Megabucks hits… and misses

admin — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:08:20 +0000

Less than a year after the Megabucks progressive slots were introduced, Californian Terry Williams made slot history by winning almost $5 million at Harrah’s Casino in Reno on February 1,1987.
(In case you ever wondered, the large cardboard check that winners struggle to hold up is just for camera time. Most MegaJackpots are paid out in 25 annual installments, with the exception of the Elvis Presley, Party Time, and Slotopoly machines, which are paid in one lump sum. Can you say, “Viva, Las Vegas”?)
On the other end of the spectrum, consider one of the saddest moments in gambling: A player miraculously hit all three symbols on a machine but failed to play the maximum credits needed to win the big jackpot. This life-crushing experience happened to Kirk Tolman on March 14, 2001. Distracted by a friend while playing in Wendover, Nevada, Tolman popped just two coins instead of three into a Megabucks machine. Sure enough, the three reels lined up for the jackpot. Although the 22-year-old won $10,000 for his two-coin play, he lost the chance to collect the $7.96 million prize, just because he was a buck short.
The moral of the story: If you want a jackpot in casinos, play max credits — every spin, every session.

Tuning in to theme machines

admin — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:06:02 +0000

The hottest trend in slots links the game to popular TV shows (such as Bewitched, Beverly Hillbillies, and the Wheel of Fortune), traditional board games (such as Monopoly, Yahtzee, and Battleship), movies, cartoons, and so on. These theme machines rely on familiarity and popular branding to entice loyal fans.
But in most cases, I suggest you skip these theme machines, even if you’re a big fan of Vanna White or Jed Clampett. The reason is simple: These machines have bad odds. Typically, the casino must agree to share the revenues from any slot connected to a celebrity, show, or cartoon. (You don’t expect Vanna to let them use her face for free, do you?) Consequently, the pie has more slices — and smaller paybacks.