Bankroll Management for Slot Players: How to Play Safely

Many players start in slots by tinkering on games like the Sweet Bonanza demo, then start playing with real money. From here, they keep on spinning until they lose everything.

Do not let this happen to you. While slots provide many ways to win, you can also lose in the game if you mismanage your funds. As such, bankroll management is one of the keys to success in playing slot machines.

In this article, we will show you several ways by which you can manage your bankroll when playing slot machines. In the end, you will have a guide on how to play slot machines safely.

1. Bet Small on Slot Machines

The first step to managing your bankroll is by betting small. Sure, the prize is also smaller, but your bankroll will last longer.

Why even bother doing this? You see, slots give the same payout ratio no matter how much your bet is. If a payline offers 5x your bet and you made it, you get 5x your bet no matter how much your wager for that line is.

Because of this, there is no reason to bet higher because the winning amount is in direct proportion to your bet, anyway.

Let us say you have $100 to play. If you wager $20 per round and you lose, you now only have $80 or four spins. On the other hand, if you have the option to wager $2 on the same slot per round, you have a total of 50 spins.

While the win amount is smaller, betting small also gives you more spins and longer gameplay. Each spin gives you a new chance to activate any feature the slot machine has, including free spins rounds, bonus pick-me rounds, and even jackpot rounds.

If you wager the highest possible bet, you are likely to deplete your money quickly. As such, it is a better option to bet smaller than bigger wagers.

2. Play Slots With Multiple Jackpots

There are thousands of slot machines today. If you want to manage your bankroll, one of the best approaches is to play only slots that offer jackpot prizes. If you can find a slot machine with a progressive jackpot, then you are in a better situation.

Most of the time, slot machines offer only one jackpot round. However, there are slots that offer four types of jackpots.

These are:

Mini Jackpot;
Minor Jackpot;
Major Jackpot;
Grand Jackpot.

Keep in mind that all these jackpots are in the same game. Most of the time, these jackpots are also progressive, which means that they keep increasing. For every bet a player loses, a part of that is put into the jackpot pot.

These four jackpots have different prizes, with the mini jackpot having the smallest prize. As a player, you only qualify to win the jackpot based on your bet size. If you bet the smallest amount, you will never win the grand jackpot.

However, the smallest bet gives you a chance to win the mini jackpot. As you can see, you no longer have to bet the highest amount per round to qualify for a jackpot. Since there are four jackpot types, you get to win any of these based on your bet size.

3. Do Not Play the Gamble Round

The gamble round is a pretty common feature in slot machines, especially in the 1990s and the early 2000s. The gamble feature allows a player to take risks and double the last win in the last round.

Do not play this gamble feature. Although the odds are 50-50, you are not really in a good position to take this risk. Just think about it: it took you several spins to land a winning combination. Now that you won, you could lose that prize in an instant if you participate in the gamble round.

In a gambling feature, a player typically has to guess the color suit of the card. Usually, the lot presents you with four usual card decks — diamonds, hearts, clubs, and spades. Your job is to guess which color suit would appear: black or red.

If your guess is correct, you double your last win. If your guess is wrong, you will lose the last win and the bet that came with it. It took you a while to win that money, and it’s not a good idea to lose it again for a 50-50 chance of doubling it.

4. Do Not Go All in When Winning

Many slot players experience a winning streak. If this happens, what they typically do is bet big until their funds are gone.

Keep in mind that slot machines are games of chance. There is no such thing as hot slots and cold slots. Just because you have a winning streak does not mean that you will be lucky on the next spins.

If you are on a winning streak, we suggest that you at least keep aside your original bankroll. Make a promise to yourself that you will not touch that money again. Place bets only with the winnings you already have at the moment.

Winning in slots is difficult. If you win a mini jackpot or any kind of bonus jackpot, you are better off saving that money and keeping it in your bankroll. Play with it some other day, not today.

As you may have observed, bankroll management also has something to do with your emotions. If you lose a round, your natural mindset is to “take it back,” which is not likely to happen, considering the odds of slot games.

At best, keep your winnings if you are on a winning streak and manage your losses by exercising self-control if you are losing.

Slots are great, especially if you play the ones that offer progressive jackpots. However, you can also make the mistake of playing slots at the maximum bet level and waste your money.

Make sure you have a strategy when placing your bets — keep your bankroll in mind and find ways you can save and still keep the same odds.

Image Credit: Karolina Grabowska

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