Skill-based slots are gambling machines where the biggest factor in winning depends on the player’s ability to play the game. The outcome of the game is based on skill instead of chance. How Slots Work cont.Player inserts money.Player presses spin.Random numbers available at that instant are used to determine the outcome.Reels spin for 3-6 seconds.The player then sees the outcome.Reels are for entertainment only.There is no skill involved in slot machine play –The player cannot influence the outcome.
People that play slot machines typically think that these games can’t be beaten in the long run. After all, they have some of the highest houses in the casino.
Slots in land-based casinos are especially bad. They carry anywhere from a 5% to 15% house advantage.
More recently, though, slots providers have been rolling out skill-based slot machines. They give you the chance to win more money based on your skill level.
But can you earn long-term profits with skill-based slots? I’m going to answer this question by covering more on how these games work and if they can ultimately be beaten.
How Does a Skill-Based Slot Machine Work?
You may have difficulty distinguishing a skill-based slot from a traditional machine. After all, they basically operate the same way.
You insert money, spin the reels, and wait for luck to do the rest. The only difference is that a skill-based game has bonus rounds that require skill to win.
With some of these games, you don’t necessarily have to play the skill-based round. You may be given the option between an interactive bonus and free spins.
Assuming you choose the former, then you’ll be taken to a second screen to play a skill-based game. The goal is to boost your profits by playing well.
- You’re playing a racing themed slot
- You trigger the bonus room and choose the skill-based bonus
- You need to race against other cars
- Your finish will determine the size of your payout
Again, these games don’t differ much from regular slot machines. However, they do stand out due to their unique bonuses.
What Makes These Games Worthwhile?
For decades, slot machines have been based on pure luck. You can’t do anything to influence the results after spinning the reels.
Instead, the random number generator determines whether you win or lose. The only thing you can really do is pick slot machines that offer a high return to player (RTP).
However, skill-based slots are a departure from traditional machines. They actually give you a chance to boost your profits with skill, much like blackjack or video poker.
Of course, you can’t use your skills throughout the entire game. These slots are mostly like traditional games, aside from the bonus rounds.
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Nevertheless, the fact that you can use some degree of skill is an interesting change. If you like playing video games, then you’ll appreciate the opportunity to win more money based on how well you play the bonuses.
What Are the Chances of Beating Skill-Based Slot Machines?
Skill-based slots are somewhat deceiving. Your skills can result in more money, but not enough to earn guarantee profits in the long run.
The biggest problem is that even if you’re an expert at the bonus round, you won’t raise RTP enough to guarantee winnings. These games are still programmed to give the house a large enough advantage to beat the average player.
- A game features 92% base RTP
- The bonus rounds make up an additional 2-5% of payback
- Even with expert play, you can only expect to earn 97% RTP
Does this mean that skill-based slots are impossible to beat? No, you can still beat them just like a regular slot machine.
The drawback, though, is that they’re not like blackjack (card counting) or certain video poker variations, which can offer an edge over the casino. The bonus rounds just don’t make up enough of the RTP for this to be possible.
At best, you can play well enough during the bonus to earn higher payback than with the average slot machine. But you’ll still need luck to beat these games in the end.
Should You Still Play Skill Based Slots?
You might not like how skill-based slots aren’t as skillful as they may appear. But you can still have a good time playing these games.
The main thing to consider is what type of gambler you are. Are you looking for unique slot machines? Do you wish there was more interactivity with the average game?
If your answer is “yes” to both, then you should appreciate these slots. They’re fairly new to the industry and offer something different from the norm.
Blackjack, Texas hold’em, sports betting, and video poker are examples of games that you can conquer with the right skills and know-how.
Skill-based slots, unfortunately, don’t fall into the same category. You still need some degree of luck to win profits.
Now, this situation could very well change in the future. Developers might eventually create games that can offer profits to expert players.
But for now, skill-based slot machines are like regular slots in terms of RTP. The only difference is that some may offer high payback when you play the bonus well.
What Type of Slot Machines Can You Beat?
One little-known fact about slots is that certain types of games can offer long-term profits. Below, you can see three categories of slot machines that can give you an edge.
Accumulator Slots
An accumulator slot machine features a bonus meter. You gradually fill this meter by collecting special symbols throughout the game. Once the meter is full, you’ll trigger a bonus.
You can actually make profits by consistently playing accumulator slots when the meter is almost full. In these cases, you’re benefiting from all of the bets made beforehand that pushed the meter.
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You need the right combination of a nearly full meter along with someone who gives up their seat right before triggering the bonus.
The latter doesn’t happen most of the time. Therefore, “slots vultures” try to trick players into leaving games.
Vultures hang around slot sections and look for bonus meters that are almost full. They’ll then approach players on these games and ask something like, “This is my lucky machine, can I have it?”
The problem with this strategy is that you need the nerve to actually ask players to get up from their machines. Some gamblers won’t willingly oblige and may get hostile if you persist.
In the end, accumulator slots are one of the worst ways to make gambling profits. But you still might be interested in these games if you have no trouble asking gamblers to vacate games with nearly full bonus meters.
Mystery Jackpot Slot Machines
A mystery jackpot slot features a jackpot that pays out at a predefined point. For example, a game may deliver its top prize at exactly $500.
Much like with accumulator slot machines, you can win guaranteed profits by consistently playing these games at the right points. Namely, you want to jump on a mystery slot when a progressive jackpot is nearing its payout.
Some gamblers will leave these machines close to the point when a jackpot is about to hit. They may leave because they’re tired of playing or simply because they run out of money.
Whatever the case, you can profit by taking advantage of these situations again and again. But you won’t find an abundance of perfect opportunities.
First off, vultures also like to scout out mystery progressive slots. Second, these games aren’t widely available on casino floors.
Progressive Jackpot Slots
A progressive slot machine features a jackpot that grows with each bet. These games take a small percentage out of each wager to fund the top prize.
Every progressive slot has a base jackpot amount. For example, a game’s top prize might start at $10,000 and continue growing until it’s finally won.
These slots also feature base RTP, which indicates how much the game is set to pay back at the starting jackpot value. However, the theoretical RTP increases along with the jackpot.
Assuming the top prize gets large enough, then you’ll technically gain positive expected value by playing at this point. Of course, the key problem is that your chances of winning a larger jackpot are very slim.
Even with a theoretical advantage, you must rely on lots of luck to hit a jackpot worth thousands or millions of dollars, but maybe you will want to check first this blog where we explain how to make a profit playing progressive slots.
Conclusion
The term “skill-based slot machines” is fairly misleading. True to their names, these games do feature some degree of skill. However, they mostly revolve around pure luck like other slot machines.
The only skill involved is in the bonus rounds. You play mini games where your performance will determine the payout.
Some of these slots can offer solid RTP if you’re skilled enough. For example, you may be able to push a game with 92% RTP to 97% payback with a great performance.
But are these games going to deliver profits if you’re good enough? No…at least not guaranteed profits.
The reality is that you’ll still need luck to win. Your skills in the bonus round will only cut down on the random chance.
But you shouldn’t expect to gain a long-term edge with these machines. They just don’t feature enough skill.
Assuming you’re desperate to win profits with slots, then you might try accumulator, mystery jackpot, or progressive jackpot slot machines.
I’m not a big fan of hanging out in casinos and trying to beat these games. But they all can deliver profits, with accumulator slots and mystery jackpot games being the most-feasible options.
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