Pokies, also commonly referred to as slot machines or just ‘slots’, are considered to be one of the most frequently played casino games in offline casinos. Their popularity is so strong, that it has transcended platforms and traveled to the online version of pokies as well where the game continues to thrive amongst online casino players who play it daily.
Pokies see players from all across the world, even from those where online casinos have been severely regulated such as the UK. Fortunately, there are several websites and guides dedicated to helping pokies players from all around the world to get around these restrictions and if you want, you can check the guide here to see how to do so.
Regardless, the fact stands that pokies are, and will be, the king of all casino games simply because of their high reward potential and ease of access that appeals to beginners. However, many of these beginners don’t have prior casino experience with pokies and don’t have any idea what strategies and tips they should follow apart from the basic one.
If you too are one of them and are looking for strategies to be a better player in online pokies, then you have come to the right place. In this article, we will list several strategies that you can adopt to be a better online slots player and get better casino habits that will continue to help you in the future.
Plan out a budget beforehand
One of the number one rules of casinos is money management – never go play a game unless and until you have a proper spending budget defined. While this applies to any casino game, it is especially more relevant for pokies. Keeping a track of your spending can be quite difficult once you get in the flow of playing slots continuously.
Progressive pokies don’t help either as they only urge the player to keep on playing and spending more and more on the promise of great rewards. It is important that you avoid these urges and have a set budget beforehand and adhere to it religiously no matter what.
Choose slots with a guaranteed high RTP
RTP in casino terms means Return To Player value which is counted in percentages and is an indication of how much money you can expect to get back after spending them on slots. A high RTP indicates that that particular pokie will give you a lot more return value than other online pokies.
Most casinos are required to be 100% honest about their RTP value so if you don’t see any clear indication of a slot’s return value, it is your red flag to play at some other online casino. Additionally, it is also important to know that while low RTP slots don’t provide much return value on average, their jackpot and high stake rewards are usually worth the risk. Essentially it comes down to your own playstyle and budget.
Make a study of the paytable
No pokie on an online casino website is the same – they are all different and have different payouts, symbols, features, and graphics. It is essential that you not only figure out the most aesthetically pleasing pokie for you but also study its paytable meticulously.
Each pokie paytable is bound to be different and has different symbols with different values attached to them. Note these symbols in your mind and keep their value at the back of your head while you are playing a pokie.
Whether you are getting a good run or a bad run will be defined by your ability to understand these symbols and the values attached to them. Additionally, some pokies also have wild card symbols that have different features of their own so keep them in mind as well when you go on your pokie spree next time.
Practice with low-budget pokies or free games first
The most common mistake amateur pokie players are guilty of doing is going at slots with high stakes first in hopes of getting the big jackpot and rewards. While this certainly sounds like a more lucrative option of winning pokies, it is definitely not the best one – especially if you are a beginner that is just starting out.
To get familiar with the style, feel, and rules of pokie, it is essential that you try your luck with low stake pokies first. There are plenty of pokies out there that are willing to give you an option to play at the bare minimum cost of pennies. There are also various free online slots as well that you can avail of if you don’t have any capital to spend but still want to enjoy playing slots.
Pokies with smaller jackpots can give you more jackpots
Most beginner slots players have a misconception that the better the jackpot of a pokie is, the better the game. This isn’t even remotely close to the truth because realistically speaking, your chances of getting a jackpot are almost zero to nothing.
You are much better off playing with other low jackpot pokies that may have a reduced jackpot amount but also have reduced amount of bets and generally have a higher RTP with their machines. This is a much better alternative than spending away on a pokie with an impossible jackpot.
Play pokies as a hobby, not as a living
Last, but certainly not the least, pokies are a game, not an occupation or a way of living. While most other games in casinos have their own professional players that play the game for a living such as poker, roulette, or blackjack, the pokie is a stark exception to this rule as it depends entirely on luck and not on the player’s skill.
Never play slots as a way of earning money, or winning back what you lost in other casino games. You will only end up disappointing yourself and wasting your money off on something without having any possibility of getting it back.
Conclusion
There are several strategies that every new pokie player should be familiar with before they start on their casino journey. We hope this article was insightful for you and if it was, please consider following our website for regular updates as it will help us out immensely.