How to Win at Slot Machines with Michael "Wizard of Odds" Shackleford • The Jackpot Gents

Having a decade of Casino experience in a major Casino, I can tell you two things. If you play slots, you will be a loser. You think they got the name one armed bandit because they pay out lol. If you work at a casino long enough, in the same area enough, you can guess which ones have a better "Chance" of paying out. For example, I worked the evening till morning shift in the same spot for 2 weeks. The third slot from the wall which was in a main isle would go off if someone was playing from 2-2:10am. I told a regular player they should play that machine. This person was a table games player only and laughed at the thought playing of a slot machine. But someone else came by, pulled the handle once and they won $2500.

The best advice about gambling came from my mom: When you walk into the casino, look at all the machines plugged in. Look at all the fancy lights. Someone is paying that electric bill. It puts in perspective how casinos are designed for you to lose.

Thanks for the hard work. Making a video flow smoothly isn’t as easy as it seems!

Great info, thanks for sharing! I once won in a slot machine, long time ago, in 1999, playing the Wheel of Fortune (WOF) at MGM in LV. After playing on several WOF machines the first night, I noticed someone winning twice on a particular WOF machine. The next night, I played on the WOF machine that person was winning, and I walked out with a profit of $400. The next night, I went to the same WOF machine, and I ended up positive almost $350. Not sure if it is possible that one machine of several same machines has better odds, and this is long time ago, but for me, that machine was different than others 3 nights in a row. After that excitement of winning, I was departing the next morning, so I could never know if the streak of luck (or simply odds) would go on... and on, but it was worthy! 🍀😀

Very informative 👍. Thank you for sharing and caring 😎🍀💰🍻👍

Great video. All those myth questions are ones I always thought.

My wife and I have been playing slot machines for a very long time with the "house's" money. It has been our experience that during any session of playing, there will usually be a time when you're up a little bit. It's important to quit when you're up... don't chase that jackpot. Of course there are always times when you put all of your budget into a machine and reach that stopping point because your budget for that evening is gone. This has rarely happened to both of us in the same day, however. Maybe we've just been lucky, but it feels like knowing when to quit is really the only way we have of moving the odds a little bit. We don't really make any money doing this, but it has been an inexpensive way to go out and have some fun together.

I'd like to know if an electronic roulette is to be considered as a slot machine or as a roulette with dealer. Thank you

This is by far one of the best videos on slot percentages that I have seen. One caveat, though where he contradicts himself. In one moment he says the higher the denom. the higher the return percent and then he says if someone gets on the machine after you it will be the same percent chance. If they use a different denom. the percent will change. What makes it different is the nanosecond the other pressed the button is most likely not the same nanosecond the you would have pressed the button. What I am understanding here is it is wiser to go to the highest denom. and play the lower amount of credits than the other way around. For example, It would be better odds to play a $1denom and 1 credit than a $0.25 denom. at 4 credits

GREAT ADVICE MICHAEL. IVE READ ALL OF YOUR ARTICLES. THANK YOU !

I can say that I have hundred of hours on the same game, on two different machines, and constantly one machine pays more often than the other. So the "Loose machine" probably just has a slightly different pay out programmed chip

Advantage slot player's have an edge. Some machines at times fall into player's favor as bonus symbols remain on machine until bonus is hit.

Been in Vegas for 21 years. Got a flash for you. Going back to the beginning of the year, a master plan has been put into play. Basically, machines have been changed to a progressive/cumulative. Kinda like those videos games that one has to achieve a certain tier level. This is as close an explanation I can give. I don't know if there is an organization of casinos that get together to determine how they all will set there machines, out here on the Boulder strip, the main casinos pretty much play the same. IMO, I think the casinos, unfortunately, don't want to cater to the person that plays 20 to 60 cents a pop. Even though that's the base of most people who play in the off strip casinos. I called it progressive/cumulative. I've been doing my own experiment, I like to play 4 card keno and poker. I noticed that pattern was progressive, 2,3,4,5,6 of a kind based on you game. And it's not just 2 dueces, 3 dueces, etc, then 2 threes, 3 threes, til you work your way up to 4 of a kind, straight, flushes, you basically have to go through all the possibilities. The same with 4 card keno, I realized the only way to win a jackpot is take my money and put it back in my pocket. I was putting in an amount of money that was close to the possible jackpot, the bigger ones four of a kind with a kicker or a royal. Whatever the casinos agreed upon has been reflective in amount of patrons, which has gone down considerably. If I walk into a casino early afternoon or early evening and see the place is empty and that happens too often, that tells me people are staying home. You visit a casino often enough you can read it. When your favorite machine is playing different, fewer bonus spins, have to achieve an out of pocket minimum before something clicks. The ole I win 5, the casino wants 15 back. I don't like those new big blast machines, they only pay out once or twice every couple of years, and mostly on major holidays. An old Italian relative told me to study your business. That's what I do observe how the machine is playing. And unfortunately, it's definitely not in the players best interests, but that is also working against the casinos. Whatever master plan they are on, they forgot Rule #1, CASINOS NEED PEOPLE. PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED CASINOS. THERE ARE MAJOR CHANGES COMING. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN.

I feel like hard rock casino in Tampa is a tight slot area. Its the only one casino for hours around so they know they're the only one around!!

Are those pop in visits from the gaming commison recorded and available to the public, because I bet they are far & few between. That's a winning bet!!!

I used to play different types of slot machines where "the past" definitely mattered and where machines were predictably trying to compensate not having paid out for a while. Using many different kinds of ways to know such as random mystery prizes, sound of the coin falling in the tubes, random-double prizes and so on. Made a lot of money doing this

Used to be able to 'read' the old slots from the movement of the reels, they soon learned that we knew and stopped it.

Seems like kind of a clickbait title, here. I have been a longtime fan of Mr. Shackleford and his work, and everything he says here is 100% true. This video should be titled, "Dispelling the most common slot machine myths and superstitions". There is no way to consistently win at slots.

Except for the are machines ever due answer, you are correct. There are many machines that have must hit by jackpots. Those are due to hit prior to reaching that amount.

If the operators can set a given win rate through changing a chip, how does that work with every spin being 100% random..how is the casino edge engineered then?