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- Quick Strike Slot Machine
Casino floors used to be filled with nickel and quarter slot machines. And casinos made healthy slots profits with these coin denominations for decades.
But nowadays, penny slot machines are the dominant game. These slot machines are enticing because they only require players to bet one cent on each payline.
Some might think of these games as mindless entertainment due to how you’re merely spinning the reels over and over. But I’ve actually learned some important lessons from playing penny slots.
Here are the 5 biggest lessons I learned from penny slot machines, including things I’ve applied to both gambling and real-life situations.
Each manufacturer of gaming software has a slot with a classic theme in its arsenal. And Quickspin is not an exception. The company introduced a machine with traditional fruit pictures and simple, but not less interesting rules of the game – Second Strike. The developers improved the classic theme with bright and very user-friendly design.
1. Always Understand What You’re Getting Into – Especially With Penny Slots
The name alone is what draws many players to penny slot machines. The term penny slots creates the idea that you can play for as little as one cent per spin.
But this isn’t the case at all, because most penny slots force you to play a fixed number of paylines. If you’re on a 50-line penny slot machine, then you’ll need to wager a minimum of $0.50 per turn.
This isn’t exactly what beginning gamblers have in mind when they sit down to a penny slots game. The same players are often shocked when their money quickly vanishes.
I myself fell for this the first time I played a penny slot machine. I automatically assumed that the game was going to be really cheap, but it drained my funds faster than a nickel or quarter machine.
I’m not saying that casinos are evil for putting these games on their floors. But you need to be aware of what you’re getting into with these games, just like anything else in life.
Here’s a dramatic comparison. You should always read through a contract before signing it, because failing to read a contract before signing could loop you into a bad deal. Likewise, you shouldn’t play a penny slot machine without first reading the help screen.
I realize that there’s more at stake when you sign a bad contract without reading through. But I want to stress that some penny slot machines are like bad contracts of the gambling world.
This explains how many lines you need to play along with minimum bets for specific bonus features and the jackpot.
For example, Aristocrat’s Game of Thrones slot machine requires that you make a 100-credit wager to active the Fire & Blood Bonus.
You can risk less than this on Game of Thrones. But most slots players don’t want to play a game where they don’t qualify for the best bonus features.
Some slot machines require that you play up to 300 credits, or $3 per spin for certain bonuses and/or the progressive jackpot, and $3 is hardly what players expect to wager on a penny slot machine.
Again, read the help screen to find out how much you need to bet to be eligible for every feature. This prevents you from being shocked when having to risk $1-$3 per spin to play.
The good news is that you can find cheaper penny slot machines in land-based casinos. Some of these games only require that you play 20 lines or less to qualify for everything.
2. Prepare Your Bankroll for the Worst
Continuing off the last point, many penny slots can be expensive. And this taught me both a life and gambling lesson in that you should always prepare for the worst.
Sometimes unexpected things happen that can rock you financially.
Nobody expects their heater to go out. But when it does, and the heater needs replaced, you’re staring at a $1,200 bill.
Hopefully no slot machine ever becomes this expensive for you. But on a smaller scale, you should always plan for the worst with slots.
This is especially the case with penny games that require playing 100-300 credits to unlock every feature. You’re risking between $1 and $3 per spin in this case.
Slot machines are already volatile, meaning they produce very unpredictable short-term results. Adding expensive bets on top of this volatility can create a bankroll nightmare.
How do you avoid this nightmare and plan for the worst? The best way is to do some simple bankroll calculations.
Here’s an example for a land-based penny slot machine.
- The average land-based penny slots player loses 350 bets (units) per hour
- You have a $500 bankroll
- You choose a penny slot with 50 lines ($0.50 minimum bet)
- 500 / 0.5 = 1,000 units
- 1,000 / 350 = 2.86
- You can expect your bankroll to last for 2.86 hours on this 50-line game
Keep in mind that this is only an average estimate, and you should have enough money to cover an even-worse scenario. As long as you only bring money to the casino that you’re fine with losing, then this won’t bother you.
3. Don’t Let Colorful Themes and Small Payouts Trick You
We all know that companies use clever marketing campaigns to get us to buy the products.
I accept this fact because businesses are out to increase their profit margins. And marketing is one of the best tools to make this happen.
But on the same note, I don’t want to be a slave to clever marketing and buy a bunch of things I don’t need.
Slot machines are similar in that gaming companies use colorful themes, 3D graphics, music, bonuses, and more to attract your attention. Slots makers know that their products will be placed in more casinos if they draw a large share of players.
