Welcome aboard!
Yes, advantage slots can be a big-time grind, especially in Las Vegas, where the competition is intense. Some folks will also play many of the machines below what I think is a break-even point—sometimes because they want to show action for comps, sometimes because they just feel like gambling, sometimes because they don’t know any better. All of it makes Vegas, in particular, one of the hardest places to do this despite the many casinos and advantage-play machines available.
Ocean Magic Bubble Boost…sometimes I wonder where the money is hiding in this game. Every now and then you’ll hit some killer bonus, which will make up for the many air-balls, but man, it sure is a frustrating game at times. I wouldn’t write it off completely, especially if you come across a nice “combo” play involving two or three getting close to the must-hit point.
Wheel of Fortune High Roller Respin has a lot of potential, but especially in Vegas, it’s rare to find primo plays. It sounds like you were right in the sweet spot of when it’s profitable to play. After that, it’s up to the slot gods. If I could play this game all day in that 6,000-plus “ways” window, I’d be a happy camper.
Buffalo Instant Hit is a low-edge game to be sure. Not my favorite by any stretch, but hey, it can be worth playing if you’re all right with the variance.
As far as finding (or not finding) playable machines, it’s really going to depend on where you are and how much time you put in. And I’d sure like to bang away at some old-school John Wayne-esque slot too, rather than some funny-sounding, uncreative combination of “Lucky Dragons Soaring Moon”—I made that one up, but nothing would surprise me at this point—but I guess we can only play what’s available.
Feel free to use the message boards as often as you’d like. I love hearing the backstory and how recent trips went.
Ben Rosenthal
