Slots 101 for Beginners

If you are a beginner and would like to see some slots action in a casino when your vacation from work comes up, then this article is just right for you.

From the stories that you've heard from your friends at work you probably know by now that slots is the most popular casino game. Those that you'd find at most casinos are the traditional coin-operated slot machines with at least three reels that spin when you either pull on the lever located at the right side of the machine or push the spin button in front of the slots console box.

The slots have a currency validator that detects whether the coin or cash inserted into the machine is genuine before it registers the appropriate amount as playing credits. When the reels stop spinning and its combination matches any of the patterns in the pay table printed on the glass portion at the top of the front of the slot machine, then it spits out the corresponding number of coins. There are many variations of slots which, as the casino's bread and butter, generate two-thirds of the casino revenues.

The modern slots that you will typically encounter in a casino are controlled by a computer micro-chip that serves as its brain. Located inside this chip is an algorithm called a random number generator, or RND, that continuously generates random numbers.

The moment you pull on the lever or push the spin button to spin the reels, the RND chooses the random number and the chip instructs the reels to stop at the combination that corresponds to the chosen random number. Because the winning combination is determined by the RND, slots is basically a game of chance and does not require you at all to possess any skill to win a game.

Many myths are born from the lack of understanding of how the RND actually works. The result of each spin is random; completely independent of each other; and, does not in any way, affect the outcome of future spins. So, if you hit a jackpot, anything is possible at the next spin - including hitting another jackpot. Conversely, if you get a losing spin fifty times in a row, it does not mean that the slot machine is due to hit the jackpot within the next few spins because it is also possible to give you another losing streak for the next fifty spins.

The slots micro-chip is programmed at the factory with a pay out percentage that range from 82 percent up to 98 percent of the amount of money wagered by the player over an infinite period of time. These payout percentages are regulated by law depending on the gaming jurisdiction. The minimum payout percentage for Atlantic City, for instance is 83 percent while that in Nevada is 75 percent.

Casinos deploy on their gaming floors slots of varying payout percentages. Slots with low payout percentages are called "tight slots" while a machine with a high payout percentage is called a "loose slots," which is considered as the proverbial "goose that lays the golden eggs," and the never-ending source of mystery and added fun.