I have no problem with people choosing slot machines based on the themes and surrounding entertainment. After all, the point of playing slots is to have fun.
But don’t get so sucked into the theme, graphics, and alluring music that you lose all sense of time and money. Instead, realize that these elements are designed to keep you playing longer than you initially planned for.
Another trick to avoid involves the numerous small payouts that modern slot machines offer.
Multiple studies have shown that a psychological effect kicks in when players receive small rewards after each spin. These frequent payouts convince players that they’re winning, even when they’re losing money overall.
Here’s an example to illustrate this phenomenon.
- You’re playing 100 lines on a penny slot ($1 bet)
- You win a $0.20 payout on one line
- While the win is nice, you’ve technically lost $0.80 overall
Stepping back, anybody can logically see that this is a losing long-term proposition. And $0.20 payouts don’t make up for the loss of $0.80.
But it’s tougher to think in these terms when you’re engrossed in a game while making span after spin. This is another area where you need to be consciously aware of what game manufacturers are doing.
While it’s great to net lots of wins in each session, you also need to keep your overall winnings and bankroll in mind.
4. Playing Lots of Lines Is Entertaining
I’ve already discussed how expensive penny slot machines can be. But one of the greatest benefits is that you can also win lots of payouts thanks to the numerous lines.
Every payline that’s in play gives you a chance to win. And while the odds of winning with each line aren’t great, it’s still fun knowing that you have 50 or more chances to win on each turn.
The same lesson can be applied to life in that people are sometimes willing to pay more for certain forms of entertainment.
One example is how you can race Ferraris and Lamborghinis around the SPEEDVEGAS track for anywhere between $50 and $80 per lap.
Driving go-karts is cheaper and also entertaining. But go-karts don’t give adults the same thrills as driving a Ferrari around a race track.
Playing penny slot machines with lots of lines doesn’t have to comparatively be so expensive either.
Instead, you can choose games with lower volatility that increase your hit frequency, or the odds of winning with each individual payline. Doing so boosts the chances that you’ll net frequent wins and better sustain your bankroll.
A small number of slot machines actually offer a volatility rating in the help screen. For example, you might see between 1 and 5 lightning bolts to indicate how much variance is involved.
Unfortunately, most penny slots don’t have volatility ratings. You have to look for specific factors in this case to determine the game’s volatility.
Here are 3 factors that can help you out.
- Jackpot size
- Number of large payouts
- Number of small payouts
Low-volatility penny slots feature a smaller jackpot, fewer large payouts, and more small prizes than the average game.
A smaller jackpot combined with fewer large prizes means that a slot machine doesn’t need to make up for the top-heavy payout structure. In turn, the game can offer more small payouts on a frequent basis.
Of course, some players are only interested in playing for big jackpots and other prizes. This is perfectly fine if you don’t mind dealing with the chance that your bankroll will quickly disappear.
But if you want to extend your entertainment on a penny slot with 100 or more lines, then look for signs of low volatility.
5. Cheaper Penny Slots Alternatives Exist
Many of the lessons that I’ve learned regarding penny slots came in land-based casinos. But one more lesson I learned comes from the world of online penny slots.
When people can’t afford a specific item or form of entertainment, they seek out companies that can provide them for a cheaper rate.
Not everybody can purchase expensive Gucci or Chanel clothing. But almost everybody can afford clothes at Walmart or on Amazon.com.
And you can look at online penny slots as the Amazon or Walmart of the gambling world.
I’m not saying that the value from online penny slot machines comes entirely from how cheap they are. In fact, a great deal of people play these games just because they’re more convenient than going to the casino.
But it should also be noted that internet penny slots are perfect for anybody who finds land-based slot machines to be too expensive.
Some online penny slots truly embody the name, because the minimum bet is $0.01 (one cent on a single line). This is what many gamblers have in mind when they first hear the words penny slots.
Other games require you to play between 20-50 fixed paylines. While this is expensive for some players, it’s still cheaper than what’s seen in land-based casinos.
On these games, I usually play anywhere from 20-30 lines at a penny apiece.
Also note that many online penny slot machines see you qualify for bonuses and the jackpot no matter how much you wager. This is good for anybody who cringes at being forced to play 100-300 lines for the features.
That said, check out online casinos if you don’t like the prospect of spending $0.50 or more on the average penny slot machine.
