Slots Strategies: Patterns

Conservative players do not mind small winnings but hate large losses. However there are players operating on higher risk return curves, who go for the big strikes and are prepared to take a beating more often. Patterns is a slot machine strategy ideally suited for them.

In this slot machine strategy the amount staked on each bet is not dictated by winning pulls. There are preset patterns that the player follows come what may. Once the player embarks on a particular pattern of betting there are no deviations allowed, no matter how strong the gut feeling.

The patterns chosen will depend on the length of the betting cycle and the bankroll. A 15-bet sequence with a 27-coin bankroll is fairly common. One of the typical patterns is 1-1-1-2-2-2-3-3-3-2-2-2-1-1-1. What this implies is that the player wagers one coin in each of the first three bets, two coins in each of the next three bets and so on. Even if the player wins the first bet he persists with one coin for the second. Similarly even if he loses the sixth bet he jacks up the ante to three coins in the seventh as per the chosen pattern. If over the 15 bets the player wins more than 27 coins, he should keep aside the excess number and repeat the 15-bet 27-coin sequence. It is recommended that players have some kind of stop loss strategy while following patterns. The most commonly followed stop loss strategy is losing 50% of the coins wagered in three out of four series played. In the 27-coin sequence if the player loses more than 14 coins in any thereof four series played then he should stop playing or shift to another slot machine. Another way to control losses is following “naked pulls”. A naked pull is a betting sequence in which a player makes a net loss of coins. If in the above pattern a player gets less than 27 coins it is a naked pull. The player stops playing when he reached a preset number of naked pulls. Usually this number is around 10. The crucial part of the patterns slot machine strategy is that once a pattern and stop loss strategy is decided upon then it should be scrupulously followed.

The pattern described earlier was a moderate one. Slot machine strategy using aggressive patterns can also be followed. These involve staking more coins, but the returns can be greater. Aggressive patterns normally do not use 1-coin bets. An aggressive 15-bet pattern is 2-2-2-3-3-3-2-2-2-3-3-3-2-2-2. This requires 36 coins instead of the earlier 27 coins. The correct slot machine strategy is to start with a moderate pattern and only after registering a few wins switch to aggressive patterns. Aggressive patterns should not be used for recouping losses incurred in moderate patterns.

Some players want to go in for aggressive patterns but do not want to increase the bankroll substantially. They can do this by reducing the number of bets in the sequence. 2-3-3-3-2-2-3-3-3-2 is a 10-bet pattern that needs 26 coins.

Theo Evans