Although no one is ever opposed to winning big, many pokie players play simply because they enjoy the game. Online pokies are fast, thrilling and an excellent way to spend some time relaxing at home. So as a casual player of pokies, why would you ever need a guide? Well, to maximise your fun, of course. Unfortunately, most guides for pokies target the serious player, so we wrote this guide for people like you, those who play online pokies for fun.
Managing Your Bankroll
The key to maximising your entertainment is to get the most out of your bankroll, but you don’t want to turn this into a chore either. Set an allowance for yourself. Plan your usage of that allowance, monitor it, and then quit when you’ve exhausted it. Playing for fun, it’s all right to “throw money away,” but you don’t want to get in the habit of losing track or adding money to your bankroll simply to extend a hot streak or because you feel one coming on.
Coin and Bet Size
With online pokies and traditional pokies, the best bet is typically the maximum bet. That’s the point at which the pokie machine has the best odds and the highest payout percentage. Playing for fun, this doesn’t necessarily concern you. That’s not to say that you should avoid good odds, but it’s acceptable to play smaller amounts or even penny slots to maximise you time. If you have a couple of hours, bet in lower amounts so that you can take full advantage.
Funny Money
Many who play online pokies simply don’t have the budget to play as long as they’d like to, even when playing penny slots and other small amounts. A great way to supplement this is to play with “funny money.” Many online casinos allow you to play with fake money, like Monopoly. It’s a great way to sample a new casino or to test a new pokie machine. Many online casinos allow for dual accounts so that you can switch between your real and funny money.
Deposit and Other Bonuses
We tend to associate loyalty programs and other lucrative casino bonuses with the hard-core players, but casual players can take advantage of them as well. In fact, most online casinos offer lucrative “pokies-only” deposit and reload bonuses. Since pokies are such a good earner for the casinos, you don’t have to be a high roller in order to take advantage of deposit bonuses that match your deposit by several hundred per cent or an even greater amount.
Chat and Other Community Features
The serious pokies player wants to limit the distractions, but for the casual player, interaction with other pokie players can be a significant part of the experience. So focus on those casinos that put their focus on community and at least have a sophisticated moderated chat system in place. Other popular software-supported features include message boards, a PM system, community blogs, newsletter, Twitter support and other social networking aspects.
Pokie Tournaments
Pokie tournaments are a relatively new phenomenon among online casinos, especially those that specialise in online pokies. Tournaments are the best of both worlds: They’re smart bets, and they’re a great deal of fun to play. They offer a great deal of community participation, very high payout percentages, and the guarantee that the payout occurs by the end of the tournament. If your casino offers tourneys, make sure to work them into your budget.
Progressives and Side Games
Casinos offer in-game bonuses, generally in the form of side games. Side games are a great deal of fun, and from a financial perspective, they are usually a smart play. Another popular type of pokie promotion is the progressive jackpot. With progressive pokies, the jackpot increases for each spin the jackpot wasn’t won, and it often involves multiple casinos. Progressives aren’t always great bets, but when the jackpot is high, they are, and fun too.
Avoid Autospin
Auto spin is an online pokies feature that spins (or “pulls the lever”) for you. It’s an excellent way to maximise time, but it does tend to take a lot of fun out of the game. When playing online pokies for fun, it’s not bad advice to avoid auto spin altogether. If you do use it, use it just for the convenience, since it does allow you to skip mouse clicks. If you’re playing for an extended period, perhaps you can break up a series of manual spins with an auto spin series.