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Myths Around Online Slots

Dispelling Some of the Myths Around Online Slot Games

Despite the randomness inherent in online slot games, that hasn’t stopped plenty of people from believing in certain myths and superstitions about how they might win while playing them. Most superstitions are perfectly harmless, such as carrying around a rabbit’s foot or wearing your favourite “lucky shirt”, there are a number of myths that are too easy to believe that won’t just stop you from winning big but might even leave you spiralling down a hole where you end up putting much more money in the game than you meant to.

Here are some important myths that people tend to believe about slot games, both real and virtual and why they’re wrong. With these myths in mind, you will be better prepared to try your hand at an online casino (be sure to check that online casino’s reputation before putting down any real money), preferably one that offers a wide variety of slot games, such as Wink Slots, to potentially score handsome wins.

Altering the bet size will improve your winning frequency

The most common myth among the online slot players, the idea that the more you bet, the higher your chance of winning is completely untrue, but is all too often believed anyway. There is no rational reason for this whatsoever but, psychologically, it does make its own twisted kind of sense. However much we may know that placing more money on a single bet will have no effect on the outcome of each spin of the wheel, we have the basic belief that the more we put into something, the more we get out of it. This may largely be true in life but it’s certainly not a valid strategy for winning at online slots.

All slot games are thoroughly tested for maximum fairness to both high-stake and low-stake players so altering your bet sizes won’t offer any real advantage and will simply mean that you have a high chance of running out of money, really quickly. Slot games are meant to be entirely random for a fair playing field and if all it took to win big was to put in tons of money, the house would eventually always lose as all it would take to win is a solid financial commitment. To see just how little difference it makes how much you actually bet, had the odds been stacked purely to those who bet big, the Cheshire soldier wouldn’t have won the £13.2m jackpot on a 25p stake.

A bonus will be available in X number of spins

This is a particularly pernicious myth that is created by the way that slot machines have been set up since their earliest days. It’s common for slot machines to tease you with those desired bonus symbols that never quite line up that it’s hard not to believe that the next one will be the lucky one! Again, human psychology is to blame for this. Like the above, this is all about playing to your belief in putting hard work always reaps rewards. In this case, the fact that those symbols keep appearing can fool your mind into thinking that just another spin or two will get you your reward at last.

This is, of course, not true at all with casino games that are about chance. Although slot games might have different levels of RTP and volatility, the chances of scoring a bonus actually remain equal on every single spin. Hence, the probability of getting 5 bonuses back to back is precisely the same as getting no wins in 1000 spins. It seems counter-intuitive but it’s true.

Online slot games don’t have any strategy

Despite the fact that playing the slots is mostly about chance, it actually isn’t quite true that there is no strategy for maximising your wins. Just like there are some discernible optimal plays in blackjack, there are certain strategies associated with online slot games too. There are several tips and tricks you can use to win consistently at online casinos. But the most important is to use your bankroll wisely. Before so much as logging in, set yourself a limit on how much you will be willing to spend on that session.  Yes, spend. Always assume that you’re going to lose everything to ensure both that you gamble responsibly and to adjust your playing style depending on how much money you have left of your original amount.

For example, let’s say that you begin with $ 100 and you’re nearing the bottom of your bankroll, but you wish to play for a while longer, choosing the right bet on the right slot game is crucial. Sticking to high variance slots using the same bet size once you’re on your final $10 would be inadvisable, for example, so keeping an eye on your original amount is crucial if you want to optimize your time at an online casino.

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Shawna Dudley

Shawna is an ambitious and free-spirited digital nomad with expertise in creating high-quality and SEO-friendly guides and reviews in the iGaming and travel industry. Follow her on Twitter or Linkedin or send her an email.