When looking for ways in which to successfully beat the house, the first and foremost step is to gain as much knowledge about your game of interest as practically possible from a player’s side of the table. This applies not only to table games such as Blackjack, Roulette, and Baccarat, but also to slots. And slots are going to be the focus for our thoughts on how to beat the house at its own system.
When discussing slots, an important consideration to be made is that of understanding how the different “tiers” associated with video slot games work and are classified. These tiers relate specifically to the size of the player’s bankroll – i.e. some tiers are more suited to a specific size of bankroll than some others. Herewith then, everything you’ll ever need to know about understanding tiers – as well as how to put your newly-acquired knowledge to good use.
Tier 1 – The $100 Bankroll
We will in each of our explanations be using the dollar ($) sign to indicate currency. This is merely a practical consideration. Feel free to apply your own currency, as the basic principles stretch across the currency board.
Tier 1 slots are games that make provision for a maximum bet of no more than $20 for a single spin of the reels. And since we’re referring to “maximum bet”, Tier 1 slots typically start out at betting increments of as low as $0.01 for a spin.
When considering the maths of the matter, a Tier 1 slot machine will allow you to play an entire evening with a bankroll of only $100.
Tier 2 – The $200 Bankroll
Since Tier 2 slot machines require players to stick around a little longer before leaving winners, Tier 2 slots require at least a $200 bankroll and a steady behind on which to sit. These are easy to identify as they typically include bonus meters that fill up as the wins fall.
Tier 3 – The $1,000 Bankroll
Tier 3 machines begin venturing slowly into high-roller territory. Tier 3 machines require bigger bets-per-spin in order to yield profitable results. And this goes hand in hand with more time lapsing before a bonus feature is triggered. Tier 3 slots generally feature a much higher variance than Tier 1 and Tier 2 slot games.
Tier 4 – The $5,000+ Bankroll
Tier 4 slots are exclusively meant for advantage-players only. Typically, “must-hit” slot games, Tier 4 slots require an overall much larger investment in order to play the game at full-advantage levels. Since Tier 4 slot games are designed in such a way that they are of a particularly high variance, don’t expect to hit the big-bucks bonus after just 5 spins.
Top advantage-players can often be seen reeling in the support of their fellow Tier-4 players. These players will then pool their monetary resources in order to reach the must-hit threshold of the slot in question.