Types of Slot Machines in Vegas

You step onto a casino floor in Vegas and immediately you're overwhelmed: lights flash, sounds blare, coins clatter and more likely than not, you're surrounded by hundreds of slot machines. In spite of the fact that they come in all shapes and sizes, there are only two basic types of slot machines.

Straight Slots

You know you are playing a straight slot machine if it has a detailed payout schedule above the reels or on the video screen. Straight slots pay specific amounts for the indicated bets and symbol combinations.

Progressive Slots

Progressive slots will also have a payout schedule, but you will notice the word "progressive" where the jackpots would be listed. Progressive machines calculate a jackpot based on the number of coins payed into the machine, and this jackpot increases until it is won.

How Vegas Slots Work

Slots use a computer chip called a Random Number Generator (RNG) to determine the reels' exact stopping points. This happens every time you push the "spin" button or pull the lever, and there are billions of possibilities.

Straight Slot Tip

You should check the payout schedule on a machine before you play it. Only play a machine if the payouts on the simplest combinations (the ones you're most likely to win) look good.

Progressive Slot Tip

Always bet the maximum (cover all the payout lines). This ensures you will win the whole progressive jackpot if you hit it. Progressive machines also give the player a small (2 percent) advantage over straight machines.

References

• Learn to Play Slot Machines