​Why Online Slots Tournaments Are The Best Way To Play Casino Games

”….Playing in tournaments online offers a simple, low-cost way to enjoy casino gaming – you’ll get chances to win cash prizes without risking large sums of cash, alongside the thrill of playing against other players on slots machines with the latest high-quality graphics….”

Slots TournamentYou’ll have seen from other pages on RealMoney.games that I’m particularly keen on the potential that playing tournaments online gives us to win some cash. They’re a great, low entry fee way of playing many different types of skill-based real money games. Some are freerolls that are completely free to enter too.

But slots are not skill-based, you might say. So why would I want to gamble on video slots tournaments as a way to get some extra cash online?

You’re right; of course, slots are casino games. And we’ve seen that playing any form of games in an online casino is often going to end up with you losing the money you’ve risked. We know that casinos are there to take your hard-earned coins. That’s their business, the odds are in their favour, and they’re good at it unless luck is smiling heavily on you.

But tournaments played on slot machines are different. You’ll meet rival opponents in a duel rather than play against the casino itself, and this simple fact gives you a way of overcoming the standard house edge in casino games that ensures the casino always wins. We’ll find out how this works shortly.

So the questions you’re probably asking here are ‘why the endorsement for slots tournaments?’ and ‘what’s so great about a contest on a slot machine compared to other types of games in the casino?’ 

You may be surprised to find out that there are a whole bunch of reasons why competing in slots tourneys has a lot of plus points.

Low cost entertainment and good fun is right up there at the top of the list, and the chance to win cash prizes for a low outlay comes a close second. Sometimes those prizes can be seriously attractive, with not only cash going to the winners but potentially other valuable prizes like holidays or new cars. Don’t forget the no cost aspect too, with free tournaments routinely run by many of the online casinos.  

There are a handful more making up a collective set of reasons why spinning reels in slot machine contests get the label of being the best casino gaming you can get.

To illustrate why we can give these types of online contests that accolade, on this page I’ll be looking to explain how slot tournaments work in some depth – what they are, how they work and the rules to play them, which slots casino sites to find the tournaments on, and any strategies, tips, or tricks we might use for playing building a big credits or coins balance in a match under tournament conditions.

In fact all you need to know to help hit the top positions on the leader board……..

Latest tournaments

Rush Street Interactive, the online casino and sports betting company, is changing the game with the introduction of the BetRivers Michigan Million Online Slot Tournament. This event offers players in Michigan an unparalleled opportunity to participate in a slot game and earn tournament points, all while experiencing real-time leaderboards.

Throughout the tournament, players can watch their usernames move up the leaderboard with each successful spin, hoping to secure a qualifying spot for the next round of gameplay. The prize pool for this tournament is set at an impressive $1 million, with the grand prize of $100,000 up for grabs in the final round.

Players in Michigan aged 21 years or older can participate in the BetRivers Michigan Million Online Slot Tournament, and the tournament is open from April 1 to April 30. To qualify for the tournament, players must make a single deposit of $50+ using the code “million” into their BetRivers account. Once they have done so, eligible players will receive 100 Tournament Spins, which can be used at any time until the end of April.

The top 400 players on the Tournament Leaderboard at the end of the qualifying round will progress to the Semi-Final Round. Eligible players in the Semi-Final will receive 200 Tournament Spins to be used on May 5-6. Players who do not progress to the next round will receive a $1,500 bonus.

The Final Round will consist of the top 10 players, who will compete during a live 10-minute online event on May 15, 2023. Each finalist will have unlimited spins, and the player at the top of the Tournament Leaderboard at the end of the round will win the grand prize of $100,000. The remaining nine finalists will each receive $35,000 in bonus money.

Video Guides

To start off with a visual guide to how tournaments work with slots games, here’s a useful video based on events run by AllJackpotsCasino.com. Their are other tournament videos to watch on Youtube.

Now let’s start to look at the fun you’ll get in more detail.

For this section I’ll explain two key areas : What you need to know about tournament formats before you get involved, and what you need to know during the tournament itself.

Before we get into that it may be that you already know about how to bet in slot tournaments online, and would prefer to go straight to the coverage of winning strategiesPlaying in tournaments is straightforward enough without a lot of intensive reading, although we cover a lot of other useful stuff in the next few sections too. 

