We all know that there is very little strategy involved in playing online pokies. However, there are some things you can do to improve your chances of winning more often. Today, we look at 5 ways to improve your results when playing pokies at online casinos.
Research the Stats for Each Game
The first thing you need to do before playing most online pokies is to look up all available data that you can find for the game. This involves more than looking up the RTP of the game. It means you need to check out the variance of the game. Also, you should check out the hit ratio for the bonus game. If the game offers a progressive jackpot, check to see if there is any data on how frequently that it hits.
One place you should go is the manufacturer’s website to see if they have a datasheet for the game you’re interested in. Often, these sheets will have most of the information you’re looking for. These sheets will also break down all the ins and outs of playing the game.
Play Pokies in Demo Mode
We are big proponents of demo play at Australian online casinos. Demo games, aka play money pokies, give you the chance to test out a pokie without having to spend money. In the majority of cases, demo mode games will play exactly like the real money version of the game. The exception is demo games that are on the manufacturer’s website. Some manufacturers will let you select special features to test in their demo games.
For online casinos, the demo games will play like real money games. If your casino is regulated, they are required to use the same engine for demo games like real money games. This can be a great way to get a feel for how a game plays. If the game plays too tightly in demo mode, you have no reason to expect the real money version to play any differently.
Set a Loss and Win Limit
We’ve often advocated setting a loss limit whenever you gamble at online casinos. This pertains to everything from online pokies to roulette. Setting a loss limit is a great way to protect your bankroll and ensure that you don’t waste all of your money on a losing session.
Adversely, you should also set a win limit for your gaming. More accurately, you should set a win goal. If you play with $25 and choose a win goal of doubling your money, consider stopping your play if you hit that goal.
At worst, set a win limit of 50% of your goal. For example, let’s say you win $25 and want to keep playing. Set a limit of $12.50 for the rest of your session. If your profits drop down to $12.50, you will then log off and book a win.
Stick With One Type of Pokies
There are various different types of pokies you can play. There’s everything from fruit pokies to video pokies, 1024 Way to Win, and much more. Each variant of pokies will play differently and these differences can impact your bankroll.
For example, video pokies from Real Time Gaming will generally feature a lot of lower-paying symbols and it makes it tough to turn a win unless you do well in bonus games. Adversely, many fruit pokies will offer no worse than break-even on most standard wins. The bonus games may not be as lucrative, but the base game will generally pay off better.
Learn the quirks of each variant type and then decide which variant suits your style of play and bankroll the best.
Look for Hot and Cold Games
This last tip is only applicable at select online casinos. Some online casinos will actively track the payouts and RTP of their games in real-time. This allows them to broadcast when a game is running hot and when one is running cold.
This can be wildly advantageous. If a particular game has an RTP of 120% over the last three days, now may be a good time to play. The same could be true for a game that has a high theoretical RTP but has run cold in the last few days.
Adversely, if a game has just turned cold in the last few hours, then now is a good time to avoid that game. If you frequent this type of casino, you can also watch these trends play out so you know when a good time is to avoid certain games.