Category: Gambling and Casinos

Calculating odds and probabilities for classic slot machine games with 3 reels with 10 symbols on each reel is simplicity itself. You simply multiply the chances of hitting the correct symbol on each real times the chances of hitting it on the other 2 reels. The formula looks like this in fact:

1/10 X 1/10 X 1/10 = 1/1000

A brief explanation: if there are 10 possible symbols on each reel, then the chances of hitting 1 of those 10 is 1/10. The chances of hitting that same symbol on all 3 reels is the product of the chance of hitting it on each reel.

A casino makes its money by having payouts that aren’t equivalent to the true odds of hitting the jackpot. In a case where you have a 1 in 1000 chance of hitting a jackpot, if you paid out 999 to 1 or 998 to 1, the difference in the payout versus the actual odds would be your resulting profit.

But progressive jackpots are sometimes tremendous. Sometimes you can even find progressive jackpots of $1 million or more. In order to accomplish this, slot machine manufacturers had to become programmers, because realistically, a mechanical slot machine was limited to 3 or 4 reels with 20 or so symbols on each reel. A mechanical slot machine’s reels are actual strips of metal, and having more than 20 symbols on each of them made them too large to actually operate the machine.

But with a random number generator program, a casino can set up “virtual reels” with an unlimited number of symbols on each. They can also set up multiple reels. Since the odds of hitting the jackpot become much smaller, the amount of the jackpot can become much larger.

Here’s what the odds of hitting the jackpot are on a 3 reel machine with 30 symbols, and for a 5 reel machine with 30 symbols:

1/30 X 1/30 X 1/30 = 1/27,000

1/30 X 1/30 X 1/30 X 1/30 X 1/30 = 1/810,000

If the odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 810,000, you could easily have a payout of $500,000 or even $600,000 and still maintain a solidly profitable slot game.

Since progressive jackpots grow constantly until someone hits the jackpot, you could theoretically make a positive expectation bet on a slot machine game, IF the jackpot were large enough. In the above example, if the jackpot were $810,001, you’d be making a positive expectation bet.

The problem is that the slot machine manufacturers don’t make it that easy. They use algorithms in their random number generator software that set up a % payout, so it’s unknowable to a player what the dollar amount on the jackpot must be to have a positive expectation bet.

If I only knew the settings for Cash Splash or Wow Pot, maybe I could wait until the jackpot were large enough to play, and make positive expectation bets all the time. But on the other hand, just having fun is usually positive expectation enough to suit me.

There are many among us, myself included from time to time, that like to play a few slots. I usually spend my time at the table games where the stakes are just a bit higher and the action is never ending. But slots have turned the tables a bit on the table games. Progressive slots now make the stakes when playing extremely high and the opportunity to win big is just a click away.

With traditional slots the most a player can win is the max payout that that specific machine offers. While this is usually pretty good in and of itself there a player can’t go any higher. And to win the max payout a player has to have the max bet in and the planets have to be aligned just right, well, you get the idea. With progressive slots, however, the player still has to have everything just right but the payouts can be astronomical. The difference between traditional type slots and progressives is that progressive machines are linked in a series to each other thereby providing a payout to the lucky player based on the all of the machines, not just one. This gives the player a much better opportunity to score in a huge way. In fact, some of the payouts given by the progressive machines have at times been larger than some of the bigger winnings at the table game tournaments.

So my question is why is anyone still playing regular slots? A player can get the same type of gaming fun from a progressive machine with a chance to win a lot more money. There isn’t any reason that I can think of that anyone that is playing slots online isn’t playing the progressive machines. Actually, if all of the players were playing the progressives there would be a lot more money for someone that is playing to win. So actually it would benefit the entire gambling community that is playing progressives for everyone to play progressive slots and hope that they can win their slice of the pie.

Not to say, of course, that normal slot machines and games don’t have their virtues. There are a number of reasons that regular slot machines still enjoy the widespread popularity that they do. Progressive slot machines are nothing new and have been around for quite awhile now and they certainly haven’t cornered the market on the slot machine enterprise.

