Timing and Luck Are Everything at Slots

If you have ever repeatedly played slot machines at a casino, there is a good chance that soon after you left a machine to play another one, you witnessed another player sit at your original machine and win a big payout.  If this has happened, you likely started blaming yourself and kicking yourself in the butt, saying things like "I knew it was going to payout" and "Why didn't I just listen to myself and play that machine a little longer" or, (if you are a player who reads slot strategy books) blame it on the author of the book for leading you astray.

As much as this is a gut-wrencher, the truth of the matter is that even if you had stayed at that particular slot machine, it would be highly unlikely for you to win the same jackpot.  The reason is because of the Random Number Generator, also referred to as the RNG.  Even players who are familiar with what a RNG's purpose is, many do not understand exactly how they operate.  Going back to the missed jackpot, you would have to press the spin button at the same exact milli-second that the fortunate player in your wake did, in order to catch the random number that was generated at that very moment.  It is this rapidly, randomly, generated number that determines what the next spin is going to produce.

In regards to the slot machines payout percentage, this is calculated over a long period of time.  Theoretically, a machine could strike two big jackpot wins back-to-back.  This same machine could also go for days without hardly paying out.  Therefore, if you think that playing faster or pressing the spin button instead of pulling the arm will increase your chances of winning, think again.  Luck is the prime factor when it comes to catching the random number generator at the perfect time.

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