Being a winning slot machine player is possible. But all slot machines are specifically made to be able to offer the house a long term edge, so the house shall always come out ahead if you play long enough. The only real way to counteract the house edge on slot machine games is to play a game with a really big jackpot, bet the max every time you play, and hope that you hit the jackpot. Then when you do hit the really big jackpot, resources guess what you need to do next? Stop playing that game.

Do not get me wrong. I am not stating that you should not play slot machines. In fact, I think slot games, particularly the great ones, are a lot of fun. But you want to keep within the forefront of your brain that mathematically, what you’re doing when you are playing a slot machine on a long-term basis is paying for entertainment. You may calculate simply how much you’re paying for that entertainment by multiplying the home edge times your average bet times your number of spins per hour.

One example is if you are playing a slot game with a payout of 95%, then the home edge is 5%. (The casino keeps 5% of every bet you make long-term.) And if you’re average bet is $3, then you’re going to pay an average of 15 cents per spin to the home. (5% times $3.) Assuming you’re making 500 spins per hour, that game costs you $75/hour to play, which may or might not be a reasonable price for you entertainment. That depends on your bankroll.

Something else to factor into your calculation is simply how much the perks and bonuses you are getting back from the casino are worth. When you are playing in a land-based casino where you are getting free drinks while you play, then you can subtract the cost of those drinks from you are hourly cost. (Or you can add the cost of those drinks to the value of the entertainment you are receiving–it’s just a matter of perspective.) My recommendation is to drink top-shelf liquor and premium beers in order to maximize the entertainment value you’re receiving. A Heineken can cost $4 a bottle in a great restaurant. Drink two Heinekens an hour, and you have just lowered what it costs you to play each hour from $75 to $68.

Slot clubs also give back a share of your losses each hour, so definitely be sure you join the casino’s slot club and ALWAYS use your card to track your play. There’s absolutely no reason not to do this. Casinos also reward their larger slot players with comps like meals, show tickets, and free rooms, which all add up to reduce the amount of money you’re spending each hour that you are playing on their machine.

Now how to be a winning slot machine player? I’d sum it up by saying know just how much it’s costing you to play each spin and each hour, take advantage of all of the comps and the perks, and go for the big progressive jackpot.