Conclusion
The main lesson worth noting about penny slot machines is that they’re not what the name implies. As long as you understand this fact going in, you’ll be perfectly fine with these games.
You should note that penny slots in land-based casinos have fixed payline amounts.
Brick-and-mortar casinos have more expenses to pay than online casinos. Therefore, they need to win back a greater rate from slot machine players.
Remember that casinos are businesses like anything else. And their goal is to earn enough money to make profits. That said, requiring 50+ pay lines and using entertaining themes to keep people playing doesn’t make them corrupt.
On the other hand, you want to know this all right away. By knowing this info, you’ll avoid having to learn the same lessons that I did through penny slot machines.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Be wary of 'fake must-hits'.
e.g. Must hit by $1,200. Machine run up to 1,199.99 and stops...for weeks/months.
I've never seen that happen.
There also are suuuper-sloooow must-hits. One Non-LasVegas $200 must-hit at $199...might require $1,600 to drop (ouch!).
That's just a function of the meter move, also, if you had a must-hit at $199.00 and it would take $1,600 coin-in to push it all the way up to $200, then that's a playable machine, I would suggest. There would have to be a ton of factors to make that not be a playable machine.
And must-hits which don't move on every bet.
They shouldn't, necessarily. That's especially true if you're making a minimum bet, (which is playing with the least volatility and doesn't hurt the return, provided all other things are equal) the meter move is just whatever dollars/cents amount it is and often differs between the different jackpot levels. It's not unusual for a small (Minor) jackpot to move faster than the Major, sometimes.
Often jackpots with a big range have faster meters whereas jackpots with a lesser range have slower meters. If you have a jackpot with a short range and a fast meter, it's important to remember that it's very likely that the jackpot itself (at base) probably contributes a good bit to the base return of the game, along with the meter move.
I'm waiting for the 'must-hit' which sometimes moves backwards (haven't seen it yet, but given the 2016 pz3, maybe....)
Heh, that was funny.
I've never seen that happen.
The fake-must-hit. I don't remember the exact name...but a giveaway is seeing three machines in a bank of '$1,200 must-hit' and two are at 1,199.99. There's a series which is fairly common around the US.That's just a function of the meter move, also, if you had a must-hit at $199.00 and it would take $1,600 coin-in to push it all the way up to $200, then that's a playable machine, I would suggest. There would have to be a ton of factors to make that not be a playable machine.
$200 must-hit at $199. $1,600 meter. 87%. Yes barely playable... in practice, I never see the machine above $198, which isn't playable.Saw a $20 minor must-hit at $19.97 once. Guy ran $80 through machine & it didn't move a penny. I don't know the meter, but I left.
That's especially true if you're making a minimum bet, (which is playing with the least volatility and doesn't hurt the return, provided all other things are equal) the meter move is just whatever dollars/cents amount it is and often differs between the different jackpot levels.
WMS G+. Only moves on wins.The fake-must-hit. I don't remember the exact name...but a giveaway is seeing three machines in a bank of '$1,200 must-hit' and two are at 1,199.99. There's a series which is fairly common around the US.
I'll look out for that, then. The thing actually has, 'Must-Hit,' verbiage on it?
$200 must-hit at $199. $1,600 meter. 87%. Yes barely playable... in practice, I never see the machine above $198, which isn't playable.
Saw a $20 minor must-hit at $19.97 once. Guy ran $80 through machine & it didn't move a penny. I don't know the meter, but I left.
Apparently the meter on your second sentence is more than $80/penny. That's pretty insane. The longest meter I've ever seen on something that I thought would (normally) possibly be playable was $12.00/penny or $16.00/penny on the second-lowest of four jackpots...obviously, it didn't end up being playable.
WMS G+. Only moves on wins.
Quick Hit Slot Machine Payouts
That's right, I recall those now. Used to have a ten-bank of them at the casino I most frequently visit, but they're gone now and have been for perhaps over a year. The meter move on those is theoretical rather than necessarily actual, just like the long-term return of the machine (though it approaches actual) but usually a fixed amount of win moves the meter a penny.
For example, if the base game + bonus games (not including the jackpots at all) has a return of 80%, and the meter move is a penny for $4.00 won, then the long-term effective meter move is a penny for every $5.00 coin-in. It doesn't really change anything (in terms of expectation) just that you're not necessarily guaranteed to move the meter that fast.
