| You say that each spin is random on a slot machine, and that there are, what, 8,000 combinations on a typical slot machine. Whatever the number, it must be calculated at more than the times I've played, if that is the case. Why do I recognize so many of the losing combinations that come up? And why do the same combinations seem to come up so often? Can't this be interpreted as a way to "read" the slots, as far as predicting that the next spin will be another "no win"? Is there any way to determine how many winning symbols there are on a specific column? For example, three sets of cherries on the first reel, two sets on the second, one set on the third? Is it better to play a slot machine that has only five types of payouts, with all the symbols being made up of a variety of one type (e.g., different colored sevens)? Yes, the result of each spin is determined at random. There are far more than 8,000 combinations on today's typical slot machines. The number is more like 32,000 or more. This is the number of combinations based on the number of virtual stops on the reels. On a machine with 22 symbols and blanks per reel, there are only 10,648 (22x22x22) possible physical combinations of symbols. Each physical combination will appear more than once on the virtual reels. That may be one reason why you recognize so many of the losing combinations. Another is that the virtual reels are usually set up such that a losing combination like bar-bar-blank will land more frequently than one like blank-bar-bar. There's no way to "read" the slots. The result of each spin is determined at random. And since most machines have hit frequencies below 50%, you can predict that the next spin will be a "no win" and be right more than half the time. There's also no way to determine how many times a symbol appears on a virutal reel. Besides, even if you knew that the cherry appeared five times, that wouldn't help you because you also need to know how many stops there are on the virtual reel. You can however figure out the probability of landing any particular symbol on any reel. All you need to do is play or watch someone play the machine and note the combinations that land on the payline for a few thousand spins. Count up the number of times each symbol appeared on each reel and divide by the number of spins to get an estimate of landing a symbol on a reel. As for your last question, it isn't any better or worse to play a machine that has only a few winning combinations. These machines have both high and low-payback programs available, so they're not necessarily better or worse than any other type of machine. Best of luck in and out of the casinos, John -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In IGT's Double Diamond and Triple Diamond slots, with the big variance of payout in the multliplied wins, does that mean that the Triple Diamond slot is programmed with the RNG to have less of a pay cycle than that of the lower Double Diamond slot? I imagine this holds true in the 5-Times Pay versus the 10 Times Pay machines also. Thanks! I enjoy reading your informative comments! Phil Dear Phil, It's true that the higher the multiplying symbol on a machine, the lower the hit frequency tends to be, but that has nothing to do with the RNG. Just like in the prior answer in this column, it's all in the virtual reels. The layout of the symbols on the virtual reels determine the hit frequency and payback of a machine. |
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