Page 17 - October 2002 • Southern California Gaming Guide

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
by Bill Burton
Most people look at the vast array of slot machines at the casino and think that they are all alike. They see a handle, coin slot and ashing lights and gure one is as good as another. What they are missing is a lot of valuable information that can help determine if and how they can play a certain slot machine.
Not all machines are the same, and the way to separate one machine from another is to learn how to “read” a machine by looking at the payout schedule on the front. Let’s take a look a typical slot machine and see what information can be found.
First, you will nd the denomination of the coin needed to play that machine. I don’t know how many times I have seen a person drop a quarter into a machine only to get a confused look when the coin drops through and into the tray. Upon closer observation they discover that they tried to put a quarter in a dollar machine. The denomination is the rst thing you should look for on the front of the machine.
Second, you need to determine the type of machine you are looking at. There are several types of machines that you should be able to recognize and determine which one is right for you and your budget. You will nd this information by looking at the pay schedule, and the following.
Multiplier
This machine has a payout for a certain symbol and the number of coins played multiplies it. If the machine pays 5 coins for three lemons when you play one coin, it would pay 10 coins for the second coin played and 15 for three coins played. This machine does not penalize you for not playing maximum coins. If you plan to play only one coin at a time, this is the type of machine you should look for.
Bonus Multiplier
This machine operates the same as the multiplier except that it offers a bonus when you play maximum coins and hit the jackpot. Three 7’s may pay 1,000 for one coin, 2,000 for two coins and 10,000 for maximum coins. You need to decide if the bonus is
worth playing the extra coin. In most cases you will want to play full coins in this type of machine.
Multiple Pay Line
These machines have more than one line of play. Each coin activates a particular line. If you hit a winner on a line that is not activated, you will not receive anything. The reel type machines usually have three lines.
Multiple Line–Multiple Pay Line:
These are the new video slots. This style machine was introduced in this country by the Australian Aristocrat Leisure Company and are now a standard for the new video slots. These machines have 5 to 9 lines and you can play multiple coins on each line. The most popular has nine line lines and you can play 5 coins on each line. Some new machines can take more coins per line. You choose the number of lines you want to play and the number of coins for each line by pushing separate buttons. Look closely at the pay schedule. Most of these machines are straight multipliers. This means you are not getting any additional bonus for the extra coins per line. While you might want to play the maximum number of lines, you will not be gaining anything extra by playing multiple coins on each line you select.
Buy-a-Pay
These are the most misunderstood machines in the casino. Each coin activates a different pay out. You need the maximum coins to receive the largest jackpot. One example is the “Sizzlin 7’s” machines. The machine will pay on cherries, bars and sevens. The sevens pay 1,000 coins. If you play one coin you can collect only on the cherries. If you play two coins you can collect on cherries and bars. You need three coins in to collect on the Sizzlin 7’s. If you hit the jackpot with one coin in you will
not win anything !!! Do not play this machine under any circumstances unless you are playing the maximum coins.
Progressive Slots
The progressive slots take a certain percentage of the money played and add it to a pool for the top jackpot. “Megabucks®” or “QuarterMania®” are examples of machines linked together with those in other casinos to offer a life changing jackpot. Keep in mind that the percentage of the payback on the lesser wins is lowered to allow for the big prize. Some casinos have machines linked together within their own casino to offer mini-progressive jackpots. Never play a progressive with less than maximum coins!! There is a story circulating that a lady hit the “MegabucksTM” when the jackpot was 20 million, but because she only had one coin in she collected only $5,000. While this is an “Urban Legend” there are other cases of people losing out on lesser progressive jackpots because of short coin play.
All slot machines have information you need posted on the front of the machine. Before you sit down to play, take a minute to “read” the machine. This will make you a knowledgeable player and help you determine which machine is best suited for you.
Bill Burton is the Casino Gambling Guide and columnist for the popular Internet portal About.com. He also writes for several national gaming publications. See his articles at http://casinogambling.about.com
October 2002 Page 17