You could shake your head with painful memories of large dollar amounts lost, and swear on a stack of Bibles that you will never again be foolish sufficient to engage in a shoot-out with the One-Armed Bandit, but who are you kidding? Maybe, with just a little luck, you will be able to resist the call of the slot machine for a number of weeks, perhaps even a month or two. But you know damn well that you’ll be back for a rematch eventually. You cannot just let that Bandit win so conveniently, can you? No way.

It’s just a machine, of course, with a “brain” comprised of wires and microchips. You, then again, are a living, breathing entity with the capacity for critical thinking and self-reflection. If humankind is to possess any hope at all in surviving the worldwide war against machines that surely will come some day, we’d better at least be able to beat the slots. Think of the matter in the sort of sweeping historical context and also you shall see that it is not simply a choice but an obligation that you can get back on the horse without delay.

Before launching on your noble quest in defense of humanity, it would be wise to review some basic information and arm yourself with five crucial tips to success.

You might not realize that the slot machine goes by different names in overseas nations. For instance, within the United Kingdom, it is called a fruit machine (no jokes about British drag queens, please.) In Australia, the slot is described as a “poker machine,” which is much more confusing, but what can you expect from a culture that gives outdoor grills the name of a little girl’s toy? (Let it sink in for a minute, you definitely will get it.)

Anyway, traditional American slot machines are coin-operated and contain three or even more reels, which spin whenever a lever on the side of the machine is pulled. The machines include a currency detector that validates the cash inserted to play. The equipment typically pays off determined by patterns of symbols visible when the reels stop.

OK, enough for the description. Simply, onto those tips who were promised a number of paragraphs ago:

Become intimately acquainted with each slot machine’s payout schedule. Two identical slot machines will often have radically different payouts. This matters, people.

Look for advertised slot machines offering 96-98% paybacks. Most casinos usually have a number of banks or carousels of high percentage payback slots, and this is in which you should play.

Join the casino players club wherever you gamble regularly. Casinos reward players for money and time spent. Even if you do not hit the jackpot, you may still receive comps like meals, discount hotel rooms, as well as other perks.

This should be a no-brainer, but only play the slot machines you can afford and good online gambling agent only spend cash you may risk losing. Seriously.

Walk away when you’re losing and become irritated. Playing slot machines is supposed to be an enjoyable pastime, not much of a source of ulcer-inducing frustration. When it’s no longer fun, go get a drink and some fresh air.