Being a profitable slot machine player is impossible. All slot machines are created specifically in order to give the home a long term edge, so the home will always come out ahead in the event that you play long enough. Really the only way to counteract the home edge on slot machine games would be to play a game with really a big jackpot, bet the max each time you play, and hope that you hit the jackpot. Proper you do hit the truly big jackpot, guess everything you do next? Stop playing that game.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t play slot machines. Actually, I think slot games, especially the truly good ones, are lots of fun. But you intend to keep in the forefront of the mind that mathematically, what you’re doing when you’re playing a position machine on a long term basis is spending money on entertainment. You are able to calculate just how much you’re spending money on that entertainment by multiplying the home edge times your average bet times your amount of spins per hour.
For example, if you’re playing a position game with a payout of 95%, then your house edge is 5%. (The casino keeps 5% of each bet you make long term.) And if you’re average bet is $3, then you’re going to pay for on average 15 cents per spin to the house. (5% times $3.) Assuming you’re making 500 spins hourly, that game costs you $75/hour to play, that might or might not be an acceptable price for you entertainment. That depends in your bankroll.
Something else to factor into your calculation is just how much the perks and bonuses you’re getting back from the casino are worth. If you’re playing in a land-based casino where you’re getting free drinks while you play, then you can subtract the expense of those drinks from you’re hourly cost. (Or you can include the expense of those drinks to the worth of the entertainment you’re receiving–it’s just a matter of perspective.) My recommendation would be to drink top-shelf liquor and premium beers in order to maximize the entertainment value you’re receiving. A Heineken can cost $4 a container in a wonderful restaurant. Drink two Heinekens an hour, and you’ve just lowered what it costs one to play each hour from $75 to $68.
Slot clubs also give back a portion of your losses each hour, so definitely be sure you join the casino’s slot club and ALWAYS use your card to track your play. There’s absolutely no reason not to complete this. Bursa303 reward their larger slot players with comps like meals, show tickets, and free rooms, which all soon add up to reduce the amount of money you’re spending each hour that you’re playing on the machine.
Just how to be a winning slot machine player? I’d sum it up by saying understand how much it’s costing one to play each spin and each hour, take advantage of all the comps and the perks, and select the big progressive jackpot.