12 Pokie Machine Secrets Casinos would Never Let you Know
Casinos have more pokie machines than all the other games. But unlike many casino games, the pokies still have some secrets. Here’s a list of 12 pokies machine secrets the casinos don’t want you to know about.
12 Pokie Machine Secrets
1. Some pokies pay out more than others
Not all pokies machines are equal, and this means they all don’t pay at the same rate.
Frankly speaking, video pokies pay less than classic reel pokies. This is because reel pokies are cheaper to run and maintain, and aren’t as appealing to the player as the video pokies.
Video pokies are now extravagant and have pop-culture themes, which attracts more players. Due to this, the casinos can dial down the payout rate.
Alternatively, the classic pokies aren’t as popular or appealing anymore so the casinos will dial up the payout rate to attract more players, and subsequently keep you at the pokies longer. I suggest you do a bit of searching on the internet about pokies payout rates as this information is widely available, particularly for popular gaming locations.
2. Pokies placement isn’t unplanned
Although casinos would like you to think that everything on the floor is there in a random process for ease of access and aesthetics, this certainly isn’t the case. This is one of the 12 Pokie Machine Secrets.
Every square foot of the casino is under a planning on by the casino gaming department. They monitor the traffic patterns and it value is for certain areas of the casino to determine which pokies or games to place in that area.
Usually, the highest yield pokies are available in the most popular locations in the casino. On top of this, the most popular pokies you can find in these areas to attract players into the casino to play.
So now you know that those pokies that are most prominent and visible are the ones that make the most money for the casino, which means they’re also the most disadvantageous for the player. Head towards the back of the casino next time you want to play pokie machines to find a better value.
3. You can’t win at pokies in the long run
People do win at pokies all the time. They have big wins and small wins; the issue is that on a long enough timeline it’s impossible to win.
Pokies are manufactured and programmed in a way to ensure that they only pay back a certain percentage of the money that’s placed into them by players. Usually, this is in the bracket of 70-90% but it can be far worse or better depending on where you’re playing.
No one would ever play if you didn’t win from time to time, so this is also built into the machines. Some casinos would not want you to know this and in some US states, they don’t even have to tell you what the payout rate is. Fortunately, there are many states that do provide it to players, and I highly recommend taking advantage of that information.
Although it’s quite common these days for players to know that you can’t win in the long run, some still don’t know, and those that are oblivious to this fact are the target of casinos.
4. The pokies club doesn’t exist to reward you
This is one of the biggest cons of the gambling industry. Do you know how the casinos promote themselves by rewarding you for your play? This is all a lie.
It is not like you won’t get some free play credits, access to promotions, and other comps for being a part of the pokies or player’s club, but this isn’t why it exists. It exists to provide the casino marketing department with player data so that they can attract and retain you as a customer.
Yes, that’s right, all the free money and comps you get out of the casino are from the marketing department. They will analyze your play, movement, likes, dislikes, and betting patterns to make out best to market themselves to you so that you return.
The pokies club is a powerful marketing tool, and while it’s always a good idea to join and use your card whenever you play, don’t fool yourself into thinking that this is all done to reward you. This is one of the 12 Pokie Machine Secrets.
5. Max betting is the best option
This one may seem counter-intuitive but it’s true. On most pokies, max betting activates all the bonuses and jackpots and increases your odds of getting lucky and winning, which makes it the best option for players.
Although it doesn’t make too much of a difference, it still creates more favorable conditions for the player. The casinos don’t want you to know this as they want you to bet small and more often at a worse payout rate, which makes them more money in the long run.
One thing you certainly don’t want to do though is betting maximum above your bankroll and burn through more money than you plan to. Playing more than you can afford to lose is playing right into the casino’s hands. If you can’t afford the max bet on a game then drop down in denominations or move to a machine where the max bet is smaller and works within your bankroll.
6. Video pokies pay out less than classic pokies
Big fancy video pokies will almost always pay out less than classic reel pokies. This is because of the fact they’re more entertaining, draw more players and action, and cost the casinos a lot more to run and maintain. This is one of the 12 Pokie Machine Secrets.
These are big machines. They often take up two to three times the amount of space compared to classic pokies and also cost the casinos a lot more to keep them running. In order to maximize profits, the casinos will then dial down the payout rate on these machines so they still make enough money on them.
