3 Reel Slot Machine Secrets

Classic or 3 reel slot strategy is probably the easiest to practice, but will still take some thought. Ideally you’ll want to play as long as possible by betting low enough to make your bankroll last, but high enough to garner some sizable wins.

3 Reel Slot Machine Strategy

Deposit/Bankroll

One widely accepted strategy is to simply divide your deposit by 200 or 250; so a $100 deposit should see you wagering no more than .40 or .50 per spin.

Two Bucket

There are a lot of variations on that theme. First is the ‘two bucket’ strategy that comes from the days when we actually put coins in the machine for every spin. You would start with your session bankroll in one bucket and feed the machine from it. Any coins that came out of the machine you would put in your second bucket. This way, if your bankroll was $100, you would play through it once, win or lose, and what came out of the machine was taken to the cashier to convert coins to cash. It’s a sure way to get 200-250 chances at a jackpot and still walk away with some money in the end.

To apply it to online or ‘ticket in ticket out’ machines, simply set your bet size and count your spins. A hand held counter/clicker works for this, or you can use the ‘autoplay’ feature on many online classic machines.

Average Bet Size Strategy

Another method is to determine your average bet size… in this case .40 or .50. Some players like to ‘get a feel’ for the slot and bet more or less depending on the mood. This is mathematically impossible, but sometimes it really ‘feels’ like it works. If my average bet is .50, I might do five or ten spins at .25 followed by one or two at .75 or $1.00 if I feel the machine is ‘due to hit’. Of course it’s not due to do anything as it is completely random, but in random there are clumps of wins and clumps of losses and sometimes a player gets lucky and hits them when the bet is higher. My session will last just as long because my average bet will be the same .50 - and though some hits will happen at the lower bets rather than the higher, that’s okay as I’m still winning!

Be sure to check the paytable, it’s right on the front of the machine. If one coin gets you 200, two coins nets 400 and three coins nets 600 it makes no sense to bet the maximum coins or lines, it will just deplete your bankroll faster. If the paytable has a tremendous leap for between two and three or between four and five for a five line, 3 Reeler, it is always advisable to bet the maximum in order to be eligible for the top prize. To do this simply lower the denomination of the coins you are playing. Many online slots allow .01, .02, .05, .10, .25 etc.

Slot machine tips to keep in mind while playing:

1. Don’t play with more than you can stand to lose.
2. Divide your bankroll into optimum bet size.
3. Make the best bet for the slot you are playing.
4. Quit while you are ahead.