Slots Odds

Slots odds are the probabilities of getting a winning combination on the reels. They much depend on the type of slot machine you play. Originally the odds were very easy to calculate as the only thing the players had to consider was the number of reels and symbols used on each of the reels. As a result, 3-reel slot machines are traditionally believed to be better as for player’s winning chances and thus the more reels and symbols on them, the lower the player’s advantage.

How to Calculate Odds

Player has 1 in 8000 odds of getting one
combination at classic slots

The odds of getting any of the combinations on the slot reels are easy to calculate if you know the number of symbols used on each reel. Let’s take a look at the odds a bit closer and consider an example:

In case you have to make a line of 3 diamonds on one payline to win the jackpot, it is most likely that each reel has only one symbol of a diamond. If the machine is a 3-reel one and there are 20 symbols on the reels, the chances of hitting this combination are:

Possible combinations on the reels: 20 x 20 x 20 = 8000. The odds of getting this combination are 1 in 8000. For 5-reel slot machine the chances are even less: 20 x 20 x 20 x 20 x 20 = 1/ 3,200,000 (1 in 3,200,000). The slots probabilities are usually shown in percents, so for 3-reel and 5-reel slot machine with 20 symbols on each reel we have such probabilities:

However, the number of symbols on the reels may differ from machine to machine, and that is why the slots odds are also different. Here we offer you to look at some more examples of slot machines containing 3 and 5 reels with different number of symbols on them – in our case 20, 22 and 25.

Slots Payback Percentages

The main idea behind counting the odds in slot machines lies in understanding of the fact how the machine pays out the money. Unlike many people think, not everything is random in a slot machine. Slots are programmed to pay out certain percent of the money put in with each play.

For example, one machine may pay back 80% of bets while another one may pay back 91% and even 100%. This means that on every dollar put in the casino takes back 9 cents and pays out 91 cents. But it does not do it on every dollar put in, it just pays out explosively and this is what makes the game so great.

You must remember that there are two basic types of slot machines as to payback. These are:

• Loose slots are slot machines that are programmed to return 82-98% of the wagered money, or even more if you play slots online. As a rule, the high-denomination slots pay more than those offering, for example, $0.05 or $0.25 bets. More about typical paybacks for different slot machines read at strategies page.
• Tight slots are machines that pay out not more than 80% and down to 50% of wagered money. To avoid playing at such slot machines try not to gamble in motels, airports, bars, gas stations, etc. The payback percentages vary from casino to casino that is why it may be difficult to find the best machine on the gambling hall.

As you understand, one of the best slots tips is always to look for loose machines. It can be easy if the gambling hall shares this information with the visitors. In any case you can gamble on the Internet as most online casinos can provide the statistic data about their slots. So, when choosing one of the casinos recommended by SlotsDoc.com you can expect for such paybacks: