On a typical penny slot, I'm happy to cash out 50-75%.
Overall though I cash out ~100% of my free play.
a) If advantage slots are available, play those.
b) Blackjack. If your object is to cash out 80-90% as often as possible, play 5c (or the smallest denomination you can find). Use a pyramid sequence. For example, with $50, I might bet $1 on the first hand, if I lose drop to 50c, 25c, 10c, 5c, 5c, etc... until I win. When you start winning you can try 1-1-2-2-3-3, 1-3-2-4-5, 1-3-7-10, 1-3-7-3-7-10, etc... Lots of different sequences for various degrees of aggressiveness.
If you want better long-term return look for the best odds
1) Virtual blackjack with simulated dealers. 3:2 & surrender. $1 min.
- Single Deck. Can be counted. Play 3rd base when 4 other people are playing.
- Or play two hands (one maybe with no free play) to lower the variance.
2) Slightly worse versions have $2 or $5 min and/or 6:5 BJs
3) The older even-money blackjack (on stand-alone machines or with VP).
Best has surrender and insurance.
4) Even-money BJ with double & split (but no surrender)
5) Even-money BJ with no double or split
c) Roulette - bet any way you want, or bet red & black, or bet 1-12 and 13-24, etc...
d) If blackjack and rouletter are not available, look for penny machines that don't have really bad cold spells (and try to download your credits in pieces if possible...to leave cold machines).
Ideally you'd like some inside knowledge about which slots are set closest to 100%, which might require some long-term observation of other players, knowing which machines allow them to play longer (and might be set higher).
I like Reel Em In and Wheel of Fortune, but they are lousy for redeeming Free Play because the cold spells are too long.
The oil rig game (forgot the name), Sun/Moon, Monopoly Grand Hotel have often been good to me.
1) Play only ~1% of your money at a time. If you're stuck on a $1 machine, this may mean 1 line - 1 coin. Some machines play better if you play 3-5 lines/time. If you have a chance at a bonus round, you might have to play 25 lines/time.
2) If 1% is not enough to qualify for a bonus round, and you still want some chance for a nice bonus round, use a pyramid strategy.
A) Play max lines - max coin. If you don't get back the full amount, play max lines - less coins (up to the amount you got back). Decrease until you get to max lines - 1 coin. After that drop the number of lines until down to 1 line (or your 1% bet). If you win, increase your bet (as with blackjack, you can increase your bet at various speeds).
The nice thing about starting with a big bet is that you can get lucky and hit a bonus round on your very first bet, and stay betting big. But if you decrease your bets, you can last longer on a cold machine until you start hitting.
It sucks to have $100 free play on a $1 machine, play 5 lines x $1 for 20 times, and come home with absolutely $0 (Been there, done that).
Have fun!
Mitchell
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--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "ggman444" <gleng4444@...> wrote:
Is there any science to selecting the best Penny slots and deciding: (1) how many lines to play, and (2) how many coins per line?