The first type of games that will probably come to mind when you think of casino etiquette are table games such as blackjack, roulette, poker, etc., however it’s equally important to practice good slot machine etiquette as well. True, playing slots may not require a lot of social interaction with other people, but there’s still some important things you should follow.
Just like any behavior that goes down in public places, it’s always common courtesy to respect and behave properly around other people in order to create a positive environment. With that said, we’ll be going over some proper etiquette for playing slots as well as other casino games.
Slot Machine Etiquette
Jan 28, 2019 SLOTS: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW AND HOW TO PLAY IT. Since their invention in 1891, slot machines have made their way from bars to casinos and onto our computers and mobile devices and are a casino favorite that keep visitors returning. Jul 19, 2018 Remember everything about slot machines is designed to keep you pumping in coins. Slot machine designers know you will keep playing if you expect a big win. So if you see various icons align, except for perhaps one, you’ll think that you almost won. In reality, anything can happen in a computer game. Anything can be made to look like. What you will notice when playing any Fixed Odds slot game is that the pay table is where you have to place your stakes and wagers, and every single one of the possible winning combinations listed on the pay table will allow you to place an individual wager upon them.
To get started, we’ll first be focusing our attention on slot machine etiquette. This will help teach you how to treat fellow players and the staff around you with respect.
- Playing More than One Machine
Don’t be a hog and play on more than one machine at a time. This should not be practiced, only unless the casino isn’t busy, but still, it’s not encouraged as someone else may want to play the machine you’re playing on.
- Finding a Lost Card
Most casinos nowadays have special cards their players can use to make it more convenient for them. The only problem is that they can be easily lost or left behind at the machine they were previously on. If by any chance, you have found another person’s card inside one of the slot machines, it’s common courtesy to take it out and put it on top on the machine. This is done so that the person who lost their card can easily find it by retracing their footsteps and returning to the last machine they were on.
- Holding a Machine
Most likely you’ve been in a situation where you don’t want to leave the slot you’re playing on all because you need to use the restroom or something. If this happens (and it probably will), be sure to place a sign or try leaning your chair against it to let others know you will be right back. Keep in mind, there may be others who want to play that game, so if you are planning to leave, make sure you don’t go for too long.
- Volume Control
You may have noticed that most of the slot machines you will find at the casinos will have an option to adjust the volume on them. If you do go into the volume settings, just be sure not to turn it up too high as this can distract those playing around you and become very annoying.
- Being a Spectator
Do not hover over a stranger’s shoulder while they’re playing in order to watch them. This can cause unnecessary pressure on someone causing them to feel rushed and uncomfortable.
- Touching Someone Else’s Machine
Never lay a finger or lean on someone else’s machine. This includes the person themselves as well as the chair they’re sitting on. This can be very annoying and could even cause the player to make an incorrect bet.
- Pounding the Buttons
Not only can pounding on the machines cause damage to them, but it can also be very annoying for those playing close by.
Casino Etiquette
Casino etiquette isn’t just about slot machines. In general, it applies to everything inside of the casino and on other games such as poker, roulette, blackjack, craps and more. Since we spoke specifically about slots before, now we’ll be focusing our attention on all the other casino games.
- Clean Up After Yourself
Don’t make a huge mess by leaving your trash around, cigarette ashes, spilling drinks, etc. And also be sure to cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing, and not play with dirty sticky hands.
- Don’t Just Sit
This is a big “no-no”. Whatever you do, never just sit in an empty seat in from of a game if you’re not going to play, especially when it’s busy. Not only does this look bad, but you could also be preventing someone else from enjoying.
- Tipping
Just like any place you go and get served at, you should always leave a tip. At casinos it’s very important for the servers and dealers as this is what they’re working for and where a majority of their income comes from. This couldn’t be stressed enough, especially in circumstances where you’re being served free drinks. If you’re not sure how much you should tip, it’s customary to give around $1 for each drink you order.
