One of the most overlooked ways to have fun, compete against like-minded opponents, and test your luck in an online casino is by playing in online casino slots tournaments.
The game play for a slot tournament is the same as if you were playing a traditional slot machine by yourself. You place your bet, spin the reels, and see what Lady Luck has decided to bestow upon you.
The difference is that you’re competing against other online casino slots players around the globe for prizes and cash awards.
How does this work, you may ask?
When a casino decides to hold a slot tournament, they will announce the dates and times which the tournament is running.
You register for the tournament, sign in at the appointed time, and head over to the designated game(s) considered playable during the tournament.
The casino will give every player the same amount of credits in ‘play money’ so that every entrant starts off with an equal chance of winning.
Your goal then, is to have a larger bankroll than all of the other contestants when the tournament ends. The prizes vary according to the casino, and players who tie will split the prize.
An alternative way for the tournament to be run is as a “sit and go” tourney. For these the object of the game is the same (highest bankroll at the end) only the tournament will not run until a minimum numbers of players have registered for it.
Tournaments also differ slightly depending on the software developer that they are being offered through. Microgaming tournaments usually have a time limit.
This means that even if the tournament is scheduled to run for 24 hours, each player may only have an hour in which to build up their credits (for example).
Tournaments vary both in times and cost. While some run for a day or more, others are as short as 15 minutes.
Many tournaments are free and referred to as Free Spin games. Other tournaments require a nominal fee.
One of the most exciting features of an online casino slots tournament is the leaderboard. This is a small window that shows who is currently ranking the highest in the tournament, in real time.
The leaderboard will show your finishing position in relation to other players, as well as what prize you’ve won if you’re among the finalists at the end.
Keep in mind, it’s extremely tempting to watch that board while you’re playing and this can be distracting.
The best way to win while playing in a tournament is to continue using your chips throughout the time allotted and stay focused on your credit line.
Check out your preferred casino today and see what slot tournaments are being offered. Even without playing for real money, tournaments are an engaging and fun way to compete against other online slot fans.
If your casino doesn’t offer slot tournaments, check out one of the secure online casinos offered on this site.
We promote only reputable, fair online casinos and many of them offer regular online casino slots tournaments.
Online Slots Tips?
When it comes to playing slots online, there are plenty of sites that will claim they can tell you how to win at slots.
What they do not tell you is that all slot games run on a Random Number Generator that ensures the results of every spin are random and incalculable.
This means that only a limited number of betting systems or strategies have any effect on the likelihood of you coming out ahead at the end of a slots session.
Nevertheless, there are certain slot tips that every player should know before playing online. These tips aren’t for during game play, nor do they promise to make you a winner.
However, they will ensure that you don’t waste real money needlessly and that you get the best possible odds.
- Check the credentials of the casino you want to play at before registering. The most important tip I can give you (and this applies to other casino games as well as slots) is to make sure you only ever choose reputable, honest casinos to play at.
Make sure that the software the casino uses is verified and tested, and that regular audits are done to ensure the payout percentages are reported and accurate before you deposit.
You’ll never get very far by playing at casinos with faulty software or unfair business practices as, even if you win, the likelihood of ever seeing your winnings is relatively low.
- Look at the ‘return to player’ payout percentage. This will tell you the average that gets paid back out to the players.
The higher this number is, the better off you are playing that game. These percentages are apt to change slightly throughout the year and it isn’t unheard of for a slot to have a payout percentage higher than 100% for a short span of time.
So keep that in mind and stay on the look-out for slots that are running higher than average.
- Look at the pay table before being lured in by flashy graphics. There are plenty of fun, interactive slots out there, many of which are in 3D and offer lots of interesting features.
However, this sometimes lures players in when they should be playing a slot that offers a better payout table.
The number of combinations that can win, the range of betting, whether or not it has multipliers, and the payout per symbol are all important factors.
Sometimes the bonus levels are especially good for racking up credits. However, ask yourself how likely it is that you’ll get to play the bonus round at all.
For instance, a bonus that requires 3 matching symbols in the 2nd position of reels 1, 3, and 5 is likely to be a bit harder to trigger than one that requires 3 specific symbols anywhere on the reels.
- Play in ‘free play’ mode before using real money?. Sure, sometimes we want to just dive right in and start making money, right?
However, one of the best ways to get a feel for just how well you’ll do when playing at a specific slot is to test drive it in a free play or practice mode first.
Even if the payout table and bonus features look very attractive, you may find that the slot doesn’t seem to live up to its promise.
The house always wins, as they say, but some slots are a little looser than others. The best way to find this out is to play before you pay.
- Ask yourself, “What jackpots are offered by the game, and are any of them progressive?” Some slots offer only one fixed jackpot that can be won. Others are linked to multiple jackpots, and still others are linked to a progressive jackpot.
Moreover, some jackpots are hit routinely and others remain un-triggered for months. Find out what type of jackpot is available and what its hit frequency is.
Slots with progressive jackpots tend to be the most popular slot games online, and for good reason.
While the likelihood of losing your entire bankroll remains the same for all slots with a comparable payout percentage, the amount that can be won on a progressive slot is much higher.
If you’re going to risk losing your own hard-earned cash, you might as well choose a game that offers the potential for a bigger reward.
As you can see, the best slot tips apply to things you should consider before you ever spend a dime playing online.
While it may seem like a hassle to go through the effort of investigating the casino, looking for payout percentages, comparing pay tables, and so forth, remember that it’ll be worth it in the end when you’re building up a bankroll while others are just watching theirs dwindle away.
If you haven’t signed up for a casino yet, or happen to be looking for a better one, all of the casinos we promote on our site are secure and fair places to play, with a variety of slots and jackpots available.
