PLAYERS TALK

We gamblers truly are a superstitious bunch! Across the years, my team and I have received thousands of hand-written letters and emails from our readers about what they believe brings them good luck (and bad luck) while playing the slots. We always have such a wonderful time reading all the stories! Here’s a list of the top ten most common themes amongst all the readers’ letters …

1. The “loosest” slots are in the aisles and crosswalks.

Several of our readers believe that the casinos put the “loosest” slots in the aisles, so that people passing by are drawn into the main slot area where the “tighter” machines are waiting to fleece them. Hey, it makes sense—why not? Although many of our sources across all the casino slot departments claim this is not the case, there’s no law that states two of the same games, side-by-side, need to have the same payout percentage.

2. The “tightest” slots are located in secluded areas.

Just as our readers, apparently, know where to go play the “loosest” slots, they also know where not to play. The consensus amongst players seems to be that the “tightest” slots are located near the table games and there are two main reasons why: one, because casinos don’t want the table players to be distracted and two, because there’s no reason to try to lure those types of players to the slots because table players aren’t usually slot players.

For this same reason, casinos feel that it’s not necessary to place the “loose” slots near the sports bars. Another prevalent hypothesis is that the “tight” machines are placed near the casino entrances. The assumption here is that casinos don’t want to place their highest-paying slots near the doors in fear that players will not explore and play in other areas of the casino. Once again, although these theories have been refuted by casino slot personnel, they are, nevertheless, both interesting theories.

3. The casino employees know which slots are “hot.”

Evidently, the first thing many of our readers do when they arrive at a casino is ask the floor personnel to recommend a “hot” machine. Although we know casino employees aren’t able to tell when a machine is going to hit, they are able to observe which slots get played the most and which seem to be hitting the most frequently.

4. If it’s not going well, cash out and insert the ticket back in.

There are many casino players that believe there is a “reset” button on slot machines which is essentially the “cash out” button. As one reader wrote, “If things aren’t going well for me, I just cash out the ticket and reinsert it into the machine to change my luck.” Unfortunately, the random number generator

(RNG) is perpetually at work (even when a machine is not being played) and doesn’t recognize when a player is cashing out.

In addition, the ticket printer and the RNG are independent of one another. However, the concept of cashing out a ticket doesn’t seem to be a bad idea from the perspective of a fresh start approach!

5. Don’t play slots that have awarded jackpots recently.

Our readers are apprehensive about slots that have paid out recently. However, they shouldn’t be because each spin is independent of the spin before. The RNG has no memory of a slot’s performance and jackpots can literally happen back-to-back! Furthermore, players won’t play a slot if the message on the monitor says the previous player cashed out a large amount. However, if this is your belief be careful, because this can be misleading. My team and I routinely see players put a large ticket in a slot machine (having cashed out from another slot), play a few spins, and cash out.

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6. Do play slots that have awarded jackpots recently.

On the flip side, there are several players who like to try their luck on machines that have already been doing well. I’m one of those believers that if a machine is “hot” it might stay that way for a while. An RNG is never truly random, it can’t be. And that’s why the concept of streaks exists and is absolutely true. But, just as a machine can turn “hot” it can also turn “cold” and stay “cold” indefinitely, so BEWARE!

7. Stand don’t sit.

So many people have written in to us saying that they don’t sit down when playing their favorite slot machine, because the slot can sense when they’ve gotten too comfortable. Okay, this one is a little weird. Sorry, but when I play I want to be comfortable! I wonder, how does the slot machine know whether a player is sitting or standing?

8. Only play when the casino is busy.

Many players believe casinos make their games loose on the weekends when the casino is busy and attendance is up, so that it appears more players are winning. These same players believe that management tightens their machines during the weekdays when there tends to be less casino visitors.

9. Don’t be the first to play after a “drop.”

A “drop” is when the casino personnel comes around to exchange the full cash boxes with empty ones. After this has happened, the slot’s top light is on until a player inserts money or a ticket and begins playing. Most players believe a slot isn’t going to pay out until it has reached a certain amount of play first, called “coin in” by casino employees.

10. If you’re losing on a slot, take out your player’s card.

Of all the reader letters we’ve received over the years, this has been the most prevailing theme. Some players believe taking their player’s card out and reinserting it into the game will reset the game and change its outcome, while others don’t want to use a player’s card altogether if the machine is not doing well.

I’m as superstitious as they come, but this is one theory I can’t believe in personally. Having worked for a slot machine manufacturer, I know for a fact that the card reader really has nothing to do with the RNG in the game. If you are someone who does this, be careful not to play without your card for too long so you don’t lose out on casino offers that are based on your play.

Superstitions are centered around luck and the first step towards being lucky is feeling lucky, so go ahead and do (or don’t do) whatever makes you feel lucky! $