Equally you may want to jump straight in take the chance of clashing with some opponents. It’s easy to get to the point where you’re in front of an online slot, with your finger on the button and ready to spun those reels in the search for those rewarding scatter or wild symbols….

Where To Play

Casino games – including slots – run on different software, and you’ll often find the same software on multiple casinos. The games in these cases will have the same design and features. So it’s worth breaking down some of those by software developer to get a list of good places to go for tourneys: 

Saucify/BetOnSoft Slot Tournaments 

Casinos using Saucify (previously known as Betonsoft) software are recognized to be among the best to play online. For one of the leaders in tournament gaming that use this software you can go straight to Rich Casino.

Rich Casino offers regular tournaments, bonuses, and promotions to players. Each month they offer special contests, some of which carry substantial cash prizes. This is of course on top of the regular daily events.

And as an alternative to Rich Casino, you’ll also find the same games running at 21 Dukes. 

Alongside Treasure Island Jackpots, two other Betonsoft casinos – Atlantis Gold Casino and Mermaids Palace Casino – are also worth a look. Between these four you’re all set for some serious entertainment value.

Microgaming Slot Tournaments

Online casinos which run on Microgaming software are probably the best place to enter slot tournaments. Microgaming were quick to realize the potential of running planned events and were first out of the gate. Now they regularly run contests with the bigger prize pools of 500K and occasionally up to million dollar contests.There are some big names in casino industry in the list, so here are a few of them.

Royal Vegas Casino – Royal Vegas run a number of live tournaments including free rolls each day. Some have big prize pools of up to $20k. Game titles include the well known Tomb Raider and Thunderstruck slots

River Belle – At River Belle you can choose from a range of scheduled live events or Sit-and-Go tournaments. Free play is available for smaller prizes, or you can just aim big and go for the $20,000 Weekender event.

All Jackpots Casino – Similar to River Belle, you’ll find scheduled and sit and go contests where you can compete live against other players. Games run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

All Slots Casino – This is where you’ll find the biggest prize free to enter competitions, with prize pools reaching to $50k mark on occasions. 

Spin Palace Casino – Spin Palace run free rolls with up to $20k on offer, with pay to enter events with even bigger prizes also on the menu. 

32 Red Casino – No list would be complete without these guys. Voted the best online casino for 5 years on the trot by none other than us the players, they run free and pay to enter contests.

 

Wager Gaming Tournaments

One big name comes to mind here and that’s Liberty Slots. With one big prize pool freeroll each day combined with daily multi player free events, Liberty is a must-visit destination.

In addition to the free tourneys there are multiple buy-ins available for entries with as low as 50 cents. Some of the tournaments are run over a weekend or even a month, with these obviously having the bigger pools.  

 

Playtech 

If you’re looking for a Playtech-powered casino you’ll need to look no further than Omni Casino. Onmi run their events on a wager based system with built in levels to make sure that high wagering players don’t have advantages over those of us who like to keep it low loss.

 

All casino operators listed do of course offer welcome bonuses for new players offer great bonuses, a wide range of casino games based on some of the best software you can find, and of course the regular tournaments which are of course the main target of our analysis here.

Their websites have modern feels, are nicely laid out, and easily navigable. US players are welcomed at some of them, as are players from many other countries. Plus you can make Neteller, Visa, or Mastercard deposits (among other forms) in a range of currencies including AUD, USD, South African Rand and Euros.

Games can be played direct in browser with no download, or there are options to fully download the software to your local device. 

All games are represented including classics like roulette, video poker, and of course various versions of slots games. 

You might decide here that player vs player contests are not to your liking. So if you just want to stick with playing a straightforward casino card game that offers strong winning chances, then 3 card poker is the best to start with. It’s very simple to play and delivers winning hands around 25% of the time.

What Are Slots Tournaments? 

If you’ve ever been involved in – or even just watched – any competitive sporting events then you’ll know what tournaments are. Everyone will have had some experience of a contest where one player or participant ends up as the victor.

Slot tournaments played online – or even in land based casinos for that matter – are just that. They’re contests between two or more players where one player ends up taking the crown and the prize or prizes that go with it. The tournament winner clearly takes the highest value prize, with runners up normally getting in the money but collecting considerably lesser amounts.

In a tournament you’re not matched against the house but against rival players, so the house edge which normally ensures the casino comes out on top is not relevant.