- Smoking
If you’re a smoker, make sure you always smoke in the designated smoking areas only. Smoking outside of these areas is very rude and disrespectful to those around you. If you’re in a smoking area, say at a blackjack table, and there are others sitting next to you gambling, be sure to not blow your smoke towards them. Also, be sure to use an ashtray all the time.
- Respect Casino Staff
Just like everyone else in the world, you should make sure you respect all the casino employees. Never be aggressive or demanding towards them and always be polite. They are working very hard to serve and make sure you’re having a good time. The last thing they deserve is someone yelling or acting nasty towards them. If you’re unhappy about something, fine, but make sure you communicate it in a calm and professional manner. The same applies to fellow casino players. Always be polite and respectful towards them.
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In the not-too-distant past, slot-machine players were the second-class citizens of casino customers. Jackpots were small, payout percentages were horrendous, and slot players just weren't eligible for the kind of complimentary bonuses -- free rooms, shows, meals -- commonly given to table players. But in the last few decades the face of the casino industry has changed. Nowadays more than 70 percent of casino revenues comes from slot machines, and in many jurisdictions, that figure tops 80 percent.
About 80 percent of first-time visitors to casinos head for the slots. It's easy -- just drop coins into the slot and push the button or pull the handle. Newcomers can find the personal interaction with dealers or other players at the tables intimidating -- slot players avoid that. And besides, the biggest, most lifestyle-changing jackpots in the casino are offered on the slots.
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The following article will tell you everything you need to know about slots, from the basics to various strategies. We'll start at square one, with a primer on how playing slot machines works.
How to Play
The most popular slots are penny and nickel video games along with quarter and dollar reel-spinning games, though there are video games in 2-cent, 10-cent, quarter, and dollar denominations and reel spinners up to $100. Most reel spinners take up to two or three coins at a time while video slots can take 45, 90, and even 500 credits at a time.
Nearly all slot machines are fitted with currency acceptors -- slide a bill into the slot, and the equivalent amount of credits is displayed on a meter. On reel-spinning slots, push a button marked 'play one credit' until you've reached the number of coins you wish to play. Then hit the 'spin reels' button, or pull the handle on those few slots that still have handles, or hit a button marked 'play max credits,' which will play the maximum coins allowed on that machine.
On video slots, push one button for the number of paylines you want to activate, and a second button for the number of credits wagered per line. One common configuration has nine paylines on which you can bet 1 to 5 credits. Video slots are also available with 5, 15, 20, 25, even 50 paylines, accepting up to 25 coins per line.
Many reel-spinning machines have a single payout line painted across the center of the glass in front of the reels. Others have three payout lines, even five payout lines, each corresponding to a coin played. The symbols that stop on a payout line determine whether a player wins. A common set of symbols might be cherries, bars, double bars (two bars stacked atop one another), triple bars, and sevens.
A single cherry on the payout line, for example, might pay back two coins; the player might get 10 coins for three of any bars (a mixture of bars, double bars, and triple bars), 30 for three single bars, 60 for three double bars, 120 for three triple bars, and the jackpot for three sevens. However, many of the stops on each reel will be blanks, and a combination that includes blanks pays nothing. Likewise, a seven is not any bar, so a combination such as bar-seven-double bar pays nothing.
Video slots typically have representations of five reels spinning on a video screen. Paylines not only run straight across the reels but also run in V's, upside down V's, and zigs and zags across the screen. Nearly all have at least five paylines, and most have more -- up to 50 lines by the mid-2000s.
In addition, video slots usually feature bonus rounds and 'scatter pays.' Designated symbols trigger a scatter pay if two, three, or more of them appear on the screen, even if they're not on the same payline.
Similarly, special symbols will trigger a bonus event. The bonus may take the form of a number of free spins, or the player may be presented with a 'second screen' bonus. An example of a second screen bonus comes in the long-popular WMS Gaming Slot 'Jackpot Party.' If three Party noisemakers appear on the video reels, the reels are replaced on the screen with a grid of packages in gift wrapping. The player touches the screen to open a package and collects a bonus payout. He or she may keep touching packages for more bonuses until one package finally reveals a 'pooper,' which ends the round. The popularity of such bonus rounds is why video slots have become the fastest growing casino game of the last decade.
