Category: Pokies

How to Cheat Pokies

Posted on by Nathan

Pokies cheater

Pokies, fruit machines, puggies; video slots go by all kind of different names in the world. Due to this international popularity, the slot is a game that a lot of people tried to cheat over the times.

Is It That Easy?

Yes and no. Slots were first invented in 1887 in the form of an automatic card machine; since then, they’ve completely evolved. Back in the old times when the slots were mechanical instead of electronic, cheating them was relatively easy. Players had a couple of incredible tactics and tools — the most popular being the Monkey’s Paw. Tommy Glenn Carmichael, the famous American cheater, invented a tool that had a hook on one end. And once a player would slide this hook into the coin chute, it would hold the coin release door until all the coins popped out. The worst part was that the Monkey’s Paw wasn’t something only Tommy could make — any regular player could create one. And once casinos noticed their slot machines had been completely emptied out, they learned how this tool worked the hard way.

Just like Tommy, a lot of players had their own witty ideas on how to fool the slots — Shaved coins for example. Players realised that if they shaved the edges off a coin, it would go straight through the machine and fall out, all the while triggering the bet. This meant you could have potentially earned a lot of money without investing a single dime. And here is one of the most famous methods you’ve probably seen in a lot of films — coin on a string. A player would attach a string to a coin, put it into the machine, and then pull it out. The slot would still get triggered and grant the player a spin. Fortunately, this was the easiest method to pull off, and players started to abuse it, so casinos quickly realised what they were doing and found a way to stop this practice.

The Times Have Changed

Cheating pokies insidePeople invented the first video slot in 1976, and this completely changed the industry. Almost nobody could cheat these video slots. But there was still a case where a couple of players managed to do so only a few years ago. An infamous group of Russian players found a way to trick modern video slots in 2014. And believe it or not, it was thanks to Putin. No — the Russian President didn’t help them cheat the American casinos — the man is a millionaire, so why would he? He indirectly triggered a chain reaction that made it easier for this team of smart Russians to trick the slots in the American casinos. Putin entirely banned gambling in Russian in 2009. Consequently, in a state of panic, the casinos started selling video slots to anyone for significantly low prices. They wanted to get rid of all the gambling equipment immediately but still earn some cash.

A couple of friends from St. Petersburg purchased some of these slot machines for a very good reason. They had no intention to use them for the sake of fun, and they wanted to examine them and figure out how they worked thoroughly. After a while, they found a mathematical solution that would help them mess with the software. Additionally, there’s one thing you should know about any land-based casino — the people behind the cameras always keep an eye on big winners. They do it for one reason — to determine if the players are cheating their system. The moment you start winning too much, you will find yourself on the casino’s radar — the ultimate fact is that casinos don’t like consistent winners. You’re the one who should be losing the money, not the operators.

Now you can see why their cameras immediately noticed a couple of players who were winning so easily. These players always held one of their hands in their pockets, while only placing small bets, followed by big ones all of a sudden.

Here’s How They Did It

They developed an application through which they were able to access the slot’s screen on their smartphones (the ones in their pockets, remember?). Each time they would put a cent inside the slot, they would immediately gain access to the screen. The smartphone would transfer all this information to a team in Russia in real time. Next, the players would bet cent after cent until their phones would start vibrating — that’s when they would bet $100 and earn over $1000. Although the team tried to win small to stay off the radar, it didn’t take the operators long to realise what was going on.

The issue was that they couldn’t catch them; on the surface, they weren’t doing anything wrong, and Russians are definitely allowed to play pokies at casinos by all means. But after a while, the casinos and the police had enough proof to investigate the players, and that’s when they found out what was really going on.

Here’s why you can’t pull this off anymore — the only video slot they successfully managed to figure out was the Aristocrat Mark VI. The programmers updated the software since then, and there are only around 100,000 of these pokies left in the world today.

Don’t Let Them Fool You

Let’s set one thing straight — trying to hack into a pokie is illegal. So do not ever attempt to do it — Most of the people who tried ended up in gaol. Virtual casinos offer thousands of online pokies in Australia, and they made sure this software can fight back any threats coming from the outside. The only people who would ever be able to use the software to their advantage are the creators, but they wouldn’t dare. Most importantly, online slots work based on RNG (Random Number Generator). It’s a program that generates different sequences you see on a slot. The developers regularly update it and secure it so no hacker could ever play with it.

If you ever see an ad offering you a device that can help you cheat the slots for only $20, be well aware it is an attempt to steal your money. Nobody can do this.

Pokies Are Fun

All in all, this is not a game that can bring you a lot of money. So your main income should definitely not come from casinos or slots. That’s why instead of trying to cheat the slots to win big money, you should start using them for fun. Bet small amounts and try to relax; after all, isn’t this what us Aussies do? We use gambling as a form of leisure, and it certainly isn’t the only easy way to get rich. Have fun, and remember to be responsible.

How to Know When a Pokie Machine Will Pay Out

Posted on by Nathan

Pokies Machine

Hundreds of thousands of pokie players ask themselves the same question every day — how to know when a pokie machine will pay out? In this article, we talk about strategies and giveaways which can help you maximise your winnings.

