Some people can play the same slot game for 12 hours, but I can’t. After a while, my mind went numb and I needed a challenge. This is usually when I go back to the table looking for blackjack. At least I have to think about the cards. Gambling should be fun, and sometimes it is. Especially when I win. While I don’t consider myself a slot game fanatic, I have tried a lot of different games. I’ve played with cartoon themes, East Asian themes, Middle Eastern themes, space themes, etc, and usually everyone finds something for them.
I sometimes wonder what it was like to play voslot slot games before they had bonus games. I’m not saying the reels spin like crazy. I mean a real change in the gaming experience. The most fun I had in the bonus game was shooting monsters. It would be nice if we could just trigger the bonus game whenever we wanted to play. A few years ago, a few friends and I went to Vegas for the weekend. We were very chatty, so we started playing slot machines together. A friend of mine suggested we make a bet on who gets to the bonus game first.
It was a crazy weekend. We drank more beer than I remember. At one point, I thought we were supporting the next casino server. The way we gamified slot machines that weekend always fascinated me. I’ve tried it a few more times since then and it’s been fun.
Here are a few ways my friends and I came up with how to make slot games more fun.
1 – 1 credit per machine wagered for one hour
I don’t know what inspired my friend to suggest this. We played with a lot of machines. This is an old idea. Someone once told me he used to go from machine to machine. He would put in a coin and play until the machine stopped paying. That was his idea of serious gambling skills. My buddy suggested we see how many machines we can play in an hour. The three of us each bet 1 credit. If the game pays anything, we keep playing. Not long after, we parted. We met again about 90 minutes later. I played with about 30 machines. Another friend of mine played about 40 or 50. My buddy came in with the fewest machines. He played a few bonus games. If this method of gambling has a scientific basis, we don’t have a clue. But it’s fun, though.
2 – Set time limit
It’s a bit like a prisoner touching his nose in a prison. One night my wife and I were playing slot machines and I said I was bored. She wants to keep playing. Hand holding timer icon. “Wait another hour,” she pleaded. So I set an hour timer. I couldn’t help teasing her. Every 15 minutes, I would come over and tell her how much time she had left. You’ll be surprised how intense the last 15 minutes are. At one point, she completely ruled out everything. It’s all about playing the next game. When we left the casino, she said she didn’t want to fix the problem. For her, it was more like trying to get to the finish line. We have tried the time limit a few times. The advantage of this is that you can regain control of your time. Casinos do everything they can to keep you playing. The more control you have over your behavior, the better.
3 – Bet with friends
That crazy Vegas weekend happened a long time ago, but my friends and I would still bet if we played slots together. Adds some excitement to the game. This is how we do it, but there are a million possible variations.
Two players sitting side by side in the same game
Both players start with the same budget, say $50
Two players bet another $50 on the prop
The first time we did this, the props were about who would get the bonus game first.
But over time, we’ve changed it.
My favorite variation is when props are given to the person who loses funds in the first place. That way you win even if you lose. The person whose money lasts the longest doesn’t always lose it. The worst prop bets we’ve ever made are on two vintage games. We bet who gets the three red sevens first. After an hour, we gave up.
4 – Toggle after each bonus game
These bonus games keep things lively when you play by yourself. One night, I was out of luck. After losing $100 in a game, I put in another $50. As I sat there spinning my balance, I silently asked myself why I was throwing away my money. Then I played a bonus game. After the game, I had about $125 on my machine. I’m still frustrated, but it’s not that bad. I stared at the screen for about a minute, then got up. I played every machine for the rest of the night until I hit a bonus game. After the bonus, I took out my money and found another machine. It moved me and helped get rid of that numb feeling of doom. I have used this strategy many times since then. I do this to break the monotony of the evening. Why not go straight to the table? I guess I’m not a hardcore poker player.
5 – Win the game you want to play
One weekend we drove to a casino in Oklahoma. On the way there my wife and I discussed the games we wanted to play. We both love this casino. The place was packed when we got there. It was a holiday weekend, so playing our favorite game was a challenge. I must have waited three hours to start playing the game I wanted to play. By then, I had tried several other games. None were as satisfying as I wanted to play. I remember feeling this way at some other casinos. Somewhere in the west, there is a game called Double Dragon. The bonus game requires you to choose your dragon. Everyone has played that game. Working towards it is half the fun of playing it in the end. These two experiences made me set a goal. I have to win my way into a particular game.
6 – Go on a treasure hunt adventure
Guy looking through binoculars at row of casino slot machines
The final twist on getting the game’s strategy is turning it into a scavenger hunt. I don’t want to think about a specific game, I want minimal wins. In this activity, I change machines every 15 minutes until the game pays me a certain reward. I’m looking for $100-500 depending on the game. I improved the activity by limiting it to a certain type of game. I called it a “treasure hunt” one night because I only played fantasy-themed games. It’s a great way to give yourself a target every time you hit the ball.
In conclusion
An uncle of mine once said something like, “The only thing you can predict about slot machines is that they’ll take your money”. I’ve only seen him play poker at the casino. The first time I played a slot machine, I had bad luck at the poker table. I had a few bucks left and went to the quarter machine. I “rolled up” in the corner and burned for hours. After using slot machines to break the monotony of table games for a few years, I realized that I was using slot machines to break the monotony of slot games. The important thing is to have fun. But sometimes you become so familiar with your favorite games that they are no longer interesting. By adding an element of risk or adventure to your usual slot machine, you can bring the fun and excitement back into the game.
About the Author
