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In a modern slot machine,
the odds of hitting a particular symbol or combination of symbols
depends on how the virtual reel is set up. As we saw in the last
section, each stop on the actual reel may correspond to more than one
stop on the virtual reel. Simply put, the odds of hitting a particular
image on the actual reel depend on how many virtual stops correspond to
the actual stop.
In a typical weighted slot machine, the top jackpot stop (the one with
the highest-paying jackpot image) for each reel corresponds to only one
virtual stop. This means that the chance of hitting the jackpot image on
one reel is 1 in 64. If all of the reels are set up the same way, the
chances of hitting the jackpot image on all three reels is 1 in 643, or
262,144. For machines with a bigger jackpot, the virtual reel may have
many more stops. This decreases the odds of winning that jackpot
considerably.
The losing blank stops above
and below the jackpot image may correspond to more virtual stops than
other images. Consequently, a player is most likely to hit the blank
stops right next to the winning stop. This creates the impression that
they "just missed" the jackpot, which encourages them to keep gambling,
even though the proximity of the actual stops is inconsequential.
A machine's program is
carefully designed and tested to achieve a certain payback percentage.
The payback percentage is the percentage of the money that is put in
that is eventually paid out to the player. With a payback percentage of
90, for example, the casino would take about 10 percent of all money put
into the slot machine and give away the other 90 percent. With any
payback percentage under a 100 (and they're all under 100), the casino
wins over time.
In most gambling
jurisdictions, the law requires that payback percentages be above a
certain level (usually somewhere around 75 percent). The payback
percentage in most casino machines is much higher than the minimum --
often in the 90- to 97-percent range. Casinos don't want their machines
to be a lot tighter than their competitors' machines or the players will
take their business elsewhere.
The odds for a particular
slot machine are built into the program on the machine's computer chip.
In most cases, the casino cannot change the odds on a machine without
replacing this chip. Despite popular opinion, there is no way for the
casino to instantly "tighten up" a machine.
Machines don't loosen up on
their own either. That is, they aren't more likely to pay the longer you
play. Since the computer always pulls up new random numbers, you have
exactly the same chance of hitting the jackpot every single time you
pull the handle. The idea that a machine can be "ready to pay" is all in
the player's head, at least in the standard system.
Trick or Treat is a three reel, three payline, and
three coin slot machine. The multiple paylines increase
your chances of winning.
There are no wild symbols and the maximum payout
is 4,000 coins.
For every coin that you bet, you enable another
payline. You are paid out for winning combinations
on enabled paylines only.
It is easy to see why casinos like slot machines so much. The slot machines take up very little floor space, break time is only when they
do breakdown and that is rare for a machine. The breakdowns are handled quickly by a slots techician, usually just a simple computer board change is involved and the faulty machine is back in business. There is no way that casino management could have ever predicted the popularity of the slot machine today. All management has done is provide the gamblers with what they want, and believe it or not, slot machines are now one of the most popular of all casino games.
In this day and age, it would not be fair to refer to slot machines as "one armed bandits". We all know, most machines do have that big old handle that earned it it's name but, if all you want to do is push buttons, you don't need that handle at all. Sit down, get comfortable, it is up to you, if you want to feed the machine at the beginning of each spin of the wheels or you can simply insert the bill of your choice and select "bet max".
The interesting question is, we know casino management could not have made these machines as popular as they are. What is it about slot machines that grab and hold the gamblers attention for such a long period of time? This time period I am referring to started in the mid 1900's and continues to grow to this day.
Do many people consider gambling to be entertainment? Entertainment, for most of us, is something that does not require alot of "brain work". After a long day, we feel the brain deserves a rest and our forms of entertainment usually include this. The slot machine enters the picture and for many, this must be what they were looking for.
Slots do offer the opportunity for a big payout. This may be one of the factors that has lead to the huge popularity of these machines. Some of the jackpots on the progressive machines exceed 10 million dollars. I do play the lotteries when the pots get big and a slot machine gives me a way of playing for a huge pot just by taking one more spin of the wheels. The size of the progressive is one of the major factors that has assisted the rising use of slot machines by gamblers.
The ringing of the bells may have helped the continued rise in popularity. Maybe it is the graphics on the wheels and could be the lights. There is also the possibility that the names of the machines are what draw the gamblers to sit down and play. I think it is fair to say, that it is not just one factor that has led to what the slot machine is today, it is a combination of all of the above and more.
Sit down, relax and don't gamble with more money than you can afford to lose.
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