When Do Pokies Pay Out: Picking Your Battles

Some people love long walks on a beach, others enjoy rooftop sunsets. Us Aussies, we love us some pokies! Australia is a country with the most pokie players in the world, and it almost feels weird walking into a bar and not hearing the reels turning.

Now, we’ve all had both winning nights and sessions to forget. So what determines when we’ll win and is there any way to predict the outcome? Well, in short, not really. Whether you’re a fan of online gambling or you’re just hitting a few spins with your mates, all pokie machines give out random results. So, in essence, it does come down to luck.

However, you can make your own luck if you know when and where to bet. Although there’s no guarantee you’ll win, you can significantly increase your chances of winning if you follow the advice we’re about to give you. But first of all, you need to know how slots work.

Return to Player

So what’s RTP and what does it do? An RTP determines how often a slot game will pay out. In Australia, land-based pokies have a law-determined minimum RTP of 85%, and they usually go up to 90%. On the other hand, online pokies offer a greater advantage to players — their RTPs are 92–97 per cent. With an RTP of, say 95%, online casinos promise that players will receive $95 for every $100 wagered over a large number of spins. This, however, is measured long term, and it doesn’t mean, as you know, that you’ll walk away with something every time. So before you start playing a particular pokie game, always check its RTP. Otherwise, you could be shooting yourself in the foot.

Gambling VolatilityVolatility

Pokies with higher RTP offer players more winning rounds, but the payout is usually smaller. This is what we call a low-volatility slot. On the other hand, a pokie with high volatility won’t pay as often, but when it does, it’s a big win. So picking volatility is down to your preference. If your aim is to win some money with low risk involved, low volatility is the way to go.

Random Number Generator

Regardless of whether you play online or in a local casino, all pokies, new and old, work with a Random Number Generator. The RNG is a system which makes sure that each and every outcome of a pokie game is genuinely random. It’s an independent mechanism which won’t fall for any of your ingenious bluffs and strategies.

In a nutshell, RNG is constantly going through various numbers in no particular order. And once you hit the spin button, RNG stops and throws out a certain number. That number decides which positions the reels will stop at, and you’ll know whether you’ve hit a payline or not. So if it’s always completely random, can you anticipate a payout? The correct answer is — maybe.

Doctor, My Pokie’s Feeling Cold

Do you know that thing when you look at a box and you make out a face in it? That’s an instinct we’ve inherited from our living-in-the-woods, animal-hunting ancestors. Another thing our brain does uncontrollably is spot patterns in behavioural sequences. The same goes for pokie game outcomes.

You see, even in a randomly-generated data, there are trends or sequences. For example, go ahead and flip a coin. You can’t determine which side it’ll fall on, as it’s a random event. But if you do it a thousand times and log the outcomes, you’ll notice that occasionally, you receive Tails several times in a row, as well as a grouping of Heads.

The same thinking goes for slot machines. Our brain ‘sees’ these patterns. After a number of winning rounds, chances are the pokie will stop paying out, i.e., go into a losing cycle. And if it’s in such a losing streak we call it a cold pokie, while hot slots are the ones that are on a streak of paying out.

While this isn’t something you can live and die by, many experienced players track how much money their pokie neighbours put in and how much luck they’re having. If you see someone investing a lot and leaving empty-handed, you should hop in and play at their pokie, big wins might be just around the corner. Similarly, if you win a couple of rounds but then start losing, maybe it’s time you call it a day.

Progressive Jackpots

Payments PokiesIf a pokie runs with a progressive jackpot, every time you spin a winless round, the jackpot value rises. Most of the casinos have a networked progressive jackpot, which means that all players contribute to the same pot. Just like in monopoly, when you all add money in the middle of the board. That sounds nice, especially when the jackpot reaches staggering heights.

But as you all contribute to the same money pool, all of you also have the chance of landing on that ‘free parking’ spot. The odds of that lucky bloke being you are lower than if you’re playing a pokie with standard bonuses.

Another disadvantage to progressive jackpots is the sheer fact that casinos are a business — they’re not there to hand out free money to unsuspecting passersby. Their goal is to make money off of their customers. As a consequence, the odds of hitting a progressive jackpot are extremely small. Add to that the fact that the regular payouts they give out are lower due to having an appealing jackpot, and you won’t spend much time cashing money out.

So Dismiss Jackpots Entirely?

Not all of them. Some slot machines have payout limits which they display publicly. You can walk into a casino and see a pokie that says something along the lines of “jackpot must be won between $1000–$5000,” or any other numbers — this is just an example. So you should wait for the jackpot to rise until $4500+ and then join the fun. The payout is bound to happen soon, and you can profit off of players who’ve spent hours building it up.

Summary

Always take into consideration which game you want to play. Picking the right game is crucial to ensuring that you get the best odds. After that, there are several strategies you can try out that might help you anticipate when pokies are going to give you the result you want. Just remember, always keep a cool head and know when to begin and when to stop.