An Online Strategy for Playing Online Slots

Who doesn’t love the online slots? They’re great fun for gamers at every level, from beginners to veterans. And their fast pace and variety make them one of the most popular types of game you’ll find online.

To maximise your enjoyment, it’s good to have a strategy for playing slot games online. This isn’t like a strategy in, say, a game of chess, with every single move considered carefully in advance to end up in a spectacular checkmate! No, it’s far easier than that. A good online strategy for slots involves things like setting a budget, choosing a slot game that suits your style of play and considering the variance of the different games available.

In this guide, we go through the different points to think about when coming up with an online slots strategy that works for you. It’s written in a nice, straightforward way because we want every member of the Gambling Metropolis community to be well-informed about their online betting and gambling.

So whether you’re just getting into slot machines, or if you have plenty of experience already and are just looking for a few professional insights, this article is for you.  Let’s start with something that’s simple but at the same time seriously helpful—setting a budget.

Setting a budget

Setting a budget for yourself is a great first move, and that’s true of any online betting and gambling activity, not just online slot games. By, the way, you might also hear the term “bankroll” used to refer to a gaming budget. This is a traditional term that comes from the time when gamers would literally have a roll of banknotes to play with.

The reason that setting your budget before playing is a good tactic is that most of us play better when we know what our limit is. Even a naturally conservative player might well make bolder, more enjoyable plays if he or she has already set aside a certain amount to play with. It’s like you’ve said to yourself—this is the amount I’m playing with so, whatever happens, I won’t go beyond it. I can make daring plays and if I win big then that’s obviously great; if, on the other hand, I don’t win then I’m still safely within my limits so won’t run into any problems.

Play in a way that suits your style

Any good strategy must include a consideration of the way you like to play. Think about how you play most often. Is it, for example, casually—a few minutes here and a few minutes there? Do you play on-the-go, when you’re waiting for a train or a plane? If you’re this sort of player then you’ll want to choose slot games that work well when played on a mobile phone using an app.

Perhaps, however, this isn’t you at all. Perhaps you prefer to settle down at home with a nice cup of tea and some biscuits and have a good, solid slot game session without any distractions. If this is your style of play and you’re the kind that likes to really concentrate fully on what you’re doing, then you’ll want to choose the slot games that work best on a desktop or laptop computer.

Reading guides and reviews of slot games online is a great way to find the games that match your style. Another fun approach is to be your own reviewer—try out a whole load of different games and figure out their pros and cons yourself.

Get into the right mindset for gaming before you start to play

This little tactic is crucial because mindset in gambling is everything. We’re not saying you have to be a master of ancient mind-over-matter techniques in order to play slot games; rather, just make sure you’re not too strongly under the influence of alcohol when you’re playing. Alcohol affects your ability to make good decisions; and even in slot games, which aren’t nearly as complex as games such as poker or blackjack, you need to be thinking straight to play at your best.

The same is true of too much emotion. A good gaming mindset is one that uses reason to think through your next move. Sure you feel great when you play and you get a real buzz out of it—that’s the whole point of it, after all. However, always try to strike a nice balance between reason and emotion when you’re trying to line up those paylines.

Choose a slot game that’s right for your experience

Fundamental to a good slot game strategy is matching your experience level to the demands of the game. There are so many slot games out there and they cover a wide range. If you’re a beginner, consider a relatively straight-forward set-up. That could be a game with just three reels and a limited number of symbols to get your head around. As your experience increases you can step things up to games with five reels, more symbols, more paylines and more involved bonus features.

Think about variance too. Variance is different from game to game and is about how much you win and how often. A slot game with high variance won’t pay out very frequently but will pay out a lot when you do win. In contrast, a slot game with low variance will pay out more frequently but the payout will be smaller. Medium variance slot games are, as the name suggests, somewhere between the high and the low. If you’re patient, consider high variance games and if you’re impatient then consider low variance games.

Alternatively, you could mix it up. A good strategy could be to spend a little time on games of high and low variance. Or you could organise it by dividing your budget: one third on high variance games, one third on medium variance games and the final third on low variance games.

Choose a theme you’ll enjoy

Carefully designed themes that engage your imagination are now a standard element of slot games. It’s a major part of the package that’s been influenced by the video game world. As a tactic, choosing a theme you’ll enjoy isn’t as crucial as some of the other points in this guide; however, getting it right can make all the difference to how much fun you have.

It’s never hard to find a suitable theme as there really is something for everyone in the world of iGaming. Every theme you can imagine is out there, from cowboys in the Wild West to safaris and zombies.

Go with a reliable slot game company

Selecting a reliable slot game brand or website is an important part of any online slots strategy. It’s no good applying the other tactics that we’ve already covered if the company you’re gaming with isn’t secure or doesn’t make its payouts promptly. Here, at Gambling Metropolis, we only recommend reliable brands. This allows you to focus on your gaming; you don’t need to worry about what’s going on behind the scenes and can just think about the slot games themselves.

Look out for free spins and good deals

You’ll find loads of great deals online connected to online slot games and it’s a good tactic to try and take advantage of what you can. Nearly every website offering slot games will also offer new players a welcome bonus of some kind or another. Most companies today also value existing players highly. They realise that good business isn’t just about capturing the newbies. For this reason, there are plenty of perks for loyal customers too. If you can pick up free spins then this is a great slots strategy for maximising your value for money.

Practise makes perfect

OK, we’re going to end this guide on a pretty sneaky tactic. Did you realise that you could play a lot of online slot games for free? It’s true. In many cases, you don’t actually have to bet any money in order to play. So if you see a title that you like the look of but don’t feel too confident about how it works, then practising before you invest actual money is a good plan.

So now you’re well versed in all the tactics that make up a good online slots strategy, it only remains for us to wish you good luck in your gaming. Have fun out there, and don’t forget to check out some of our other handy guides like this one to help you enhance all aspects of your gaming.