All that matters is understanding the structure of the tournament you’re playing, working the slots to the best of your ability, making use of any of the strategies and tips you’ll find further below, and finishing with a higher score on the leader-board than all of your opponents.

Getting to the final playoff and winning a showdown might be the crowning achievement of your time in a casino, so take advantage of all the information available that will help.  

What Can You Win 

Prizes for the winner of a slots tourney vary from casino to casino, and from contest to contest. They might be predetermined real cash prizes – or guaranteed prizes as they’re commonly known – or prizes for an amount of money which is only known once all the participants have entered. 

In the latter of these the prize will normally be a percentage of the amount all the entrants combined have paid in entry fees. 

Most daily tournaments run for cash prizes, often in the region of $500 to $1000. Weekly prizes can be higher, and special one off tournaments can run into much higher figures.

Occasionally a casino will run a tournament as a big promotion, with prizes running into many thousands of dollars. These are rare, but worth keeping an eye open for. You’ll be up against a much higher number of players, but the big prize will keep it interesting! Don’t be surprised to see the figure go to $100k. They’re rare, but worth watching out for.

There are also tournaments where you don’t win any cash prize – but what you can win could be much more valuable. I’m talking about prizes like holidays and cars, of course, but there are also events where you can win free entries to much larger tourneys which carry significantly higher cash prizes.

Don’t forget that if you’re fortunate enough to win a real money prize there may be an amount of winnings tax to pay. Of course that will depend on your local country regulations and rules surrounding gambling winnings.

How Long Do They Last? 

Tournaments can be done and dusted within a day or a few hours but it’s common to see them run over the course of a weekend, a week, or even a whole month.

What’s So Good About Them? 

We all know that more often than not you’ll walk away from a casino games session with less money than you started with. But you’ll hopefully have had some entertainment out of the process.

Anyone that approaches casino games – and slots in particular – with the target of winning money is likely to get an eye opener. They’re best approached with the target of having a few hours entertainment for your money, with the chance of winning.

And punters do win, of course. Some of them, and some of the time. Some of them win big, even on the slots where some of the progressive machines in particular can pay out some massive jackpots.

But the reality is that’s unlikely, and this is where online slot tournaments come in. They give you plenty of enjoyment, for a low outlay, and you still have the chance to win some cash. Here we’ll take a look at a handful of reasons why you’d want to play in a tournament type contest: 

Low Stakes/Low Cost Entertainment – As the actual cost of entering most slot tournaments is low, they offer a very cost effective way of getting a fix of casino gaming. For anyone on a tight budget they are a great way of playing without risking any big sums of cash. There are even events which are free to enter, but still have reasonable value prizes.

Increased Playing Time – You will find your money does go much further when taking part in slot tournaments, even with just a few Pounds/Dollars or Euros in your casino account you’ll find that a modest bankroll is often more than enough to take part in several daily tournaments.

Huge Prize Pools – Although many of the regular scheduled tournaments offered by online casinos have fairly low prize pools, there are occasional special events which boast massive prize pools. It’s worth keeping an eye open for these big prize events. 

No Risk Gambling – I mentioned a little higher that slots tourneys offer low risk gambling, but they can also offer no risk gambling. If you keep your eyes open and check the schedules here regularly – and are prepared to register new accounts at different online casinos – then it’s possible to play in a number of free-rolls over a long period of time.

Good PracticeIf you want to play slots in a one to one situation (you against the machine) it may be possible to find a tournament being run on the slot you want to play. Not easy to do, but could give you a good way of practicing if it all comes together. 

Know Exactly How Much You Can Win Or Lose – You’ll know in advance exactly how much you’re risking, and very quickly how much you could win (if you didn’t already know when you signed up). 

Winning a slots tournament can be the most important thing for many online casino players. The thrill of being the best, and proving it, is a powerful one which all players who enter competitions or tournaments will recognize.

What Are The Different Types Of Slot Tournaments?

There are three different ways of looking at this question – from a types of entry perspective, a types of games one, and a types of slots one. Entry types might include free-rolls or paid to enter contests.

Most contests are known as multiplayer tournaments, where you can either join in and play whenever you like or at a scheduled time. The vast majority of tournaments for slots fans are run at scheduled times either daily, weekly, or as special one off events.

Special event tourneys tend to run over the course of a week or sometimes even a month. In these you can normally enter a number of times, continuously trying to better your total score. You’ll obviously have to pay the buy-in for each entry though.

