Slot Machine Frequency

Understanding Slot Machine Frequency

If you are going to play slots seriously then there are several terms that you should be familiar with in order to increase your chances of winning. One of those important terms is slot machine frequency. This term is sometimes used interchangeably with the term payback.

Payback refers to the overall percentage that a slot machine will return to players over the long run. A computer chip is used to program these figures into the machine. The manufacturer sets these specifications according to the figures that the casino wants to use. The payback can range anywhere from 75% to 99%. In some states there are regulations regarding the minimum payback that a slot machine can offer. Machines that offer only a small payback are typically called tight machines while slot machines which provider higher paybacks are known as loose machines.

Casinos will typically advertise or at least post the payback on their slot machines. It is imperative to understand that even a single casino may not offer the same payback on all of their machines. It is even possible for two machines that are exactly the same to offer two completely different paybacks, so always make sure that you check the posted payback.

Sometimes slot machines are called cold machines by players. This basically refers to the frequency that the slot machine is returning coins to players. Frequency refers to the percentage of spins that actually return something to players. The frequency is based upon the number of times that each symbol shows up on the wheel as well as the frequency by which a winning combination occurs. Machines that have a low hit frequency could potentially only have a winning combination that shows up once in every ten spins. A slot machine that is a high frequency machine could potentially have winning combinations that show up once in every four spins on average.

Machines that offer a high frequency invariably offer smaller wins in comparison to slot machines that offer lower frequencies. There is actually not any relation to the overall payback of the slot machine. A slot machine that has a high payback could still have a low frequency due to the fact that it pays out more money. Also, a slot machine that has a low payback would still be a high frequency machine because it offers smaller wins on a more frequent basis.

Many players will note that the multi-coin/multi-line machine provides high frequency play. For example, if a slot machine has five play lines the player could potentially receive a winning combination on two or three coins. With this type of machine there would be a high frequency, but it would be a low payback machine because of the fact that the wins are small even though they are frequent.

Players can typically determine whether a machine is a high frequency or low frequency machine by studying the pay table that  is posted on the machine. A slot machine that has numerous combinations that provide smaller wins will usually be a high frequency machine while one that offers less winning combinations that offer larger wins is a low frequency machine.

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