The ultimate goal for a slot player
is finding a loose machine amidst the vast sea of
machines on the casino floor. Some equate the task equal
to finding the proverbial needle in a haystack while
others concede it is more like looking for a pot of
gold at the end
of a rainbow. Players dream of finding a loose slot
machine but few achieve their goal. One reason for this
is that the term ?loose? when describing a slot machine
is a relative to the location and casino.
A player from Las Vegas who
plays slots at a local?s casino getting 98 percent
payback would not consider a slot machine in Atlantic
City that is set to payback 94 percent as a loose
machine. However the player from Atlantic City where the
average slot return is 91 percent would consider this
same machine a loose one.
First we should define the term
loose slot machine. Payback is the overall percentage
that a machine will return to the player in the long
run. A loose machine is one that is set to pay back a
higher percentage than other machines so the term loose
would be relative to the other machines in the same
casino.
Fact or Myth Over the years
there has been much speculation and conjecture amongst
slot players as to where the loose slot machines are
located. There are many myths that have been circulating
associated with the placement these loose slot machines
on the casino floor. Here are a few to consider and some
reasoning behind the myth.
Loose machines are surrounded by
tight machines. The reasoning behind this myth is
that many players like to play more than one machine at
a time. If a loose machine is surrounded by a tight
machine a player will give back the winnings from the
loose machine if they simultaneously play the machines
on either side.
Loose machines are placed by the
entrance. The reasoning behind this myth is that
people will see players winning and this will entice
them to come into the casino and play. The basis for
this myth can probably be traced back to downtown Las
Vegas where the casinos were in walking distance of each
other. People walking down the street could see the
players winning at the slots and walk into the casino.
Most of the new mega-resorts have multiple entrances so
I would doubt the validity of this myth.
Machines near the table games
are tight. The reasoning behind this myth is that
the noise of the machines will distract the table game
players. Another reason is that a table game player will
be tempted to play any coins they have when they leave
the table on their way to the cashier?s cage.
Machines near the end of the row
are loose. The reasoning behind this myth is that
players seeing other players win will be likely to go
down into the row to play the machines.
Machines near the showroom and
buffet are tight. The reasoning behind this myth is
that players waiting in line for a show or for the
buffet are a captive audience. They may be tempted to
play a few coins to kill time while they wait. The
machines are tight because they can?t leave the area to
play other machines.
Machines near the casino cage
are loose. The reasoning behind this myth is that
the casino wants you to see people winning while you are
waiting in line. This will entice you to play more.
Round Carousals of machines are
looser that rows of machines. The reasoning behind
this myth is that the carousals can bee seen from any
direction in the casino. They want to put the loose
machines where they winners are highly visible.
Think like a Casino Executive.
One of the problems with the myths is that no two
casinos are the same. Each casino has a VP of slots who
makes the decision about the placement of the machines.
Try to think like a casino executive. Where would you
put the loose machines?
Casino executives have heard all
the myths concerning the placement of loose machines
that the players have. If I were the manager I would not
put a loose machine on the aisle. I would bury it
further down the row. Think of this as reverse
psychology. If I know where the players think the loose
machines are I would want to put tight machines there
instead.
Be Realistic. Unless you
play an exorbitant amount of slots, the chances of
really identifying a loose slot machine will be slim.
You could just as easily have a very lucky winning
session on a low payback machines as a loosing session
on a machine with a high payback percentage. You might
never play enough to be sure.
This does not mean you should
give up your quest to find loose slot machines. Playing
different machines in search of a loose one will add
some variety to your slot play. You might not find a
loose slot but you might find a new game that you enjoy
playing. The hunt for a loose slot machine can be fun
and that?s what casino gambling should be.
Until Next time remember:
Luck comes and goes.....Knowledge Stays Forever.
When you are done gambling for the night, leave
your player card (or cards) in a slot machine! (Don't
worry, your comps are safe, it takes ID to redeem comps)
Here is how to do this, and it works much of the time.
Find one of those big slot machines, the ones that
people try an occasional bet on. Put your card in and
play it once, then leave the card there. If the next
player does not have a card, then anything they play
will go to your account! And the next, and the next. I
once left a card in a machine overnight at
the Excalibur and it was still there the next
morning, with over $100 in comps added to it! Don't
overdo this! If the casino finds you have gotten 20
cards, and finds them all over the place, you may lose
your comps cards membership!
