Page 26 - July 2013 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bill Burton: About Gambling
LIoose Slot Myths
get a lot of email from casino players, and the question I’m asked most often is,“Where do I nd the loose slot machines in the casino?”
e ultimate goal for a slot player is nding a loose machine among the vast sea of slots on the casino oor. Players dream of nding a loose slot machine, but few really achieve their goal. One reason for this is that when describing a slot machine, the term
“loose” is relative to location and the casino.
A player from Las Vegas who plays slots at a local’s casino getting 98% payback would not consider a slot machine in California that is set to payback 94% to be a loose machine. However, the player from California where the average slot return is 91% would consider this same machine a loose one.
Payback is the overall percentage that a machine will return to the player over the course of its lifetime. A loose machine is one that is set to pay back a higher percentage than other machines, so the term loose would be relative to the other machines in the same casino, or to the other casinos in the general area. However, if you play slots only for a few hours a day during your casino visits, you probably will never play long enough to determine if a machine is loose or tight. You could be fortunate enough to win frequently on your favorite slot machine, and then make the determination that
to enter the casino and play. e basis for this myth can probably be traced back to downtown Las Vegas where the casinos are in walking distance of each other. People walking down Fremont Street can see players winning at slots from the street, and walk into the casino. Most of the new mega-resorts have multiple entrances so I would doubt the validity of this myth.
Slot machines near table games are tight.
e reasoning behind this myth is that the noise of
the slot machines will distract table games players. Another reason is that a table games player will be tempted to play any coins they have when they leave the table on their way to the cashier’s cage.
One of the problems with these myths is that no two casinos are the same. Each casino has a slot director who makes the ultimate decision about the placement of slot machines. Try thinking like a casino executive.
Where would you put loose slot machines? You have to remember that casino executives have heard all the same myths concerning the placement of loose machines as players. If I were the slot director, I would not put a loose machine on the aisle. I would bury it farther down the row. ink of this as reverse psychology. If I know where players think the loose slot machines are, I would want to put tight machines there instead.
Unless you play a huge number of slots, the chances of really identifying a loose slot machine will be slim. You could just as easily have a very lucky winning session on a low payback machine as a losing session on a machine with a high payback percentage. You might never play enough to be sure or know.
is does not mean to give up your quest to nd loose slot machines. Playing di erent machines in search of a loose one will add some variety to your slot play. You might not nd a loose slot, but you might nd a new game that you enjoy playing. e hunt for a loose slot machine can be fun, and that’s what casino gambling should be.
Until next time, remember: “Luck comes and goes... Knowledge Stays Forever.”
Bill Burton is the author of 1000 Best Casino Gambling Secrets and Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em available online at billburton.com. Burton is also an instructor for Golden Touch Craps: thecrapsclub.com.
the machine is loose. Another player could play that same machine and have several losing sessions, and make the determination that the machine is tight.
at doesn’t mean that there aren’t some slot machines in the casino set to pay back a higher percentage than other slot machines.
“You could just as easily have a very lucky winning session on a low payback machine as a losing session on a machine with a high payback percentage.”
Slot machines near the end of a row of slots are loose.
e reasoning behind this myth is that players seeing other players win will likely go down the row to play the machines.
Slot machines near the showroom and buffet are tight.
Over the years, there has
been much speculation and conjecture among slot players about where loose slot machines are located. ere are many myths circulating among players of the placement of loose slot machines on a casino oor. Here are just a few.
Loose slot machines are always surrounded by tight machines.
e reasoning behind this myth is that many players like to play more than one machine at a time. If a loose slot machine is surrounded by tight machines, a player will give back the winnings from the loose machine if they simultaneously play the machines on either side.
Loose slot machines are placed by the entrance.
e logic behind this myth is that people will see players winning when they enter a casino, and it will entice them
e logic behind this myth is that players waiting in line for a show or for the bu et are a captive audience. ey may be tempted to play to kill time while they wait. e machines are tight because they can’t leave the area to play other machines.
Slot machines near the cashier’s cage are loose.
e reasoning behind this myth is that the casino wants you to see people winning while you are waiting in line.
is will entice you to play more.
Round carousels of slot machines are looser that rows of machines.
e reasoning behind this myth is that carousals can be seen from any direction in the casino. Casinos want to put loose slot machines where the winners are highly visible.
PAGE 26
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
JULY 2013