The most popular online slots tournament is the low cost entry “scheduled” tournament. Often the buy-ins necessary to play in these can be as low as a few dollars, but of course for some of the more valuable prizes this can be higher.

 

Types Of Entry

Free-rolls – These are obviously free to enter and normally run by the casino as a promotion. Casinos often run these for new depositors, or as a thank you for existing players.

As the name implies, they’re free to enter. Just turn up and play. Just don’t expect massive prizes, these are designed more for the casino’s benefit – to get new Customers and keep the existing ones happy – than to line the winners pockets with lots of cash.

Some of these free-rolls will have a ‘continue’ feature which allows you to buy in again if you get a low score with your free attempt.

Playing in a free-roll isn’t the only way to get to play in a tournament. Some casinos offer no deposit bonuses from time to time. That means you get free money in your account just for signing up – normally to give you a chance to try out the games.

Playing free-rolls or taking free money bonuses gives you a great chance to practice, and may just give you some extra insight into how to win a slots tournament.

 

Pay To Enter Tournaments – These clearly require you to pay a fee to join. This fee will vary depending on the prize. Most often the prizes are in the $100 to $250 range, and the entry fees are fairly low.

There may be a requirement for a specific number of players to register before a guaranteed tournament goes ahead, but don’t worry – if you register and pay for entry into a guaranteed tourney and it doesn’t go ahead, you’ll get your money back.

 

Types Of Games

Re-buy Tournaments – These allow you to buy back in after your first attempt for a fixed fee. Note that a re-buy will normally reset/replace your first score, you don’t want to be taking this option if your first score was a high one. 

Add-On Tournaments – These will essentially allow you to buy back in and continue from where you left off with a previous score intact. They can also be called Extender tournaments. If you’re playing in one then clearly it’s a good idea to extend if you’ve amassed a high core in your first attempt. 

Survivor Tournaments – The one problem with playing in add-on or re-buy tourneys is that the players with higher bankrolls can have an advantage. They’re good for the casino, they’re good for knowledgeable slots players, but not so good for the novice or beginner.

This potential issue is solved with survivor tournaments. There are no add-ons or re-buys allowed, you’re playing against a lot of other players in a knockout type of structure which cover several different rounds. The highest scoring entrants in each round progress through to each new round at the end of the time period allocated to each stage. 

Satellite Tournaments – Anyone who plays poker regularly will be familiar with the concept of satellite tournaments. They’re used as feeders into a much larger event, normally where that event offers a high cash prize.

Satellites work by offering players a chance to win the buy-in into these larger tourneys, and get a chance to shoot for the big prizes for what is normally a reasonable amount. 

The entry fee charged on a Satellite Slot Tournament will be very low or occasionally free, which makes them very popular with players who do not have the funds to pay the direct entry free for the main contest. 

Networked/Software Specific Slot Tournaments – These are exactly what it says on the tin. Many online casinos work on the same software platforms, and when these casinos offer contests they’ll quite often be networked across a number of operators. This will often mean that prize pools can be much higher.

Some examples of networked events include the Midweek Moolah and Weekend Whopper events which are held at every single Microgaming networked casino site with $10k prize pools. Another good example is the Monthly Monster contest which is also on offer at Microgaming powered casinos. This one comes with a $25k prize pool.

If you’re a US based slots fans, you won’t be able to play in any of the Microgaming events, but you do have the option of getting involved at some of the Real Time Gaming software powered casinos. These also offer a comprehensive range of slot tournaments to their players. 

One-Off or Ongoing Events

On top of all these different types of contests you also need to consider whether you want to play in special one-off contests – where the prize pool is often higher – or in one of a casino’s daily or weekly scheduled events.

Types Of Slots

Tournaments normally run on a named slot that the casino are either trying to promote (maybe a new one to their list), or one that they know is popular with players. The game will always be named in the rules.

There will be occasions – especially for special event tourneys – where the contest will be played out on a slot that’s themed in association with the actual event.

Tournament themes can be based on such events as the soccer World Cup or Superbowl, or annual celebrations like Christmas or Easter. As an example, during the World Cup there may be a number of football themed tourneys.

    How To Play

    Before we take a look at exactly how tournaments work, it’ll pay to get an idea of some of the terms you’ll come across:

    Prize Pool – Each tournament will have what is known as a Prize Pool, this will be the guaranteed amount which is to be shared between the players finishing in one of the top positions on the Leader Board. The Prize Pool may be known well in advance of the tournament, or it may only become known when it’s clear how many players have entered.

