Myths about slot machines – part 1
If you only knew how many sorts of slot machines there are in the world! And whence are myths taken? The ground for myths in any area is always ignorance of something, unawareness of any question. In case with the slot machines we deal with ignorance of the majority of active players regarding the principles of the device and work of slot machines – whether it will be a slot in the land halls, or video slots in the Internet-casino. In this article I will try to clear up this question. The information will be useful to any player, and also it can be useful to you for working out of the optimum strategy when once again you will battle with one-armed gangsters.
The most widespread and artful myth about slot machines is an imagination of players that each slot machine makes its monetary turnover and works cyclically. Therefore it is necessary to step away from those automatic machines which swallow the money, and to search ones that give the money. It’s not a true statement. In the modern world any slot machine, mechanical or electronic, does not work cyclically if automatic machines worked in such a way, somebody artful and observant (and, believe, such people will come straight away!) would constantly shave the casino with such slots. No, each modern automatic machine works on the basis of the given random numbers given out by the hardware generator which defines the moment of winning or loosing combinations. The generator of random numbers is not programmed in advance for each slot-machine for each moment of time; therefore each rotation of drums is absolutely irrespective of the previous one or even of two previous ones and so on. Taking into consideration this simple fact, it is impossible to count a cycle of payments. It is necessary to notice, that in general many myths get crashed of the fact that automatic machines work on a principle of random numbers generator.
On the other hand, it is all true, if you play a respectable Internet-casino, or in a large hall of slot machines, instead of any fly-by-night point at a bus stop. Citizen of our country should know, that yet so a long time the country has been literally filled by the «home-made» slot machines of type “camomile” or “column”. By recognitions of authors of these games, and people programming electronic payments for them, in these slot machines, if one may say so, the cyclic scheme of payments was used just periodically. Say a cycle made 5000 games then payments began anew, both prizes and losses went in exactly the same sequence. It is certainly a mess, but it is possible, thus founders protected their game devices from the influence of severe Russian conditions, in which any electronics (and after all many of these “columns” were established directly in the street!) could «kick the bucket» moreover the installation of qualitative hardware of random numbers generator in such an automatic machine could raise the price of its manufacture.
But we will get back to the “up-to-date” slot machines. As it often happens, when someone breaks jackpot in a casino, sometimes there is a person who speaks: I just played this automatic machine, this jackpot should be mine, and I have made all “black job”.
Besides, considering a principle of the generator of random numbers, we know that it is a lie. You can spend two hours for one slot machine and not win more than two dollars, but to the following player the same automatic machine gives 500 coins at once. Have you faced it? I saw such a situation, and I can tell, that it happens not so seldom. In this case personally you have made nothing for this purpose. If you stayed long at the automatic machine and made some more attempts, you would likely manage to win the large sum of money… But it will not necessarily happen to you. For the generator of random numbers the set moment of time is important when you press the button of rotation of drums which defines, whether you will win or lose after the next rotation of wheels of the automatic machine. If you pressed the rotation button in that micro second in which it was pressed by the following player, you would break a large sum, but all your previous attempts have not absolutely affected in any way the fact of a prize of the following player.
Another living myth about slot machines says that the casino often intentionally pays huge jackpot to the certain player-money-bag to motivate him still to spend the big sum in a casino. After all, if you are not so lucky, you will quickly start to miss and go to spend the money for other entertainments.
Despite the fact that what it would be favorable to owners of a casino, it is absolutely illegal and can never take place in business. We will not forget about our old acquaintance: the generator of random numbers. We should give proper respect to it: each slot-modern machine works on its basis, the outcome of each rotation of a drum is absolutely unpredictable irrespective of the fact who plays at some certain slot-machine and during what time. Casinos can encourage those who place the big rates, giving out additional means and prizes to them, or allocating free numbers and meals, but only the generator of random numbers can solve, who will get a large prize.
Some people think, that the best strategy is to start playing with the small sums or with a minimum quantity of coins to warm up the automatic machine. It is a nasty way if you try to influence thus on the slot, and, I hope, you have already understood, why it is so… Quite right, the matter is the generator of random numbers! At you as many chances to break a large sum from the first rotation of a drum, as those ones from the100-th attempt. If your purpose is to get jackpot, it is reasonable to place the big rates to be assured of a case of a prize with the third, the tenth or hundredth attempt, that you really receive a sufficient sum.
If all of you still consider yourself as the genius of mathematics and believe, that it is possible to beat the machine, having calculated probability of linear coincidence of each symbol, do not leave your daily work. It is impossible to calculate probability for a slot machine. Function of the generator of random numbers is to give out random numbers by each pressing of the button by the player. These numbers correspond to a certain place of a drum, and the drum can make literally some hundreds of possible stops. Knowing, that on each drum has more than two hundred possible stops, and in a slot machine there are three such drums, or even five, it is easy to calculate, that millions various combinations hidden from eyes of the profane player can be created.
So, as you have already understood, existence of the generator of random numbers has not broken anything from many myths which you could hear or in which you trusted when played automatic machines. In spite of the fact that each rotation has an unpredictable result, nevertheless there are some helps which can direct you on a true way and make you the luckiest player.