Maximum coin play is indicated on the display pannel. The ususal number of coins varies from machine to machine but the standards are; two coins, three coins, and five coins. Some machines take up to eight or more but these are the exceptions. Three coin machines are the most prevalent.

Coin play value can range from 5 cents through 25, 50, 1$, 5$, 25$, 100$ and yes in some high roller casinos even 500$ machines. This is heart attack country for the average player. Nickel machines are fun, twenty five cent machines can take a few bucks out of your pocket but for most people, still affordable. Fifty cent and dollar machines start to get a bit heavy and can relive you of mucho coin. Five dollar machines are enjoyed by a lot of people, they can get very expensive but if you hit and walk they can be OK sometimes. Anything beyond the fiver is not for the faint of heart, nor is it wise for anyone less than very wealthy to try these high end slot machines. The great majority of players play in the 5 cent, to 5 dollar slot range.

Number of pay lines on a standard slot machine is one, a center line , meaning that there is only one winning line and the symbols must all be on the center line to win. A single line machine will accommodate from 3 to 5 coins. The next most popular machine is the three liner. Symbols may be aligned on any one of the three lines in a winning combination, occasionaly these three liners will line up winners on two of the three lines and each one pays off. Three liners take three coins and should always be played with three coins. The first coin pays on the center line, the second coin pays on the top and center lines and the third coin pays on all three lines. The other standard variation is the five line machine. This has three lines the same as the three liner above but also has two diagonal lines making a total of five pay lines. If you are going to play these you should play the maximum five coins.

Number of reels Most machines have three reels but there are exceptions. There are novelty machines with two reels, and the odd four reeler. The big berthas usualy have from three to several reels and are normaly in the dollar range of play, taking up to three dollars at a time. These should not be taken too seriously. A recent innovation is the single line diamond pay out. If the proper symbols appear in a diamond shape on the face of the machine you win. A good thing to remeber, machines hardly ever miss paying out the correct number of coins. In over twenty years of playing slots I have not experienced it. They may tilt or malfunction when paying off but the attendants will always see that you are paid the correct amount.

The symbols on slot machines are just too many and various to detail them in any fashion. Suffice it to say, though there are many, the odds are precisely the same no matter what the symbols are. There are some symbols worth noting and they are the special ones. Wild symbols that represent any other symbol when appearing on the right line (s). There are symbols that represent double payoffs, triple payoffs and five times payoffs, there seems to be no end to the variations. There are customized symbols made to the casinos specification and provide a large jackpot payoff when realized. Don't hold you breath for these payoffs. They are rare indeed. The reason for so many symbols is variety of choice. If certain symbols prove unfavourable to the playing public they will be changed. Casinos are constantly experimenting with a large variety of symbols some prove more popular than others. They try to make them exciting, I often play a slot simply because I like the symbols. I'm human too.

Popular slot Machines like most things, come and go. Some current favourites are, Sizzling sevens, Double diamonds, Triple Diamonds, Red white and Blues, Magnificent sevens were very popular but seem to be dissappearing from many casinos. My personal experience is that all of the above have given decent hits every so often, I've enjoyed them. Again I must caution you don't expect to win in any consistent way, just have fun.

The control panel has a number of buttons and each has a specific function. Usualy the one on the extreme left is the change button, when pressed a light comes on at the top of the machine and a change person will be summoned by it. Next to that is the cash out button for machines that record your winnings in credits, if you have credits be sure to press this button before leaving the machine, the coins will cascade out the bottom.

The Credit indicator although designed to remove you one step further from your money it can be used to your advatage. Since the credit indicator tells you exactly how many coins you have accumulated, it is wise "not" to play from your credits. You are much better off to cash in the credits and play back the coins so you can keep track of where you stand. For example if you run up 60 credits with a roll of quarters you are 20 quarters to the good. If you cash in and play the 60 quarters while in the accumulated credit mode you will quickly know if your are winning or not by the credits you rack up. If you play the 60 through and wind up with less than 60 you know you're heading in the wrong direction. If you play the credits you have a tendency to get careless and cavalier, thereby losing track of what you're doing and where you stand. So use the credit meter as an ally not an enemy.

The credit button is also the cash out button and should be reset when you cash out. You will know on your first hit which mode you're in. If coins fall into the coin tray simply depress the cash out button and the mode will change.

Remember it's best to cash in credits and play the coins

Next to the cash out button is one that allows you to play your credits one at a time up to the maximum for that particular slot, it also provides a spin reel so you can spin after one or more coins. Another "spin reels" button is usualy next with a "play maximum coins" button beside it, this one will play the maximum coins from your credits and spin the reels at the same time. Most slots still have the arm at the side, the one that gave slots the name "one armed bandit," some people prefer this method of spinning the reels. Of course there is the coin tray at the bottom where your coins are collected as they are released from the machine. Most are large and roomy but some, and I have no idea why, are extremely awkward to get at. Poor design.