I've seen machines $2400, guaranteed to hit three times by $2500 taken off the floor for good. Coincidence? In $50,000 coin-in, paying out $24XX up to 3 times, a week later it's gone, but they chose then. Probably cost them $900 once, the increase from the $1500 reset, and it probably wasn't moved to a machine where $900 is won with odds of 1/50,000. Regulators dgaf. Belie dat. Could have waited a week, someone would have hit it, but they didn't. They took action against best wishes and best interest of the public. Unethical boys.
I've seen machines $2400, guaranteed to hit three times by $2500 taken off the floor for good.
'Player's Equity' money must be placed into another jackpot slot. Sometime when upgrading software, the machine won't hold the progressive money, so it has to move somewhere else before the software upgrade...which can be great if the money moves into an easily hit-able slot. But really bad if they move it into an almost impossible to hit progressive.I played part of a machine which hit at around $2,418, $2,433, and $2,493.
I'll look out for that, then. The thing actually has, 'Must-Hit,' verbiage on it?
Yes. The line I'm thinking of is at least 4-6 years old. No AP plays them. Regular players at the casino won't be tricked. But a traveling AP (or ploppy) looking for must-hits might be confused.The longest meter I've ever seen on something that I thought would (normally) possibly be playable was $12.00/penny or $16.00/penny on the second-lowest of four jackpots...obviously, it didn't end up being playable.
The 'Engine Ablaze' and 'Quick Strike Quad' meters are some of the worst. I think the $12.50 mini is usually 800-1200 ($8.00/penny) or worse. And the upper meters are 2000-2400 or higher...Some people who don't check meters might occasionally get a terrible surprise. The popular 0.25/1.00 $5K-10K progressives usually have 667/250 meters (sometimes 667/222), but I've seen one with 2000/667 meters (e.g. $20.00/penny for the major). Got killed on one minor because it took me so long to realize the meter was 667 (and not 250).
Konami QuickStrike $500/$50 usually is 400/133, but I've seen it at 200/67, 200/80, ??/83, ??/200, 800/267. In one casino, 4 different sets of meters co-exist. Just like with VP, some casinos set some banks really hard to milk unsuspecting poppies.
QuickStrike $200/$20 is usually 400/200, but it was mis-set at one casino at 80/200 (Major set 5x too fast). At another casino, it was deliberately set at 1000-2000/500 on one side of a bank, with normal setting on the other side. After 1-2 years, they changed the 1000-2000/500 to the lower regular setting.
One casino has two Quickstrike $2000/$200s set at 2000/1600 (rather than the more common 400/200).
That's right, I recall those now. Used to have a ten-bank of them at the casino I most frequently visit, but they're gone now and have been for perhaps over a year. The meter move on those is theoretical rather than necessarily actual, just like the long-term return of the machine (though it approaches actual) but usually a fixed amount of win moves the meter a penny.
First time I played a G+..was at 49.90. It took me $35 to drop. Didn't realize than betting $0.10-0.20 might have been better (since it moves based on wins, not coin-in).G+ are still extremely common. Some casinos have 40-50+ machines. They have blue, orange, and black colored jackpot boxes.
Tricky issue is the $500 progressives start at both $250 or $350.
There's also a wide variety of meters on minor and major (sometimes the minor & major meter are the same, sometimes not).
When machines have both (1) different hold percentages (2) different meter settings ... life gets a little more fun for the mathematicians.
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There is a machine (Turbo Boost, I think) .... where the 500/50 progressives randomly jump up by large amounts. They do move up slowly with most coin-in.
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Quick Strike Slot Machine
As I commented earlier, I'm waiting for the new machine, where the progressives occasionally move downward (The extra 'Player's Equity' would have to be stored in a hidden meter, to be added later in a Turbo Boost-like jump or some other bonus). See the 2016 pz3 for how something like this might work in practice.There is a direct effect on meter movement and how often a must hit will hit. ThisThis video admits it, how a predetermined jackpot value is the sole method determining a must-hit being 'randomly' awarded.
Further evidence, the casino reset all must-hits in a bank when changing the meters, all had enough play to guarantee $500 with old meter rates, but were unhit after $100,000 coin-in, all $290.
Saw this:
the machine on the right seems better than the one on the left.
then I thought 'When is a slot machine (in general) worth playing?