    Entry Fee – The entry fee – or Buy-In as it is also known – will clearly be shown alongside each listed slot tournament on the relevant online casino’s website.

    Starting Coins – At the start of any tournament you are allocated a starting bankroll of coins. You’ll use these to make your spins in whatever way you see fit.

    Duration or Play Time – For every tourney you enter there will be a set time frame in which you’ll need to make your spins.

    Re-Buy – We’ve talked about re-buys already. Essentially they’re a way that you can re-enter from scratch and take another go at building a big score in any tournament. You’ll need to check the rules to make sure that taking a re-buy does or does not overrule any previous score.

    Continue – Some slot tournaments offer something known as a Continue option, and this is where you can pay an additional fee and get to continue playing from where you left off on your original entry. This is an option you should consider taking if you are quite high up on the tournament leader board and by taking the Continue option you could increase your chances of improving to a better winning position.

    Usernames and Alias’s – Some casinos will allow you to take part in a slot tournament instantly using the username you normally use to log in. However some sites will require you to register an additional unique tournament alias. If this is the case you will be prompted to do so once you launch any of the schedules.

     

    OK. We’ve looked at some of the terms you’ll come across, and these are useful for understanding how an online tournament works. We’ve seen that the basic target of playing in one is to get the highest number of coins or points, but there are different ways to do this depending on the type of tournament.

    For any type of tournament you’re going to need to perform some basic steps:

    • Follow the instructions for registering
    • Turn up at the time you were told to when registering
    • Play the slot for your allotted time
    • Get the highest score you can

    Clearly the first step is in identifying tournaments to play in.

    If you’re already a member at an online casino, you’ll often get emails notifying you of any promotions on offer. These will most likely include a heads up on any tournaments on offer. If you’re not a member and you come across a tournament you’d like to play in, you’ll need to register with that site. Remember to keep an eye open for any extra bonuses that will be on offer.

    Aside from that there are a number of online casinos that run regular tourneys. Keep an eye on those for their schedules.

    Once you’ve found a tourney that looks good for you, you’ll need to register. Just follow the rules on the casino tournament page. It’s often as simple as entering your user name, and the fee (if there is one) will get automatically deducted from your cash balance.

    After registering you just need to wait for your start time. You’ll get told when that is. Tourneys are easy to play, and you do not need any special skills, though there are some strategies which you can follow to give you the best chance of winning.

    In most slots tournaments all players are given a certain amount of credits which must be played within a specified allotted time. For example, this might be 5 or 10 minutes, maybe longer. The credits are placed in your account and are deducted each time you spin, with any wins added to your total. Generally the credits you win are not allowed to be played again, you just play until the starting credit balance has been used.

     

    How Easy Is It To Play a Slots Tournament

    It all looks easy so far, doesn’t it? And it is. That’s one of the reasons that online tournaments are popular. Sign up, be ready, and play.

    But it gets a little more complicated with the different types of contest – re-buy, add-on, and survivor.

     

    How a Re-Buy Works

    We saw that re-buy’s let you buy back in to the contest for another attempt to make a high score. If you’re in this type, when you’ve finished an attempt you’ll normally be prompted to buy back in if you want to.

    If you take the re-buy option, the fee will be taken from your account balance. Once completed, you’re back in for your second (or 3rd or 4th) attempt.

     

    How An Add-On Works

    Again we saw earlier that add-on tourneys let you pay a set fee to make another effort to reach a high score, but the score will be added to your first or previous ones. You’ll see the prompt to take the add-on option after your first attempt, and the fee will be taken from your account balance if you accept it.

     

    How A Survivor Tourney Works

    Nice and simple. Play the contest. Nothing to consider other than trying to get a high score.

    How Do I Know What My Score Is?

    In many tournaments there will be a real time leader-board. If you’re in an event where everyone is playing at the same time it’ll be easy to see your position, and the winning credit amounts of your opponents.

    If your tourney is over a longer period you can still often see a leader-board, but of course you won’t know if a player could get a higher score than you many hours after you’ve completed your turn.

    When the tourney is over you can check scores and positions on the leader-board or casino lobby – but you’ll be told whether you’re a winner or not. Any winnings will get automatically credited to your account balance.

    How Much Does It Cost To Enter?

