Strategy

Many people try to argue that there is no way to guarantee a win while playing online pokies. However, they are very complex games, requiring a great deal of planning and organization in order to secure a successful result.  Here are a few of the most popular strategies for pokies players in both land-based and online casinos.

Up the Steps

The most successful strategy has proven to be the Up the Steps system (also known as Paroli to table game players), which is useful on both 3-coin and 5-coin machines. This system is perfect for players with a small bankroll, as they are only required to up their wager whenever they win. For example, the player starts out with a 1 coin bet. If they win, they up the wager to 2 coins; if not, they should continue betting 1.

With each win, the player should increase their wager by 1 coin, so on the second win they bet 3 and on their third win they should bet 4. This is a great system to players who want to prolong their playing time, as it takes quite some time work through your initial bank roll. It is also beneficial for cautious players, who are not comfortable with placing big bets while gambling.

High/Low

This strategy is similar to the Up the Steps system, but is a more aggressive version. In this strategy, the player starts with the minimum bet. If they lose, they stay at the same level but if they win, then they must increase their bet to the maximum. If the win while playing the maximum, they can stay at that level; if they lose, however, they must decrease their bet to the minimum and repeat the process over again.

Again, this is a use strategy for cautious players, because they are never required to increase their bet unless they obtain a proven return. It helps to cut your losses, and is ideal for use with both 3-coin and 5-coin machines.

Pattern Play

Although Hi/Low is considered a more aggressive option than Up the Steps, Pattern Play presents the most aggressive strategy for online pokies players. Rather than determining the next move based on the outcome of each spin, players must set the order (or pattern) of their bets in advance. They must set their pattern before they log on to an online casino; otherwise, they are likely to make rash decisions and hasty bets.

An example of a pattern would be: 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1. The player would need to have 18 coins to spend over the course of their first round. When the series is complete, the player should have their original 18 coin bankroll in addition to a profit. They can then choose a new machine or continue on the same one, but they must continue to use the same pattern.

Players should always put their profits aside while sticking to a 50% loss limit.

Chickens

This is a great strategy for adventurous players who want to try out several machines. The player must divide their bankroll up into sections. For example, five $20 sections would be ideal. They can then use any of the strategies that they find works for them, whether its Pattern Play or Up the Steps.

The player must then spend $20 on the first machine, quitting as soon as their original $20 is gone, regardless of whether they are winning or losing. They then repeat the process until they have gone through their entire bankroll. At the end of their bankroll, the player must ensure that they finish on a loss. They should never stop playing if they are on a winning streak.

There is also a more aggressive version of Chickens called ‘Squirrel’, which requires the player to stick to a slot machine if it’s hot rather than moving on when their $20 is gone.

Play and Run

This strategy is perfect for pokies players with very small bankrolls, but who want to make their money last. Let’s say that the player only has $50 left in their bankroll – this strategy will allow them to play for at least a few more hours. The play should split their $50 into $5 sections,  they will be able to play at ten different machines 20 times.

Each round, they can only bet $.25 and they are not allowed to increase their wager at any time. Once their 20 rounds are over, then they must move on to the next machine, so it is very similar to the chicken strategy. If, however, they make a profit, they can pocket whatever they have one and start over with the next $5 section.