When you hit a winning combination, winnings will be added to the credit meter. If you wish to collect the coins showing on the meter, hit the button marked 'Cash Out,' and on most machines, a bar-coded ticket will be printed out that can be redeemed for cash. In a few older machines, coins still drop into a tray.
Etiquette
Many slot players pump money into two or more adjacent machines at a time, but if the casino is crowded and others are having difficulty finding places to play, limit yourself to one machine. As a practical matter, even in a light crowd, it's wise not to play more machines than you can watch over easily. Play too many and you could find yourself in the situation faced by the woman who was working up and down a row of six slots. She was dropping coins into machine number six while number one, on the aisle, was paying a jackpot. There was nothing she could do as a passerby scooped a handful of coins out of the first tray.
Sometimes players taking a break for the rest room will tip a chair against the machine, leave a coat on the chair, or leave some other sign that they'll be back. Take heed of these signs. A nasty confrontation could follow if you play a machine that has already been thus staked out.
Payouts
Payout percentages have risen since the casinos figured out it's more profitable to hold 5 percent of a dollar than 8 percent of a quarter or 10 percent of a nickel. In most of the country, slot players can figure on about a 93 percent payout percentage, though payouts in Nevada run higher. Las Vegas casinos usually offer the highest average payouts of all -- better than 95 percent. Keep in mind that these are long-term averages that will hold up over a sample of 100,000 to 300,000 pulls.
In the short term, anything can happen. It's not unusual to go 20 or 50 or more pulls without a single payout on a reel-spinning slot, though payouts are more frequent on video slots. Nor is it unusual for a machine to pay back 150 percent or more for several dozen pulls. But in the long run, the programmed percentages will hold up.
The change in slots has come in the computer age, with the development of the microprocessor. Earlier slot machines were mechanical, and if you knew the number of stops -- symbols or blank spaces that could stop on the payout line--on each reel, you could calculate the odds on hitting the top jackpot. If a machine had three reels, each with ten stops, and one symbol on each reel was for the jackpot, then three jackpot symbols would line up, on the average, once every 10310310 pulls, or 1,000 pulls.
On those machines, the big payoffs were $50 or $100--nothing like the big numbers slot players expect today. On systems that electronically link machines in several casinos, progressive jackpots reach millions of dollars.
What You Need To Know About Slot Machines For Sale
The microprocessors driving today's machines are programmed with random-number generators that govern winning combinations. It no longer matters how many stops are on each reel. If we fitted that old three-reel, ten-stop machine with a microprocessor, we could put ten jackpot symbols on the first reel, ten on the second, and nine on the third, and still program the random-number generator so that three jackpot symbols lined up only once every 1,000 times, or 10,000 times. And on video slots, reel strips can be programmed to be as long as needed to make the odds of the game hit at a desired percentage. They are not constrained by a physical reel.
Each possible combination is assigned a number, or numbers. When the random-number generator receives a signal -- anything from a coin being dropped in to the handle being pulled -- it sets a number, and the reels stop on the corresponding combination.
Between signals, the random-number generator operates continuously, running through dozens of numbers per second. This has two practical effects for slot players. First, if you leave a machine, then see someone else hit a jackpot shortly thereafter, don't fret. To hit the same jackpot, you would have needed the same split-second timing as the winner. The odds are overwhelming that if you had stayed at the machine, you would not have hit the same combination.
Second, because the combinations are random, or as close to random as is possible to set the program, the odds of hitting any particular combination are the same on every pull. If a machine is programmed to pay out its top jackpot, on the average, once every 10,000 pulls, your chances of hitting it are one in 10,000 on any given pull. If you've been standing there for days and have played 10,000 times, the odds on the next pull will still be one in 10,000. Those odds are long-term averages. In the short term, the machine could go 100,000 pulls without letting loose of the big one, or it could pay it out twice in a row.
So, is there a way to ensure that you hit it big on a slot machine? Not really, but despite the overriding elements of chance, there are some strategies you can employ. We'll cover these in the next section.