Page 8 - June 2003 • Southern California Gaming Guide

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Slot Tournaments: Stay Focused and Have Fun! by Bill Burton
Slot tournaments are very popular because they are easy to play and don’t require special skills, which levels the playing eld and makes them fun for all players.
There are two types of slot tournaments: Free tournaments and paid tournaments.
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Invitational tournaments are free and are usually held as a reward or comp for loyal players or high rollers. These are by invitation only and not open to the general public.
Paid tournaments require an entry fee. The best- paid tournaments to enter are the ones that give back all the entry fees in the form of prizes or money. Casinos post the tournament rules and will usually list the prize structure. You can then determine how much is being returned to the players. Since these tournaments have a set entry fee, participants know how much it will cost them to play. They can only lose the amount of their entry fee.
Slot tournaments have a simple format. When you sign up for the tournament you will be assigned a slot machine number and a session time to play. When it is your time to play, nd
aside for a tournament. There will usually be several sessions to accommodate all players.
What do you need for a playing strategy? Here are some tips.
Luck plays the biggest part in winning a slot tournament; however, speed and concentration are the two most important skills you will need.
Since you must play all your credits within a certain time period, you must play fast enough to use them all. Each winning spin will increase your total score. Any unused credits are lost and you will be at a disadvantage because you did not take as many spins as your opponents. To help increase your speed, keep your ngers on the spin button and lightly tap it. You don’t need to pound the spin button. By leaving your
unused credits on their machines. Many new players remark that twenty minutes seemed like an hour when they were playing. Make sure you are alert and well rested before entering a tournament. If you are not at your best, your score could suffer.
Curiosity can also affect the outcome of your score. It is human nature to want to know how you are doing compared to the other players. Many tournament players look around trying to see the score of the other players. Just keep your mind on your own score and concentrate on using all your credits.
As you play in more tournaments you will nd that your speed increases and you will have time left on your meter after you play your credits. Until you reach this point it is advisable not to bring your soda, coffee or water to the machine with you. You don’t want to waste precious time sipping a drink.
Simple slot tournament strategy is to play fast, stay focused and have fun!
Until next time, remember: “Luck comes and goes... Knowledge stays forever.”
Bill Burton is the Casino Gambling Guide and columnist for the Internet portal About.com. He also writes for several national gambling publications. He is the author of Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em available for $15 postage paid, at Bill Burton, P.O. Box 310299, Newington, CT 06131-0299 or online at: http://vegas.home.attbi.com/. Bill Burton’s website is located at: http://casinogambling.about.com.
your machine with your number and have a seat. Wait for the of cial to tell
you to start. All players are given a set amount of credits that must be played within a certain amount of time.
“Luckplaysthebiggestpart in winning a slot tournament; however, speed and concentration are the two most important skills you will need.”
ngers on the button you will saveafewsplit-seconds.
You need to concentrate when you are playing in a slot tournament. Before you start, look at the pay table of the machine. When the machine is adding winning credits to your score it will not spin until all the credits have been
A common format is to
give each player 1,000 credits with 20 minutes to play. Each time you hit the spin button the amount of credits for a maximum bet (usually three) is deducted from your starting credits. Any credits you win are shown on a separate meter. You do not get to replay any credits you win. When your time is up, the machine will lock up and play is over. Any unplayed credits will be lost. The score on your winning meter will be compared to other players’ scores to determine the winner.
After you nish playing, wait at your machine until the tournament of cial records your score. Most
tallied. If you have a big win it will take a few seconds to do this. You can take a quick breath, but you must be prepared to start tapping as soon as this is done. Don’t be distracted or spend time celebrating if you have a big win. I was playing in a tournament and a young lady sitting next to me kept jumping up and hollering each time she had a big win. After the time was up, she had only played about half her credits.
Some players get bored or tired while they are playing in a tournament causing them to slow down. This has been the downfall of many players who suddenly nd that time has run out and they still have
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Page 8 June 2003
Column: Bill Burton About Gambling
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