Identifying potential advantage machines

[matthew robertsParticipant]

I’m new to this. In the past, I only played slots if I got some free play that I couldn’t use on VP.

I made my first foray to my local casino with a printed list of green- and yellow-category machines and found several plays. But I’m guessing I missed several machines that may have offered opportunities because I haven’t memorized the lists. And I don’t want to manually add new machines as they are identified here.

So is there a way to quickly identify whether a “new” machine at the casino may be the type that retains progress? I assume any old-style reel would be out, but is there a way i can just look at a machine and quickly tell whether it may be on one of the lists here?

Thanks in advance.

Matt

 

 

 

[Short Coin CharlieParticipant]

There’s no quick glance that’s 100% sure to give you a yes/no answer, but here are a couple tips that might help with scouting new games.

1. If the game has an animation that changes, for example a pot that starts out empty, and then has coins added, and then more coins, and then still more coins (or an animal that starts out small and gets bigger), etc., read the rules of the game by hitting the Information button (sometimes an “I” or “Help” button). If at some point you read language that says something like “the number of coins in the pot has no effect on game play” then that almost always means that the game is not beatable. (But you also have to make sure that there isn’t something other than the animation that could make the game a play. See the description of Treasure Blast in the Games section. In Treasure Blast, we ignore the animation and look for something else…)
2. Take note of the manufacturer of the games you end up playing most often. IGT and Aristocrat are the manufacturers of a number of games with strategies published here (although there are others). If a new game on the floor is made by the manufacturer of the games where you find the most plays, then I suggest giving it a careful examination.

[Ben RosenthalKeymaster]

Good points there. The game rules are a solid place to start. Another indicator is when you change bets and nothing changes on the screen. I can’t think of an advantage game where you can change bets and see the same screen on all of them.

Don’t feel shy about asking about specific games too. If you have one or however many you’re not sure about, post here. I may not know everything if it’s a brand-new game, but I’d at least be able to tell you if the game could ever offer an advantage.

I have some blog posts that might be helpful too that I’ll post here when I get back to my hotel room and my computer.

[NickelsParticipant]

Just to add-on to the points above. Another thing to look out for is anything that says “Must hit by” on the screen.

These can be jackpots, a number of wilds, a number of free games, etc. But the phrases “must hit by”, “must win before”, and other similar language is a strong signal. Always double-check game rules before firing away though.

[Ben RosenthalKeymaster]

Some blog posts somewhat related to this (last one is the new Facebook/Instagram post):

Why Aren’t Advantage Games Obvious?

False Flag Slots (Fake Advantage Games)

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HyMEaDReP/

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