Being a successful and profitable pokies player is something most of us dream about. Winning pokies and especially online pokies are extremely complex and unpredictable machines operated by very powerful random number generators which make foreseeing the outcome of each individual spin virtually impossible.
Given the possible winnings that are at stake, many have tried (and unfortunately failed) to “crack” the code and find ways of cheating.
While a scenario where somebody invents an algorithm that can predict the outcome of individual spins in online pokies is unlikely to say the least, all is not lost. There’s still a lot you can do to stack the odds in your favor.
Common ways of choosing the winning pokies
The process you go through before starting to play a certain pokie can make or break your gaming session. Follow the steps below to make sure you give yourself a better winning chance.
Hot games lists
Many online casinos in Australia update the status of each pokie regularly according to the winning chances players have. They are usually categorized as Hot or Cold depending on how likely they are to give out big wins.
While some players claim that this is just a cheap tactic casinos use to entice players to play certain pokies for the casino’s benefit, others swear that the information displayed in the Hot and Cold lists is accurate.
It can’t hurt to try your luck on one of the pokies listed as Hot though. In case the casino you are playing at doesn’t have this list of Hot games, you can contact their support team and they will gladly provide you with some insights. Again, don’t take anything at face value and never dive head first into anything.
Check pokie reviews on trusted websites or reddit
We live in a day and age where online communities have a lot of power. The simple fact that you can search for absolutely any online pokie on the web and read the opinions of hundreds of different people about the gameplay, the payout ratio etc, gives you an edge players didn’t have 10 years ago.
Take advantage of the power of online communities and read about how others interacted with the pokie you want to start playing and about their gaming experience.
Payout ratio/ RTP
Each pokie has a predefined payout ratio, also known as RTP (return to player). This is a percentage which represents the amount of money each pokie is programmed to pay out in relation to the funds that are put in the slot. Of course, this ratio is calculated over an infinity of spins so even though you will play slots with 97% RTP, it doesn’t mean that you will receive 97% of your funds back every time you play.
This can give you a pretty good idea about how generous a certain pokie is though. You will have a better chance of winning on a pokie with a 98% RTP than you would on one with a 90% RTP. Choose carefully according to this.
Play for free first
Most pokies can be played in their free version with virtual money. It is always a good idea to try them for free before putting down any money of your own.
It’s not always relevant to how much or often pokies will give out wins, but you will get a chance to see how the bonus features work so that you are prepared for what you need to do whenever you will have to take action while playing the pokie with real money.
Choose pokies with Progressive Jackpots
While winning Jackpots is clearly not something all of us will experience in this lifetime, the only way to make 100% sure that you don’t win is to not try. Choose pokies with Progressive Jackpots and give yourself a chance to win big.
Also, since the wins that are involved in these progressive jackpots are usually well into the millions, you can be sure that with so many eyes watching, those pokies are constantly audited to ensure that they operate in a fair manner.
Final thoughts
While there is no foolproof method of choosing the winning pokies, you now have a pretty decent idea about the ways you can improve your odds of winning. Play smarter, do your research and you will thank yourself later.