    The answer here is ‘it varies’.

    Entry fees will always be clearly shown on the relevant webpage of the casino running the tournament. Generally they’ll be set at a few dollars for the lower prize pool competitions, and may go up to $10 or higher where the prizes are that much greater.

    As I mentioned earlier, there are free to enter competitions known as freerolls, and even when you have to pay to enter there’s still a way to do that for free by keeping a lookout for any no deposit bonus offers from the casinos.

    What Do The Online Casinos Get Out Of Tournaments?

    If tournaments are played against other opponents rather than the casino itself, then you may think the casino is not making any profit from those they run. Of course that’s not true – in some tournaments the casino might take a rake or percentage of the pool, but actually the greater return is in enticing either new players to sign up or existing players to keep playing.

    For existing account holders they get the chance for some low cost fun which enncourages them to remain as Customers. The casino will be hoping they’ll deposit again and play other types of skots or casino games.

    Either way the casino gets more money eventually.

    How Do You Find The Best Tournaments?

    I’d like to think that you won’t need to go anywhere else than this page to find a good range of contests. There are links here to pages that will show you regular schedules, new events, and high prize contests.

    But if you’re not finding what you need here then there are plenty of other resources which will fill the gap. Let’s have a look at a few of them:

     

    1. Social Networks

    The popular social sites like Twitter and Facebook are excellent places to pick up extra info on any subject, and our subject of online slots tournaments is no different. Many casinos will Tweet or post on Facebook when they have an event coming up. 

    2. Video Sites

    You probably won’t see advance communication of any new contests on any of the video sharing websites, but Youtube does have a channel that offers a number of videos on slot tourneys. 

    3. Other Websites

    There are dozens of websites similar to RealMoney.games that carry extensive lists of different tournaments to play. Perhaps the best way to find them though is to carry out a Google search. You may need to trawl through a few, and not all websites offer great information, but you can trust Google to return the best set of results they can.

    If you can’t find what you need on a straightforward Google slots tournaments search, the Wiki type websites always give valuable information. The Wikipedia slots page covers the subject in depth, though I’ve so far been unable to find a dedicated slots tournament Wiki page of any real value..

    Hints and Tips for Winning 

    Just as when you’re playing slots in one to one play with you against the machine, in a tournament there is nothing you can do to make the spins land on anything other than they’re programmed to do. Slots are pure games of chance and skill doesn’t play a part in beating them. Where the spins fall is down to the RNG (Random Number Generator) that determines how the machine works.

    Luck play a very big part in your chances of getting in the prize money, but there are some things you can do to ‘help’ luck along. Good concentration and speed are particularly great skills to master.

    Basically the chances of winning are all down to this combination of speed and concentration, but there are a few additional strategies to be aware of for the aspiring champion. Let’s look at some hints and tips which could give you a small edge. 

    Increase Your Number Of Entries

    In any competition where luck plays a part in the outcome, one sure way to increase your chances of winning is to increase the number of times you enter. There’s no guarantee of course, but playing in tournaments as often as your budget will allow certainly won’t do any harm to your winning chances. 

    Be Fast 

    There will often be a time limit by which you must have completed your turn. You’ll need to have used up all your available playing chips by this time otherwise you’ll be wasting opportunities. You need to spin quickly and concentrate at the same time – especially if there are chances for bonus rounds that come up and you need to perform some sort of action.

    So the one real strategy you can use to increase your chances of winning is to be as fast on the spins as possible. The aim is to make sure you get the most returns from your allotted spins, and the only way to make sure you get the best chance of doing that is to spin as many times as you can in the allotted time. 

    Obviously if there is a rule that breaks are allowed then this is not important, but still make sure you read the rules beforehand. Don’t make any silly mistakes.

    One of the simplest ways to gain those extra seconds is to keep your finger on the spin button. Just keep clicking to make sure the machine spins as soon as it’s finished processing the previous spin. Plus be sure at the start to be ready to spin. You need your hand on the mouse ready to click as soon as the competition starts. Who knows, it could be that one extra spin that nets you a jackpot line or a high scoring bonus round.

    You’ll gain valuable seconds by maintaining a strong focus on the machine……

     

    Focus & Concentrate

    Since we’ve already seen that speed is important, you’ll need to concentrate while playing. Don’t play if you’re tired, hungry, or in a negative emotional state. Each of these could have an impact on reflexes, and it could be that a few seconds and one or two missed or gained spins makes the difference between first and second prize.

