How do you pick a machine in a casino? Is it based on looks? What about payout? The minimum coin amount? Just instinct?

For me, I guess it is just how I am feeling. I have an instinct and a feeling about which machine to play. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

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PokerPrincess
Live, Love, Laugh

I find I like the machines with video game like bonus rounds like Gone Fishin, Battleship, and the one with the jewelry boxes - I think it's called Double Diamond... I look for those and then I just pick one kinda by instinct. If it doesn't work out I move on after awhile. I also watch the others and if someone has just won big on one I stay away from it - lightning not striking twice and all. I don't play progressives because you usually have to play too high a bet against too many other people. I know the jackpots could be life changing, but the odds are so low it's not worth it to me.

I like to play the Blazing Sevens, Monte Carlo, Quick Hit, and I Love Jackpot machines. I usually only look for and play these machines... maybe that's why I don't win that often haha. I need more variety, but I don't have confidence in other machines, even when I see other people hit on it.

My wife and I started going to the local Indian Casino's last year. I'm the type that reads everything I can to totally understand something before I jump in. I read several articles on-line on what to look for in a slot machine...like pay-out, wheel configurations...etc. So we went down and my wife is wanting to jump on this machine and that machine...with no wins. I look at each of the machines, read their payouts and pick one. She played it and hit a $600 on her last 80 cents. I don't remember the name of the machine but it never paid out or was lucky again to us. I then moved on to the Penny Lane machines. We both did pretty good on those. I hit the bonus round once (didn't even know it had one) and hit it for $60. We were down at the Coeur d'Alene Casino Friday night and we had just finished stuffing ourselves at the seafood buffet and were going back to the non-smoking section. We stopped off at the restrooms and I was waiting for her to come out. Well there are several machines at the bottom of the stairs before you go into the actual gaming section. I was looking at them and this machine...Blazing 7's...caught my eye. I read the payouts and was interested..even though it was a five wheel machine. I slid $20 into and hit a $10 bonus round my first time. So I played it out. We sat there for a long time hitting and playing, hitting and playing. I finally ran the money out and put in another $10. I ran it down to the last bit and hit another bonus round. This time I hit it for $75. We put $75 in for the night and we walked away with $75 and a good time. We walked away and drove home happy. I DON"T play any machine that has blank spots on the wheels. Why play with holes that don't have a chance to pay out no matter what else hits with them. To me that is like throwing a coin over my shoulder every second or third spin.

My 2cents worth....

Thanks for the insight, waredbear, and welcome aboard. Glad to have you around.

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"I am in so far in blood, that sin will pluck on sin" - Richard III

I need more varity , but I dont have confidence in other machines even when I see other people hit

If someone else hits, I figure there's no way I'll get so lucky. I guess I'm just a pessimist when it comes to slots.

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"I am in so far in blood, that sin will pluck on sin" - Richard III

I personally do not enjoy the new video type slots, but prefer the older reel slots. I only play 1 coin at a time, as my money lasts much longer, giving me a better chance at hitting something.

How about looking at the denomination ... to make sure it matches what you want to play. How many lines does it have? Do you have to play a max bet in order to qualify for something (eg. progressive jackpots).

Once you move to the multi-line slots, it is very difficult to go back to a single line --- why? Because on a 9-line slot, you are actually "crunching" all of the action from 9 slots into one spin. You need to spin a single payline slot 9 times in order to equal the number of spins (or lines) in a line machine. Simply put .. going back can be boring!

/\/\/\/\ the Shamus /\/\/\/\