Immersive video pokies are a huge moneymaker for the casino, so don’t go in thinking you have the same chance of winning on these compared to traditional old-school pokies. If you’re looking for better chances to win on pokies machines, then stick to the classic pokies.
7. Class 2 pokies aren’t pokies at all
Sometimes you’ll stumble upon pokies machines that are classified as class 2 pokies. These you can find on native Indian reservations or racinos in the United States. This is one of the 12 Pokie Machine Secrets.
These aren’t traditional pokies like what you would find in Las Vegas. Vegas pokies are Class 3 pokies and are proper pokies machine games.
Class 2 pokies are pre-programmed bingo games that present a pokies face for entertainment purposes. Class 3 pokies are usually illegal in the jurisdictions that have these pokies bingo games, so game manufacturers and casinos combined their forces to come up with this alternative.
Sometimes you’ll see a small bingo card on the bottom corner of the screen which will straight away tell you that this is a class 2 pokie machine. So, be aware, these machines are not pokies at all and you’ll be effectively playing computer bingo when you start spinning on these.
8. Pokies are completely random
Casinos don’t want you to know this, but pokies machines are completely random in nature. Although they are there to pay out at a certain rate, this is still in line with the randomness of results that a pokie will produce.
Each spin is completely independent of the previous spin. For instance, if you were to win the jackpot on one spin, then the likelihood of winning the jackpot on the next spin is exactly the same. No previous events impact future events. This isn’t how they work.
Casinos would never disclose this because they want you to think pokies are “hot” or “cold”, because that will cloud your judgment in respect to how much you play and gamble. This works out better for them in the long run so they are happy for these myths to grow and spread.
9. All of your play is tracked
From the time you start playing a pokie and enter your player card and cash, every movement of your casino monitors. Pokie machines are now networked and have high-end hardware and software to track everything you do.
Casino collect, evaluate, these information and develop insight report to the casino marketing department so they can work out the best possible way to market their casino and pokies to you so that you keep coming back and play more. If you don’t want your games monitored then just don’t use your player’s card, but then you won’t get any casino comps.
This is a bit scary. If you play online, everything is tracked under your player account, so it’s easier for online casinos to know what you do in this respect.
10. Pokie arms don’t exist as much anymore because they slow downplay
Back in the day, pretty much every pokie machine had an arm, or lever, that you pull to activate the spin. These days it’s much harder to find machines that have these.
While there are a few reasons for this, the main reason and the one the casinos don’t want you to know is that using a lever is much slower when compared to pressing a button. Casinos want you to be playing as quickly as possible when it comes to pokies because the more you spin the more the odds move in their favor.
So by having buttons instead of levers the game moves a lot faster. Some may even say they’ve removed the lever so people don’t refer to pokie machines as one-armed bandits anymore, but that may just be hearsay.
11. Games are designed to be played as fast as possible
As we touched on in the previous secret, casinos want you to play whatever game you’re on as quickly as possible. While one of the main measurements on a pokie is the time you spend playing, they also want you to play as quickly as possible.
This increases the yield on the machine for the casino, meaning they make more money. Consider this, if you have a bank of widely popular pokies that many people want to play, and it takes 20 seconds per spin, that’s quite a lot of time.
If a spin takes five seconds then you’re getting four times the amount of play on that machine which leads to more money passing through. So, all the time the casinos are trying to think of ways to make games happen much faster. They don’t want you playing slowly, so make sure you take your time next time you sit down at a pokie. After all, the more time you play the more entertainment value you get.
12. Pokies sounds and graphics are designed to make you feel happy
One thing that casinos certainly don’t want you to know about is the fact that pokies machine manufacturers have teams of psychologists and researchers that provide advice on what sounds, colors, movements and graphics to use in games in order to make the player feel as happy as possible.
This is both good and bad. Firstly, it’s good if you’re playing for entertainment’s sake and know your limits when it comes to how much money you’re willing to play with. If this is the case then why not play a game that’s available to make you feel happy.
Moreover, it’s bad when it comes to problem gamblers who don’t know when to stop and are chasing that happy feeling that the games give them. So this is a two-way street; that’s for sure. Casinos probably don’t want you to know this because it isn’t a great look.
Synopsis
Casinos are there to make money just like any business. The pokie machines are a big piece of the profit puzzle so the casinos do everything they can to make them more profitable.
Now that you know these 12 pokie machine secrets the casinos don’t want you to know you can gamble as an informed player. If you love pokies there’s no reason to stop playing, but you should know these secrets before you play again.