    There’s a risk that if you hit a big winning line, you’ll be tempted to jump around a little and celebrate. This is difficult to avoid – everyone likes a good celebration – just remember you’re not actually winning real money on these spins, you’re amassing points.

    Make sure you’re not going to be disturbed, or have any potential external distractions. The neighbor at the door will just have to stand there!

     

    Understand The Tournament Rules

    Most tourneys you enter will run the same way and in a standard format. But rules can vary across different casinos, and there may be aspects of the machine that your chosen event is running on that you need to be aware of.

    Spending five minutes checking this before the start of any contest is not going to hurt, and may pay dividends.

     

    Know The Slot

    If budget allows, it’s a good idea to play a few dollars on the slot before the tournament. Experience may help understand the symbols, and in particular the way that bonus features work. This last point is most important, you want the best out of bonus rounds while not spending deep amounts of time on them.

     

    Practice

    Entering as many free-rolls as you can will clearly build up your experience in a competitive environment. Playing one on one against the machines will help too, but of course you’ll (most likely) be paying for the lesson.

     

    Time Your Tournament Entry

    This is a contentious one, but possibly could have an impact. In which case you have nothing to lose by following it.

    It’s based on the possibility that if a lot of players are using the casino software at the same time, then it could be slowing the performance up slightly. If the theory is right then it could cause reels to spin more slowly, or for longer periods of time.

    So why would this help to know?

    Well, remember that you will have a time limit to make your spins. It’s possible that if the slot reels are slower or taking longer to stop, then you might not get as many spins in as you could in your allotted time.

    The tip here is not to dive in as soon as possible after the kick off time of the tournament. Wait until the first batches of players have made their attempts. As I said, you have nothing to lose by waiting a while.

    How long to wait? You could consider here where players might be based. If you’re in a tourney which is open to US players for example, and you’re in the UK, then take your go at a time when most us participants would be (hopefully) asleep.

     

    Make Sure You Have A Good Broadband Connection

    In a similar vein to the previous tip, you don’t want to be having connection problems while you’re spinning. It’s difficult to fully avoid this because broadband problems can hit any of us unexpectedly, but you should know before starting that everything is working and looks to be working at suitable speed.

     

    Playing Bonus Rounds Intelligently

    In keeping with the need to get all your spins in before running out of time, one thing that can slow you up is hitting the bonus feature. Of course, it will in theory give you more points, but probably the best thing to do if you do hit it is to use (if possible) the feature in a way that gives the most return for the quickest use. Playing free spins with the highest multiplier possible – even if it means losing a few spins – could well be the way to make this work in your favour.

    This will pretty much come down to knowing and understanding the specific slot (or slots) that the tournament is running on, so take some time before the contest starts to read up on pay-tables and how bonus features work.

     

    When to Play – Times Of Tournaments

    You’re often going to have a wide choice of tournaments to play, so assuming you’re not a slots tournament junkie, you won’t be playing them all.

    So it can pay to be selective.The casinos will normally be scheduling their contests to get the most entrants possible, but there may be some opportunities to seek out those being played at times when there could be a lesser number of opponents.

    Lesser opponents always means greater chances of winning.

     

    Keep An Eye Open For Satellite Tournaments

    We touched on these earlier. Satellites give you the chance to win entry into bigger prize contests for what is often a low outlay.

    They may be heavily subscribed of course, but if you are going to win a tourney then why not make it one that gives you the best chances for a big return. 

    Know What You Need To Do To Win

    The last in our series of tips for winning online slots contests is a simple one – knowing what you need to be a winner.

    Obviously this is going to vary from tournament to tournament, but if you can find out what the normal average winning score is, that’ll give you a good idea at any point on whether you have a chance of ending up in the money….or if you need to consider a re-buy or add-on if appropriate. 

    Concentrate On Your Spins Only

    Since the best chance of winning comes from concentration and being fast with your spins, the last thing you want to be doing is put your focus somewhere else even for a few seconds.

    Is Playing In Slots Tournaments Legal?

    The same legal restrictions apply if you’re playing a tournament online that do if you’re playing straight slots or other casino games. If the country (or US state) that you live in has restrictions on online gambling, then you won’t be able to play (unless of course it’s a play money tournament as you’ll find on some of the social gambling sites).

