Because slot machines are, arguably, the greatest gambling games of all, they have yielded legends and myths and misconceptions about which buckets of ink have been spilled. At this point, there are probably myths about the myths but we'll try to sort through all the famous fallacies and point the way to some method in the slot machine madness. This can help you win at slots.

Physical slot machines are said to run hot and cold and maybe once upon a time they did. These days, however, slot machines are, in fact, glorified computers and the outcome of a slot machine game is determined by a random number generator planted in the slot's belly (this is true of online slots, as well). The existence of the RNG means that your chances of winning at slots is the same with each and every spin and no one spin is influenced by what came before or impacts on what comes after. Therefore, don't believe that if a slot machine hasn't come through for a while it means that it's due to hit soon; it just doesn't work that way.

The existence of the random number generator also debunks the myth we'll call the "missed-opportunity" myth. In this case, you play a particular slot machine and finally leave it for another without winning. The player who sits down after you at that first slot machine wins as soon as he sits down. "Man," you think, "if only I had stayed for one more spin, it would have been me raking in the coins." Wrong! The random number generator spits out numbers hundreds of times every second so that the results are determined every split second. If you had stayed with that slot machine and continued to play, there is no way at all of knowing if you would have won. You didn't miss an opportunity; the other guy just got lucky.

In the days of mechanical slots, the odds of winning at slots were determined by the number of symbols on each wheel. However, it would be a serious misconception to think that you can still determine the odds this way in today's slots. The odds on each slot machine are set at the factory according to the casino's specifications.

Over a very long term (millions of spins, in fact), the machine pays out according to these percentages. The RNG determines each spin and a computer chip determines the payback percentage. Between these two factors, you can forget about counting symbols; one thing has nothing to do with the other.

Another slot machine myth is the one that states that a player can win more frequently if he bets one coin. At this point in the article you must realize that the RNG is so independent of anything else that it doesn't relate to the number of coins or the size of the bet. The chances of hitting on a big bet are the same as hitting on a smaller bet - it's all up to Lady Luck. In the long run - based on the pre-set percentages of the machine - jackpots, losses, and streaks all show up proportionately no matter how many coins you bet or how long you stay on a machine or how many seconds you wait in between spins.In a land-based casino or an online casino, the RNG rules - it's all a matter of luck.

Some slot machines are "loose". Actually, this is true. Many slot machines (particularly those in the entrance to a casino) are pre-set to pay out more than others. But the bottom line is still the same: the House takes in a certain percentage and pays out a certain percentage. Someone has to win. Why not you?