So I guess it just comes down to personal preference and what a player is looking for. Like anything else in life variety is the spice of life and if you haven’t checked out progressive slot machines it just might be the ingredient that you are looking for.

What makes a poker a player a professional? Does it mean that by adding the word professional the person loses less money? Or does it mean that the player enter tournaments through out the year? If you are thinking about getting the word professional embossed on your ‘poker resume’, here are some skills that you should consider mastering.

1. The Mathematician

a. These guys have mastered the odds of certain combinations that comes out already. For example, they know that when you hold a pocket pair, you can hit the set with only one in eight and a half chances. Those pocket cards also give you odds of having one in three chance of completing a ‘by the river’ flopped flush draw.

b. Mathematicians also able to compute the number of “outs” because they know it is important. Outs are the number of cards that will improve your hand. They compute it by multiplying it by two and adding one and that’s the percentage of them hitting the pot.

c. Knowing outs will be useless unless it is translated into rational and calculated betting. When you figure out that you have a 20% chance of hitting, you then figure out your chances of winning or losing. You divide the size of the pot at the river by the amount you have to put in. I.E. the current pot and the amount of bets that will be added on in the future. If you have calculated that the bet to you will be 50 and have 20% chance of hitting and the pot at the river will be higher than 250, try to call for it. If not, fold. Confusing right?

d. Review these concepts if you really want to be an expert.

2. Discipline

a. Always try to find a table where you have an advantage. Try finding tables where there are more amateurs or “fish”. Fish only want to win by being lucky. Poker players want to win by skill and by hoping that his opponents don’t get lucky.

b. Every different game, table or opponent set needs the poker player to have different disciplines or styles. He or she cannot always rely on one style. For instance, a player may play the better hands when there are not much pre-flop actions. The player can make a loose call with other speculative hands when lots of opponents are limping in.

c. A disciplined limit player has excellent pre-flop skills. However, the disciplined no-limit player is quite different. This player doesn’t care much with paying lots of blinds but instead this kind of player would not want to be trapped. The difference is that limit players avoid squandering their stack bit by bit while no-limit players avoids losing his whole stack in just one hand. A disciplined no-limit player can play a lot of hands. Even if he or she has cards such as 5 spades and 3 diamonds he or she will still be loose preflop. But expert no-limit players know how to quit as well when their hands are really bad.

d. The disciplined player knows when to quit even when the pot is really juicy.

e. A disciplined player learns from his mistakes and admits that they will still make them later on. Disciplined players will just keep on learning because nobody is a perfect poker player.
There is a ton more to learn about poker and gambling, this is just the start.

It’s a thin line between healthy and unhealthy gambling and disasters begin when we cross the limits and reach a stage of compulsive gambling, no matter if we lose or win. After the borderline casualty, no player normally enjoys the online games. As a matter of fact it becomes a compulsive obsession.

Online players still stick to online gambling and end up losing most of the money they have earned till date. Some even fail to keep touch with their family members and lead a lonely life. Medical attention is the immediate resort or else these players will escape into their world of online poker, bingo or roulette. Of course these are irresponsible gamblers who do not pick up the roots of good, fun and entertaining gambling methods when they learn it.

How can we help ourselves be good gamblers?

• Before you step into the world of online gambling entertain yourself with the pros and cons of playing online
• Once you read about issues like addictive gambling, you will be more prepared to face it or deal with it
• Value the money you have earned at work. This will help you save and spend the money very carefully
• Don’t put in more money than what you can afford
• A game of poker or slots is fun. Don’t lose the fun with obsessive, immature gambling streaks
• Try to make good friends online so that there will be enough people to help you out when in need or let you know that you need to slow down on your money spending spree
• When you have an undying urge to play continuously for hours, beware and stop playing for a while.

It’s these compulsive gamblers who spoil the fun and passion behind online casino games. Today there are unlimited organizations which are open to help these unhealthy gamblers. As more cases are on the increase, online casinos are bringing in new suggestions or planning new ways to maintain the sanctity of online gambling.