    The good news is that the attitude of authorities to online gambling regulation is changing all the time. In the US there are now some states which have legalized online gambling and you can play with authorized operators in those states.

    In other countries the advice will always be to check and be aware of any legal restrictions before you think about depositing money.

    Are Tournaments Rigged or Fair?

    As long as you play with any casino that’s regulated and trusted, you can be sure that all casino games are ‘fair’. Of course, that means fair in the way that games are designed to work in favour of the house.

    In a slots tournament, you’re not playing against the house but against opponents. The casino would have no interest in biasing results towards any one person, so for all intents and purposes any contest will run fairly.

    Just bear in mind that the casino may be using software designed specifically for contests, and it may give more pay-lines than it would if you were playing the slot ‘normally’. Don’t get misled into thinking you’d get the same sort of payouts if yo were playing against the house. 

    Another pointer to whether any casino runs fair games is in whether they have been regulated by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). The casinos will have gone through a process where the random number generators (the software that runs the way the reels fall) will have been tested and verified by a third-party. In the gambling industry this is normally a body known as eCOGRA. 

    In general casinos have too much to lose by manipulating results. They can make plenty of money without resorting to that and taking the risk of being labelled as untrustworthy. Get that label and they could lose their licence.

    What Are The Odds Of Winning?

    Since we’ve seen that getting winning lines at slots is exclusively a matter of luck, there is very little you can do to improve your odds of getting winning line-ups of reels. But we do know that you can improve your odds to a small extent by following the strategy tips.

    From this we can see that the odds of beating the scores of other players in any contest are largely dependent on luck, the actual number of contestants, and the way that your opponents play the games.

    If all players were to have the same luck, and play at the same speed, then in theory all contests could end up with equal scores for everybody involved.

    Of course, it doesn’t work that way. The best way to approach slot tournament play will be to go in, enjoy it, and play for fun and as fast as you can. There really is no benefit in worrying about what the odds are for you winning or losing.

    Free Tournaments

    There are plenty of places to play free casino games, and finding free tournaments should be easy.

    Facebook is a great place to start, with many of the free to play casino games sites such as Chumba Casino running fan pages which give the main access to the games. For slots specifically it’s worth taking a look at FreeSlotsLand.eu, which offers cash prizes to competition winners even though it’s free to play.

    Daily events are played on a different one of Freeslot’s twenty unique games each day, with cash prizes so far paid to daily tournament winners reaching well over a quarter million dollars.

    Who Can Play

    As long as you’re of the specified legal age, living in a country or region where playing in tournaments of any type is allowed, and have a valid account to pay any entry fees, then you should be able to play. The best way of being sure is to check the terms and conditions of any operator you want to sign up with – they will make it clear who can and who can’t play. If you’re still unsure then feel free to contact me and I’ll find out for you.

    Of course, if it’s a free event you’re interested in then possibly none of this will apply, and you won’t even need to deposit to get that free entry unless that’s one of the entry rules.

    Where Can I Play Again?

    I’m currently building a table which shows the tournament schedules across a number of recommended casinos that focus on them.

    It’ll be published here when ready, but in the meantime you might want to try either this schedule at CasinoListings or check out two operators that I’ve been hearing good things about – Rich Casino and Lincoln Casino.

    Pros & Cons

    We’ve covered many of the plus points of slots contests throughout the page, but here they are in easy bullet points:

     

    • Low cost, value for money entertainment
    • Easy to learn – Easy to play
    • Good for gaming beginners & regulars alike
    • Free to enter options
    • Valuable cash prizes
    • Play slots games with high quality latest technology graphics
    • Great if you have fast reflexes

     

    There really are very few negatives. Clearly if you don’t have the necessary speed at spinning then you might have some problems, and don’t forget the general risk of gambling involving potential addiction. There is a chance that playing a low cost tournament might entice you to play one on one against the machine, and very often you’ll come out worse off.

    Summary

    If you’ve made it this far, then congratulations are due! You have all the info, you’re now ready to seek out some slots tournaments at one of the online casinos and make an attempt to collect the first prize.

    Great fun for low stakes, with the added chance of winning a tournament pot. What more could you want from online casino entertainment? Getting involved in online slots tournaments delivers that entertainment factor perfectly, and is an ideal way to spend an hour or two on your own or with friends.

    Below is a short but useful video guide to slots tourneys which will finish off your introduction to them admirably.

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