, and mechanics to find your new favorites.
5: Set your budget
Know how much you can play with before you start spinning the reels. This keeps your play responsible, ensures you won’t lose more than you can afford to, and helps the whole play session stay fun.
How to practice online slots for free
You can play hundreds of free online slots to get familiar with common themes, bonuses, and mechanics. In fact, we have tons of demos available on our site for free, with no or required to play.
For example, you could give Aristocrat’s classic Buffalo a few spins in demo mode to see where the hundreds of imitators got the bright idea for games featuring the majestic animal!
Or maybe you want something more nautical, like IGT’s Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania 2, which is a long-time favorite among slot players.
Those are just two of the slots available in our free library on PlayUSA. We encourage you to give free games a try, look at the rules of each game, and start to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of slot gaming.
What is RTP in slots?
RTP stands for Return To Player. It’s a mathematical measure of a slot’s tendency to pay out over time. When we say “over time,” we mean a long, long time. Think thousands or tens of thousands of spins. You’ll find that an online slot RTP is always listed as a percentage, such as 96% or 94.5%. Generally speaking, a higher RTP means a game will tend to pay more over time. Keep in mind, though, that’s never a guarantee.
An RTP of 96% means the associated slot will trend toward paying out $0.96 for every $1 played. Again, this isn’t guaranteed, but it’s a helpful measure when you want to consider spinning more versus stopping your play session.
Slot games with the best winning odds
| Slot | Provider | RTP | Volatility | Max win |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Joker | NetEnt | 99% | High | 2,000x |
| Monopoly Big Event | Barcrest | 99% | Medium | 2,000x |
| Dr. Jekyll Goes Wild | Barcrest | 98.2% | Medium | 500x |
| Blood Suckers | NetEnt | 98% | Low | 1,014.6x |
| Codex of Fortune | NetEnt | 98% | High | 10,000x |
| Legend of Bigfoot | Barcrest | 98% | Medium | 150x |
| Starmania | NexGen Gaming | 97.87% | Low-medium | 500x |
| White Rabbit Megaways | Big Time Gaming | 97.72% | High | 10,000x |
What is volatility in slots?
Volatility is another measure that can be helpful in deciding which slot to play. It’s a measure of a slot’s win frequency and amount. Generally, the following volatility levels correspond to the associated win structures.
- Low volatility: frequent wins of small amounts
- Medium volatility: relatively frequent wins of modest amounts
- High volatility: infrequent wins of high amounts
Volatility is a scale, so games can also have “medium high,” “medium low,” or other variations of volatility. Again, these labels are just meant as general guidelines, and everyone’s experience will vary.
Here are a few examples to help you explore the difference: Light & Wonder, on the other hand, is a low volatility game.
Think of it like a steak: everyone has a preference on how it’s cooked! So you will have to try some different games to find the level that fits your style best.
How to win big at slots online
The massive prizes you might see d at online casinos are almost always progressive jackpots. That’s a blanket term for jackpots that increase over time with each spin from any player until someone wins the prize. To win big, you must a) play a slot with a progressive jackpot and b) get really lucky. There’s no way around that second part. Slots are already games of chance, and jackpots are extremely rare.
More modest (but still impressive) prizes are available in the form of fixed jackpots on certain games. The amounts are tailored to your bet amount, so the more you risk, the more you stand to win.
Divine Fortune is one example of an incredibly popular progressive jackpot game, though there are countless others to enjoy.
FAQs
Most slot games have pay lines. To win, players typically need to land three matching symbols (or wilds) on a pay line from left to right. However, some slots have different ways to win, such as clusters or 8+ matching symbols.
Yes. RTP is a measure of a slot’s overall payout trend over time. While it won’t guarantee you any winnings, a higher RTP slot will tend to pay better than a low RTP slot.
Yes. Slots are games of chance, which means there’s always a possibility of winning. However you have a slightly higher chance of losing. For that reason, we recommend playing for enjoyment and treating any wins as a bonus.
No. Slots are completely random, and there’s no skill involved. However, knowing how slots work can enhance your enjoyment by keeping you from getting confused as you play.
Nope! Slots don’t require any strategy, though you can certainly alter your bet level during your play session to make your bankroll last longer.
Yes. Volatility is a great way to judge whether a game is for you. If you want lots of small wins, low volatility is for you. Want big wins with less frequency? Try high volatility. And, of course, there are plenty of ranges in between you can try.
