Slot machines used to be called one armed bandits. They were called that for a reason: you put one coin in them, you pulled the lever ("arm"), and you had one payline. You either won or you lost when you took a spin. These kinds of slot machines are practically extinct, and some people say good riddance, but we say, can you give me some tips on how to play these newer, more complicated slot machine games?

Slot machines today, especially online casino slots, have multiple paylines and require multiple coins to play. Which leads us to our slot tips:

• Tip #1 - Always bet the maximum number of coins. Most machines pay out at a higher percentage when you make a higher denomination bet, and you cannot win the big jackpot unless you've made the maximum bet.
• Tip #2 - You should always know what the payouts are on a slot machine. Otherwise, how will you know what to look forward to? Like ketchup, anticipation is have the fun with slot machines and slot games.
• Tip #3 - This one's controversial, but I think it's effective. Take a look at some of the payouts for the previous progressive jackpot winners. Try to play the progressive jackpots where the jackpot is higher than it usually is when it's been won in the past, in order to take advantage of the "overdue jackpot" factor.
• That last tip is controversial because experts will tell you that your chances of hitting the jackpot are no different when the jackpots it $1 million as when it's $100k. But common sense and horse-sense tell me differently, so I'll stand by my recommendation.
• Tip #4 - Don't play with scared money. Scared money always loses. If the machine you're playing is giving you a bad time, and won't pay out, leave it for another one. If you become uncomfortable with the denomination you're playing, switch to a lower denomination machine.
• Tip #5 - Join the slot club. If you don't take advantage of the slot club at a casino, you might as well just write the casino a check. The casino is willing to pay back a certain percentage of your losses for being a member of the club, so it would be foolish in an extreme sense to not take advantage of this free money that's available to you just for playing the slots, which is what you're doing anyway.

And of course, the final slots tip is this: have fun. If you're not enjoying the game, then it's very likely a sign that you have a problem and need to get help. Gambling is fun entertainment but a poor master to serve if you have an addictive personality. Get help if you need it.