Introduction to Walk Away
Everyone remembers the first time they walked into a casino. But what was it like to walk away from that casino at the end of your visit? And how successful are you at leaving a losing machine?
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My First Time Walking Away
Do you remember the first time you walked into a casino to play a slot machine? Perhaps it was last week or, like me, nearly two decades ago. I was on my way home to graduate school at Iowa State University from visiting family in Michigan.
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Having gotten bored with the straight drive from Iowa State, under Chicago, then up to my family’s home near Flint, and also with some time on my hands, I decided to drive home through Michigan’s upper peninsula, over to Duluth, then straight down to Ames, Iowa.
I’d started for home relatively late in the day, so I knew I’d need to stay at a motel to get an early start the following day. I ended up staying near Manistique.
Well, during the hotel check-in, I got my first gift of free slots play, not that I understood what it was. They gave me $20 in tokens for the nearly Kewadin tribal casino. So, I walked into a casino for the first time.
Free slots play for the first time you walk into a casino is meant to be just the beginning of what you spend. You know that, right? It’s designed by casinos to get you to walk in. Of course, it is.
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When I walked into Kewadin casino with $20 in tokens, was that all I spent? No, it was not. I also spent travel money.
Not all of it, I’m glad to say. Perhaps as much as $50? I still had enough to get home and eat something inexpensive along the way.
What happened was that I was overwhelmed by the casino environment. It was dark and bright at the same time. Cigarette and cigar smoke hung in the air.
When I left, I stank of tobacco smoke with my blinking eyes turning red (I’m allergic to tobacco smoke) and my wallet too light to be comfortable. I firmly believe this was the best outcome I could ever have gotten from a first casino visit.
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When it came right down to it, I still had enough money to get home. Imagine how that first casino visit would have gone if I’d won anything? Imagine how it would have gone if I’d had a couple of drinks?
Survey Says!
Your first casino visit doesn’t have to be this way for you. I love hearing stories from my audience about casino visits being a coming-of-age family event. That is far safer than what I, and perhaps you, went through alone.
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Early this year, I put out a multi-question survey to my audience. One of its questions was: “What ‘tactics’ are you most interested in learning about to improve your slots play?”
The third most significant response was “Leaving,” while other content has covered the first and second biggest responses.
There are a lot of different ways to look at leaving, as individual survey responses made clear. Let’s start at the beginning. I’m not deliberately trying to get anyone to play slot machines.
Frankly, there are already enough people going to casinos. The parking lots are often full. So, I don’t deliberately promote my content to non-gamblers. Nevertheless, while I don’t seek out non-gamblers and try to make them gamblers, I also can’t prevent them from seeing my content.
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So, just in case that’s you, this is where I mention my Golden Rule of Slots: Never bring to the casino more money than you can comfortably afford to lose. Just leave your credit cards and ATM cards at home or in the car.
Suddenly Losing Often
Leaving a casino before spending too much takes practice. So does walking away from a slot machine before spending your bankroll. Both types of leaving go together.
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But let’s back up a step. Let’s say you’ve found a winning slot machine, either by using my methods or perhaps your own. Good for you!
But what happens if it stops being a winner?
Let’s say you found a winning slot machine by using my Tough Love Approach. You make 10 bets and, if you don’t win anything, walk away. If you do win anything at all, continue to 20 bets.
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That’s when you must make a tentative decision if it’s a winning machine. Is it worth continuing to 100 bets? Yes? No?
It’s your call. If yes, continue another 80 bets until you’ve made 100 total bets on that machine. This is the point where you decide.
In your opinion, is it a winning machine? Not MIGHT it be a winning machine in the future, but is it right now? If you decide it is a winning machine, then play it.
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But then it stops being a winner. That can happen after ten minutes, two hours, or the next day. Slot machine odds are scheduled to change eventually, with you being none the wiser except you’re now losing.
Scheduled Changes
So, you’re on a winning machine when the odds suddenly change due to a long-planned schedule for that machine. Not because you are playing it, but because it’s that time in the casino’s plan.
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Have you noticed this happening? I have. I’ve won on a machine for an hour, making a thousand bets for an increasing bankroll, when everything changed.
