There are a few tips and tricks you can use to win at pokies. Learning how to be a poker machine expert, and also how to win at pokies, requires the right combination of reading and practical experience.

 

This isn’t because there is a complex algorithm to learn that increases your chance of winning, but because you’ll need to sift through the bad advice and strategy to uncover any pearls of online pokies wisdom.

This page outlines some of the common bad advice shared and how to increase your chances to win at pokies, or at least, extend your gameplay.

A Beginners Guide To Winning at Online Pokies

Managing your bankroll, or the amount of money you gamble on poker machines is designed to protect your budget. Poker machines are luck-based games.

Little or no skill is involved in the way the games play out. But by applying money management tactics when playing pokies, you can walk away from a bad session, leave a machine once you’ve won a certain amount, and have a better time on the casino floor.

No method for decisively beating a casino’s machine games for winning on the pokies is ever going to work. The best legal way to gain some control over slot machine gambling and try to beat the pokies is to use common sense bankroll management tactics.

1. Pre-determine your overall budget.

This should happen before you sit in front of a game and feed money into the coin or note acceptor. Establishing how much you can afford to play means determining how much you can afford to lose.

2. Set both a win and a loss limit.

A winning limit is a bit trickier to establish, with more conservative gamblers stopping after they double or triple their initial stake.

If you win at pokies and hit a nice jackpot, you may end up going well above your expected winning limit and might stop playing altogether, cash out and find another activity.

3. Try playing for free first.

It is possible to play a wide selection of free pokies online. Some of the most popular games include the 5-reel and multi-pay line machines, all of which come with some sort of bonus game.

The inclusion of free spins and multipliers is common across games, allowing punters to double or even quadruple their wins. Online pokies are popular because they are convenient and offer a huge variety of gameplay.

Playing poker machines for free allows you to try the best game developers for free without risking any of your cash. It can be a good way to familiarise yourself with the gameplay, terminology, and type of games.

4. Understand pay lines and symbols.

If you’re unfamiliar with how a poker machine works, it can be difficult to understand why some spins pay up and why others don’t. The payouts for online slot symbols depend entirely on the type of game you are playing.

Three slot machines tend to feature much simpler symbol sets – sevens, gold bars, cherries etc, which pay according to the chart beside the reels.

Modern video slots tend to feature three types of symbols: royal, characters and features.

Royals are standard poker symbols which boast no special properties. These are the least valuable icons, and you require a minimum of three matches for a payout.

Characters are more valuable and are inspired by the game’s theme, taking the form of specific characters of objects. In the case of a licensed game, this could be a cartoon character, for example. You need three or more to win. Features make advanced slot games worth playing.

These include wilds, which can substitute for other symbols, multipliers which can double, triple, or quadruple any line wins and scatters, which pay from any position and multiply wins by the total bet staked.

5. Walk away during a losing streak.

Getting your emotions involved is the best way to burn through your money and wipe out the entertainment value of your bankroll. So, when you feel the first stirrings of emotion, step away from your computer or mobile and take a small break.

Not ready to finish gambling? That’s fine.

Have a soda or a bite to eat. Then, if you start feeling better, you can return to your game.

The point here is to manage your emotions at least as well as you manage your bankroll. That is the best way to win at pokies.

6. Make sure to play when you’re in a good mood.

Spinning the reels when upset, in a bad mood, or emotionally distracted will make you forget the other rules to follow. So, it is particularly important to be mindful of the emotional state you’re in when playing pokies. It’s always a good idea to practice self-care, especially if you begin feeling overwhelmed or anxious.

Finding the RTP of a Pokie

The RTP, or Return To Player percentage, of a slot machine is present on every single poker machine. The RTP is used to describe the percentage of all the wagered money on a slot machine that goes back to the player over time. For example, if you make a hundred $1 bets on a machine in which the RTP is 90%, you might expect to get back about $90 in wins.

Not all poker machines are created equally, though. One example of this is the fact that the house edge is usually much larger for slot machines in physical casinos than in real money online casinos. In Las Vegas, for example, slots can’t go below a 75% return to player, but most online slots will have considerably better odds than that.

The average online slot game will have a return to player of somewhere around 96%. Not as good as roulette or blackjack, but considerably better than a game like keno or bingo.

There are a lot of websites that provide comprehensive lists of slot games and their respective return to players. It is as simple as typing in the name of the game as well as ‘RTP’ into a search engine and checking the result. Anything above 97% is a good return, while 96% and greater is perfectly acceptable.

man sitting with cash he won playing pokies

How We Help You Find the Best Online Pokies Games

At Top Australian Gambling, we carefully review the best pokies games to ensure our readers can access the best options available.

Our reviews take into account a range of factors, including game graphics, gameplay features, payouts and bonuses, software used, and more. We also look at how each casino’s customer support team handles complaints and queries, and we rate the overall user experience. By providing our readers with detailed reviews, we ensure they can find the perfect pokie game to enjoy.

So, check out our pokies reviews to discover the best games with the highest RTPs and decide which pokie to try next!

Top 5 Online Pokies with High Payouts

Online Pokie Software Provider Payout Percentage
Money Train IGTech 96.21%
The Catfather Pragmatic Play 97%
Clover Lady Wazdan 97%
Queen and the Dragons IGTech 98%
Jokerizer Yggdrasil 98.10%

Types of Casino Bonuses to Win at Pokies

Casino Bonuses

When it comes to poker machines and bonuses, there is plenty out there for new players looking at maximising their chances of winning at the pokies.

Free Spins

Nobody wants to say no to free spins. They are the most rewarding bonus class – even more than the cash prizes. They allow rounds to play at no cost, with the same opportunities, and under no absurd condition that represents a limitation to bettors. Free spins are available in all, or almost all, the slot machines of an online casino.

Free Play

Trying out free-to-play versions is a great way to enjoy pokies without putting in any money. Many online casinos offer free pokies games, allowing you familiarise yourself with different titles before deciding which ones you want to play with real money.

Progressive Jackpots

Whether it’s progressive jackpot slots or 3D feature, it will always be better to choose the one with the most generous jackpot.

Welcome Bonuses

Another popular bonus for new pokies players is the welcome bonus. This type is a deposit bonus made available to new players. When taken advantage of, it can net players thousands of dollars in free money.

Bonus Rounds

Pokies often have bonus rounds which are special features that include a mini-game hidden within the game.

Bonus rounds can be revealed in several ways. The most common is hitting a particular combination of bonus symbols granting game access. Other games offer some or all of their bonus features entirely at random, adding excitement to your gameplay.

Win Big Prizes

Bonus rounds give players a chance to win big prizes, adding a lot of excitement to make sure that real money online pokies always feel exciting. Players are often taken to a second screen, a feature that is only available on video pokies.

Collect Points

Some bonus rounds also require players to collect points or symbols and work their way up to access the special feature. Before you play any online pokies game, it is a good idea to check out the bonus game offered. These will make the game truly unique and probably will influence you to pick one game over another.

How To Win at Pokies FAQs

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