The slot players card: The explosion of computer technology has not gone unnoticed by the boys of Las Vegas, in the last few years, the start of the nineties, most Vegas Casinos have introduced a players card. You will see them at various places in most Vegas Casinos. It's a plastic card designed by the industry to track your action, how much you play. Some casinos issue a card exclusively to your name, such as Harra's and the Flamingo Hilton in Vegas. Others simply have blank cards available that have not yet been registered to a player. In either case the card is placed in a slot usually near the top front right of the slot machine, and acceptance is acknowledged or you are asked to reinsert the card. Once the card is inserted, and accepted, all subsequent play is recorded on the card.

An unregistered card can be registered by the casino after a certain level of play has been reached. At this time an exclusive card is issued to the player. Go to a cashier and inquire for details. A point schedule has been determined by the casino and each point plateau carries with it a prize of some kind, from T shirts to free dinners to even free rooms, if play warrants. The down side is forgetting your card in the machine and walking away without it. It's worth the effort to have a card. Try not to forget it in the machine.

Those Amazing Video Machines gaining in popularity and diversification, these machines are hard to keep up with. The technology seems to change almost daily as do the games. Trying to examine these machines individually is a futile endeavor since there are just too many of them and so we will deal with them in categories. I classify them in general categories, Poker Video, Black Jack Videos, Keno Video, Multiple game Videos and Symbol Videos. The first three are self explainatory, Poker, Black Jack and Keno, the games are traditional with few minor variations.

Muliple game Videos are players choice, you select the game you want to play out of a selection of four or five different games on one machine. Symbol Videos are similar to traditional Slot machines with up to five or more pay lines. The odds of winning are no different on these machines than on any other although many players swear by Poker, since they have a little control over the outcome. Poker is presently the most popular of the Video games and can be found in great numbers at most Casinos. Like the slots they come in various coindenominations and usually have progressive Jack-Pots. The Jack_Pots are associated with a Royal Flush, Ten to the Ace in the same suit.

Video Keno is also a very popular game, it seems that most of the Casino games are popular. In Keno the player one to six coins and selects a set of numbers, out of eighty numbers he can select one or fifteen. The more hits the greater the win. I would like to provide more detail but it would make this page far too long and onerous to read. For details visit my Keno Page.

In conclusion, these are the most common aspects and features of slot machines. For openers, I believe you have as much information on slot play as you probably need or want. A review of these pages will at least make you familiar with some of the aspects of Casino gambling.Good Luck

Money Management at the Casino

The best way to keep from spending more than you want to is to know, at all times, where you stand. There are a number of ways you can do this. You can operate on a daily gambling allowance, which is the most common approach. Within this approach there is still the need to know where you stand. When gambling or gaming, if you wish, money no longer has a value as you normaly associate value with money. It becomes increasingly easy to get carried away. This you should gaurd against.

Limit the number of turns spent at a machine without a win. If after 5 to 7 plays you have not had a hit, leave and try another machine. I have seen slot machines go up to fourty times without a hit. I have done this purposely to learn how long you can play with no hit. On the other hand, if you land a machine that is in a "pay cycle," and no matter what anyone tells you, they do have a pay cycle. I call it a "take cycle" and a "pay cycle." And the "take" cycle is longer than the "pay" cycle. During take cycles you will get the odd small payout but overall they get pretty stingy. See "IF You Are Disciplined" section below for more on "Pay Cycles."

A pay cycle can be quite an experience and gives real meaning to; "know when to hold em and know when to fold em." Play the pay cycle as long as you are getting reasonable hits within 10 or so turns. They cool off as quickly as they get hot.

Hot slot Machines may be found in Casinos but they are randomly placed for optimum effectiveness. In other words, placed where they can be best seen by potential players. These payoffs make players itchy to play any machine and thereby action is created. Not only are these machines randomly placed, they are periodicaly relocated so as not to allow some smart player to zero in on them for any period of time. The only person that can tell you where they are is the guy that put them there. Other than that it becomes an adventure to find one. Don't waste your entire trip looking for one of these shill machines, just have fun and Good luck.

Bon Chance Good Luck Bon Chance

If you are disciplined you can try this approach. If you get a good hit of 50 plus coins, keep a handful in the tray and scoop the rest into a bucket, there are lots of buckets all around. Each time you get a susequent hit, put one half in the bucket to keep. When you have run out of coins in the tray it usually means the pay cycle is over. Take your winnings and move to another machine. If you play this method you will play longer and have more fun with your money. Even if you use this money management system, you should limit your turns to 10 or 15 withour a hit. You should remember that the more clinical your approach the less likely you are to enjoy yourself.

A personal note A recent visit to Biloxi Miss. proved to be fun and rewarding. No we didn't make any money but we sure had a lot of play for the money we spent. The Grand Casino has a bank of Sizzling sevens upstairs, nickles that is. Four of us sat in a row and played for three hours we hit dozens of sevens and cashed in about 40.00 each. My good wife hit the sizzling sevens for 1000 nickels, a real kick, that's what it's all about.