(assume it's set to the higher of:
-minimum payout allowed by state law
-minimal payout possible by the manufacturer)
I didn't read most of the comments so if this is redundant I apologize. I skimmed them and pretty much noticed everyone was talking about must hits but these are not those. Anyhoo... this is how I play reels like progressives. The problem is finding out the return. Without going into great detail I think you need to know what the return is for the machine. Actually all I need to know is how much will I expect to lose per hour? How many spins does it take on average to make the jackpot I am trying to hit? Pretty simple from that point. Can I outrun my loss per hour in the long run over time. Most jackpots that I play are usually 3 reel machines with a single line but I play others as well. Some only need to be double jackpot and others like Black Gold need to be 5x from the reset point and you better be able to lock down the machine for weeks on end... No Joke... weeks!! Something like this probably isn't high enough and I would guess that you need to do some 888 for a long period of time. You might get some heat if some wise slot guy sees you doing the old 888 with two others or a little 12 and 12 with one partner. Of course usually you won't get the heat with slots compared to locking down VP. Since I can't really break down the numbers and it is very difficult for me to get access to any PAR Sheets cause you got to be somebody to get that info I usually know about the machines I play from word of mouth or just sheer volume of the millions of spins that I have already spun. I don't need that many spins... usually 100k coin in is enough for me to know what is going on but a million coin in and I know for sure what the hold is!
'Player's Equity' money must be placed into another jackpot slot. Sometime when upgrading software, the machine won't hold the progressive money, so it has to move somewhere else before the software upgrade...which can be great if the money moves into an easily hit-able slot. But really bad if they move it into an almost impossible to hit progressive.
It's either Vegas or A.C. that has a law on that specifically stating that player equity money has to move to a Progressive that is as likely or more to hit, perhaps both jurisdictions.
Yes. The line I'm thinking of is at least 4-6 years old. No AP plays them. Regular players at the casino won't be tricked. But a traveling AP (or ploppy) looking for must-hits might be confused.
The 'Engine Ablaze' and 'Quick Strike Quad' meters are some of the worst. I think the $12.50 mini is usually 800-1200 ($8.00/penny) or worse. And the upper meters are 2000-2400 or higher...
Some people who don't check meters might occasionally get a terrible surprise. The popular 0.25/1.00 $5K-10K progressives usually have 667/250 meters (sometimes 667/222), but I've seen one with 2000/667 meters (e.g. $20.00/penny for the major). Got killed on one minor because it took me so long to realize the meter was 667 (and not 250).
Quick Hit Slot Machine Strategy
The Quick Strike Quads are the ones with which I am familiar. It's really not that big of a deal, in my opinion. I would suggest that, if one is really paying attention, one might lose one to two dollars in theoretical before making the determination that the meter move is too slow to play.
QuickStrike $200/$20 is usually 400/200, but it was mis-set at one casino at 80/200 (Major set 5x too fast). At another casino, it was deliberately set at 1000-2000/500 on one side of a bank, with normal setting on the other side. After 1-2 years, they changed the 1000-2000/500 to the lower regular setting.
I've seen some with super fast minors, $0.90/$0.01 meter move, but those have since been fixed. Maybe, 'Fixed,' isn't even the right word, but changed, anyway.
First time I played a G+..was at 49.90. It took me $35 to drop. Didn't realize than betting $0.10-0.20 might have been better (since it moves based on wins, not coin-in).
I tend to bet as small as I can stand to do anyway to reduce variance, so it wouldn't make a huge difference to me whether or not it is win based as long as the Line Pays are the same and there is no verbiage on the Rule screen stating that Free Games become more likely with a greater bet, or anything like that.
G+ are still extremely common. Some casinos have 40-50+ machines. They have blue, orange, and black colored jackpot boxes.
Tricky issue is the $500 progressives start at both $250 or $350.
There's also a wide variety of meters on minor and major (sometimes the minor & major meter are the same, sometimes not).
Absolutely, they just seem to have gotten rid of most of the G+ must-hits in this area. I still see many of the same games, but most of them don't have a progressive. I think there are still a few at one casino close to me, but they really don't get much play at all.
Quick Hit Slot Machine Odds
When machines have both (1) different hold percentages (2) different meter settings ... life gets a little more fun for the mathematicians.
The hold percentages don't really concern me because I tend to make really conservative assumptions about the base return percentage, anyway, so the only thing knowing the specific hold percentages would do for me is get me on a few more borderline plays than I would normally do...with very low $$$/hour value.
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There is a machine (Turbo Boost, I think) .... where the 500/50 progressives randomly jump up by large amounts. They do move up slowly with most coin-in.
That would be more interesting to figure out how to account for, any guidance on the Rule screen? If not, probably take a lot of straight up watching others play.