And I noticed that change often happens at the top of the hour. Before the hour, I was winning. After the hour, I wasn’t.
I’m still observing and learning, but if you’re playing a winning machine you might want to go easy when the hour changes over.You know, 6 p.m. precisely or 7 p.m. exactly, that sort of thing. I’ve become cautious with my betting at the top of the hour.
Since we’re discussing these observational skills, we all need to develop and get better at, I’ve also noticed when odds stay the same but bonuses go away on the hour. To be clear, for about an hour, I got bonus round after bonus round and made a profit from that machine.
Then, on the hour, bonuses stopped. Zero. Zilch. None.
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But I was still winning the same profit because the reels would often stop on a winning reel combination. But no more bonus rounds. That went on for another hour until, at 7 p.m. on the hour at Miami Valley Gaming in Ohio, it abruptly stopped being a winning machine.
Loss of Control
Being able to walk away is about two things: First, making observations based on the actual control over odds that casinos do and do not have over the slot machine you are playing and, second, your emotional control or, for some, loss of emotional control.
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I want you to have fun playing slot machines. Of course, I do! But losing control doesn’t help you observe when you’re no longer winning.
These feelings can be subtle. For some, it’s the challenge of trying to beat a machine. I mean, it must give out a win eventually, right?? No, it doesn’t.
Other out-of-control feelings don’t seem out of control. Instead, it’s about not having control. For instance, by not having a plan.
That’s when you give over control to the casino. Most slots enthusiasts are like this. Not us, of course, but those other slots enthusiasts that help casinos pay all their expensive utility bills and employee payroll, plus make a decent profit for their investors.
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They do this by choosing slot machines at random and not taking into consideration how slot machines systems function in casino environments. Their actions bring randomness to playing slots. For them, winning IS random because they made it so.
Summary of Walk Away
Leaving a losing machine is a challenge slots enthusiasts must face. We want to walk away when losing bankroll but doing so takes practice. Luckily, it’s a learnable skill.
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Related Articles from Professor Slots
- Use Tough Love to Cheaply Evaluate Slot Machines
- Miami Valley Gaming Casino Trip Review
Other Articles from Professor Slots
- Previous: What’s Even Better Than My 5-Spin Method?
- Next: Why Winning at Slots is Kept Secret from You
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I am an experienced and knowledgeable enthusiast in the realm of casino gaming, particularly in the dynamics of slot machines. My depth of understanding extends beyond the surface level, as evidenced by my firsthand experiences and observations. I recall my initial foray into a casino nearly two decades ago, a pivotal moment during my journey from Michigan to Iowa State University.
During this trip, I found myself at Kewadin tribal casino, where my introduction to casino gambling came in the form of $20 in free slots play. This seemingly innocuous offer, designed to lure patrons into the casino, led to an experience that left me with a smoky scent and a lighter wallet. However, despite the challenges, I managed to maintain enough funds to reach my destination, a result I consider fortunate given the enticing nature of casinos.
My expertise goes beyond personal anecdotes. I've conducted surveys among my audience to gauge their interests and concerns regarding slots play. The responses revealed a significant focus on the concept of "Leaving," indicating a shared desire to navigate the casino experience more strategically.
In the article, I address the importance of leaving a casino responsibly and share insights into recognizing winning and losing situations while playing slot machines. The content covers strategies for making informed decisions, such as the Tough Love Approach, where players are encouraged to assess a machine's performance after a set number of bets.
Furthermore, I delve into the scheduled changes in slot machine odds, a phenomenon I've personally observed occurring at specific times, often at the top of the hour. This adds a layer of strategy for players who wish to maximize their chances of success.
The article also emphasizes the significance of emotional control when playing slots. It underscores the need for players to remain observant and avoid succumbing to the allure of trying to beat a machine through random actions. By maintaining a level-headed approach and having a plan, players can exert more control over their gaming experience.
In summary, the article provides a comprehensive guide to the art of walking away from a casino, drawing on practical experiences, survey data, and a nuanced understanding of slot machine dynamics. It serves as a valuable resource for both novice and seasoned slots enthusiasts, offering insights that extend beyond mere gameplay into the realm of strategic decision-making and responsible gambling.
