Posted in Poker October 8th, 2008
From Online Slots to Offline Slots
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From the first one-armed bandit, the Liberty Bell in 1887 to modern machines in Las Vegas and their online counterparts - the history of the slot machines has seen it all. Many things have changed since then, but the idea remains - spinning reels, usually three of them must stop at the combination of one from the pay table, usually three equal images on each. Let’s take a look at what technology changes have the slot machines gone through, and most importantly the differences between classic and online machines.
The main functional unit of a slot machine is the random number generator (RNG) which in today’s machines is a software running on an embedded computer. The outcomes of each spin are determined by this unit and the rest is just visual graphics for entertainment purposes. That renders online slot machines being just a simplified version of their real-life counterparts. Does that mean there are no other differences? More often then not there are and many.
First of all, let’s take a look at where the machines are deployed. The offline machines are in casino houses and are under strict regulations in different countries. Everything is regulated, a slot machine must have a minimal payout percentage, the gameplay must follow the accepted rules. Near-miss is one example. It is not allowed to program a machine to create an illusion of near-miss situations to call on player’s desire to win. In fact, these regulations leave very little room for imagination to manufacturers, especially when marketing ideas go.
Online games are completely different. Even though the technology is exactly the same, the rules may highly differ. Because the online casinos are being run by off-shore companies that are not regulated by strict laws (especially after online casinos ban in US), the casino holders can pretty much do anything they want. That means not only near-miss programming, but also preference over the bet amount, even tracking of player’s performance and reacting accordingly. Mind you, the most reputable online casino’s will try to have their machines as close to reality as possible, but that doesn’t mean you can’t expect to see some tricks.
Taking that into account, one can take this to his or her advantage and adjust their tactics with respect to the differences. For instance, real slot machines have their RNGs running at all times, which means there is a difference when spinning at different times; online you can forget about that - the games are not running indefinitely and the outcome is always calculated at the very instant you push the button.
To conclude, even though the exposed differences will not make you rich, having them in mind can be helpful albeit just in small way. This gives a benefit to find a perfect slot mahcine online as it would never happen offline. And as a closing tip, unlike in casino houses, online you can always play free slots as you are trying the machines - there are thousands of them and even a penny on each can cost you a fortune.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 8th, 2008 at 8:32 pm and is filed under Poker. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.