Playing online slots can be a great way of enjoying casino games without actually having to visit a brick-and-mortar casino. When you play online slots for real money you get all the excitement of spinning the reels but don’t have to deal with the hassle of getting into your car, driving to the casino, and then having to find somewhere safe to park your vehicle.
If you enjoy playing online slots, it’s important that you know how to play properly so that you maximize your chances of winning big. We’ve listed all of our top tips below which could help you hit it rich when playing online slots.
Keep in mind that online slots are different from single-line slots because the odds of winning are much lower. It’s often not possible to hit a jackpot on slot machines.
1) Research the game
Before playing any casino game, it’s important that you learn about the game. Check out the paytable (the information that appears below the reels). This will show you the different combinations of symbols that pay out and what they pay out. The more you know about a game, the better your chances of winning it.
A good example of a paytable is below:
If you play this game, you’ll see that there are multiple ways to win. You’ll notice a few things right away:
- The best paying symbol is the cherry, which pays 100 coins for each one on the reels. The peach symbol is also pretty good, paying 10 coins for each one you manage to line up. The other symbols are worth less than 1 coin per symbol, with the exception of the lemon which pays out 25 coins for each one.
- The paytable tells you that there’s only one way to win (the wild symbol must appear on reels 2, 3 and 4). The game also has a scatter symbol (the blue star). If you get three of these anywhere on the reels then you’ll win 200x your bet.
So what does this mean for you? If you play online slots, all you need to do is find the best paying symbol and the rest should fall into place. Some of these games might include wilds or scatter symbols, but if the reels are spinning then it’s likely that they’re not going to appear.
2) Play at a reputable casino
The first thing you’re going to want to do is register an account with an online casino that gives you extensive customer support. You want someone at the other end of the phone to be able to answer your questions. You also want to ensure that they’re able to help you choose a game that has a chance of giving you some good wins.
With an online casino, you’ll definitely want to play slots and you’ll also probably want to play table-based games at higher limits. If you’re a beginner, however, it’s probably a good idea to start with the slot games.
Once you’re registered and have committed your money to an account, you’ll be able to withdraw it at any time as long as you win a certain amount of money. The amount varies from casino to casino but generally is 2x or 3x of your deposit.
Since online casinos are now heavily regulated they all have some type of ‘fairness’ system in place. This simply means that you’ll automatically be placed in the middle of the table whenever you play. Reel number 1 will then be allocated to your casino account, reel number 2 will go to another player then reel number 3 will be given to player 4 and so on.
This means that you’re always playing with other players who are also trying to win money, which is always a good thing.
3) Play with your strategy
When you’re playing online slots, understand that the game is just like any other game played for money. The basic idea is that two players are trying to outscore each other. When one player gets lucky then the other player is punished by having their winnings slashed.
You’ll notice this clearly in the paytable above. The best paying symbol is the cherry symbol, which you can expect to cover 100x any winnings from those from the other symbols. So if the cherry appears on reel 1, you’ll win 100x your bet. However, if it appears on reels 2 or 3 then you’ll only double your bet.
If a star appears anywhere on the reels then doubling your bet is a good thing. In fact, this is the most important symbol in the entire game. The star means that you’ll double your bet for free if it’s anywhere on reels 2 or 4. You can also win a bunch of money without having to do much at all – the maximum payout for a star appearing on a 3×3 grid is 1,000 coins.
If the cherry appears on reel 1 then you’ll hit a match and match wins.
4) Play when the game is hot
You’ll notice that there are times in which many online slot players turn up.
This generally happens when a new game is being released in which the jackpot is very high. It’s important to remember that not all of these games will give you jackpots (they might be more like progressive jackpots). So, you need to make sure that you come back and play during these times.
There are times where some online slots can pay out big on special days, such as April Fools’ Day, the Super Bowl and the day before Christmas.
Many people will also take advantage of the online slots jackpots that you might see during the New Year.
The best time to play is always when there are no jackpots available or very little jackpots available at all. This gives you the best chance of winning but if you’re not careful, you’ll end up losing more than your original deposit.
5) Stick to your budget
One of the most important things you can do when playing online slots is to stick to your budget. Once you’ve deposited money into your account, it’s always best to play for real money instead of practicing.
It’s also best that you play for fun rather than playing for free. You want to be able to get paid when you win, so always use real money instead of trying out the free games.
It’s always a good idea to stick to your budget, even if you’re winning. Playing online slots is basically a form of entertainment, so make sure that you keep your head in the game and don’t get carried away.
You should also double check your balance before you play so you can see exactly how much money you have available for playing. This will help you monitor how much money is being used and how much can be withdrawn at any time.
It’s best to play online slots with money that you can afford to lose. If you win, great. If you lose, then you’ll simply need to deposit more money and continue playing. You can also practice at higher stakes until you get better at the game and start winning consistently.
6) Keep your session short
Although there might be times when you want to play for hours on end, it’s not a good idea if you’re playing online slots. This is because it’s almost impossible to beat the game in one go, especially if you’re just starting out.
The games are programmed in such a way that certain wins will occur at different times. If you’re playing for too long, your chances of winning will be much lower than if you’re playing intermittently.
It’s best that you take breaks between sessions and come back later to win again during a session. This way, your mind won’t get bored and start making mistakes when playing slots games online.
You should also take your time when playing, especially if you’re playing at higher slots online. Remember that you’re dealing with real money and it’s best to play for fun than to get overly competitive.
Although some people might want to bet big, there are times when betting small is more of a winning strategy. You can always improve on your game if you decide to start betting bigger, but there’s no need to do that right away.
Conclusion
Online slots are great fun to play at any time of the day. Some people prefer to play during the day, while others enjoy it more at night. We find that most people like to play after dinner for an hour or two, which is why online casinos are open 24/7. However, playing online slots gives you the option of playing whenever you want. Just make sure that you don’t spend too long on one game and always take a break between sessions.
