For some people, playing the pokies online is a better gaming experience than playing in a club or casino, and it's not just because you can sit on your own couch or a comfy chair to do it. There are pros and cons to both locations, and to both formats, and here we highlight a few tips about how to play online.
Available Games
Most of the time the game titles available online will not be those you are used to playing on regular slot machines in a club. Many of the land-based machine companies and manufacturers have been really slow in releasing their game titles for online playing. But even though you may never have heard of these online games before, you will find some similar features within them. Make yourself familiar with the game and the features before you start and you are on your way to a good night of gambling and entertainment. Some games even let you play for free to try the game out first. Play in ‘Free Spin no deposit casinos’ to test and then make yourself an account when you are ready. Naturally, you’ll need a good Internet connection to play online both in free mode and for real.
Getting started
It pays to do a bit of research on which game is right for you to play online. There are many to choose from. To go in blind and just pick the one at the top of the Google list is a less than the ideal plan of attack. Take the time to look around, search for the highest payouts, best features, most bonus features, and more.
Once you have chosen which online casino you’ll be playing with, you’ll need to download and install the free casino software they offer. Then, register an account with the casino. Buy your first round of casino credits, collect your welcome bonus and you are on your way!
Select which game you would like to play from that casino’s games menu, decide how much you want to bet, and hit spin.
Buttons
Your surroundings when playing online are very different to when you are in a casino or club, but also the line layouts on your computer screen may differ as well.
Check out the buttons first, not all games have the buttons in exactly the same order. Sometimes, rather than a ‘collect’ button on the top row, when you wish to take your money out, you may have to exit the game and withdraw your winnings from the banking system.
The next 5 or so buttons are the amount of credit per line bet. If you press one, it will remain active until you press another choice. On the bottom row you have a ‘Take win’ button feature, and then the following buttons correlate to a number of lines per spin.
Some of these buttons will only appear at certain times throughout your game. The ’Gamble’ button will not show itself until you have a win you can gamble with and the ‘Start Feature’ is activated only when you win a bonus feature. Online games will also have buttons like ‘Credit Size’. ‘Credits per line’, Spin’, and ‘Max Bet’.
Set your stake
First up, the most important thing to do before you start playing is to set your stake. This is where you check how much you are spending per spin. You don’t physically feed notes or coins or a card into a machine when you play online so this is something to be careful of. Check that both the coin value and the bet per line value are set to amount you are comfortable with. You need to remember to set this stake before you spin as you could be jumping in and lose a huge portion of your playing money and have a nasty surprise. This setting is usually found directly underneath the reels. You are able to reset your stake amount at any time throughout the game.
Safety
We all know that there are certain hackers out there that can access accounts when an Internet connection is not secure. It’s not uncommon in the world. When you are playing on a regulated and legal gambling site, you are actually quite safe in regards to security. They have measures put in place specifically to assure your financial security and to keep your personal details private. Make sure you follow the rules and the prompts, and if you find something rather suspicious, stop immediately and report the problem.
Be realistic
You may win some smaller amounts on a game or two that you like to play, but in reality, a life-changing jackpot is unlikely. Sure it does happen, but the odds are very slim. Don’t aim for the big win, as you will only be constantly disappointed. Be realistic in the goals you set, if any. Pokie machines, both in clubs and live casinos, are more likely to give out a number of small wins and progressive jackpots.
Payouts
When you play pokies online, the payout percentages are higher than that when you play offline, on an actual machine. Online casinos are able to offer higher payout percentages because they don’t have the huge overheads that brick and mortar gaming venues have. Casinos and clubs have a fixed payout rate at 87%, but online they can range from 90% - 99%. Good news for online players, however, you do still need to do some research and shop around online to find the games that have the best payouts.
These high payout stakes do not guarantee you a win, but they will ensure you have playing longevity and good entertainment.
Don’t use the steps system
We’ve all had that feeling when you’ve been sitting at one machine for a while, that there has to be a win soon: you’ve put in the time, now for a reward. In the back of our minds, we know it doesn’t always work like that. The same goes for playing online.
If you play on the ‘steps system’, which where you increase the stakes but by bit when you are on a losing streak because logically there will be a payout soon, you are only losing money. It doesn’t matter how large your stake is or how long you’ve played for. Pokie spin results are independent of the previous spins and the machine chooses at random, not knowing what it has dealt before. Online pokies work on the same principle.
Help!
All casino sites will have a page or drop town tab where you can find all you need to know about the rules, regulations, and guides to playing pokies online at their casino.
Alternatively, if your need for help goes a bit deeper than the search function on a casino website, don’t hesitate to head to Gambling Help Online. It’s free, anonymous and there 24 hours a day. It’s a great resource if you think you need to talk to someone.
When gambling online, it is wise to never gamble more than you can afford to lose, and knowing when to stop playing can be very hard to do when you are at home. You are comfortable, you have food and drink on hand, a toilet only a few steps away and a limitless World Wide Web in front of you.
The hardest thing is that knowing the option is there to play whenever you like and without having to travel. Discipline and self-awareness is the key here, and one that may take some working at to set in place. A time limit is a great way to out boundaries on any form of gambling and it can also be utilized when you play at home.