In 1887, Charles Fey brought to America what was to be one of the jackpot of inventions.The Slot Machine. A 29 year old mechanic from San Francisco, Fey started a craze that thrives til this day. On the first slot machines the reels had symbols of ordinary playing cards, not the fruit and array that we see today. The term 'One Armed Bandit' was soon after adopted as it was thought that the odds were not the greatest and people kept putting their money in without much thought to how much they were actually losing. With 3 reels and 20 symbols in it's early days, the slot machine has evolved to some that have random number generators and close to 100 symbols and multi pay-lines. Fey, being the inventor was also the first to actually offer the slot machines to the public and he would rent his hand made machines to other businesses on a 50% rental agreement. His first slot machine was called the Liberty Bell and can be seen in a local Reno restaurant that is owned by his family. Casinos began putting slot machines in mainly as a distraction for the lady friends of their male gamblers to keep them occupied and away from the gaming tables while the men gambled. Soon the craze spread to all peoples regardless of gender and walk of life. Along with the introduction of slot machines came the eventual crackdown on the gambling phenomenon by local police. Raids would ensue and slot machines confiscated. It wasn't long before the action was moved to the backrooms of taverns, bars and clubs. The introduction of slot machine to Nevada has been credited to Bugsy Seigel, notorious gangster turned casinos entrepreneur in the mid 1900's. With legalized gambling came a new love and fervor for the slot machine and this has carried over to the internet with online casinos. The slot machine has always held a certain fascination to gamblers everywhere and in part is due to the bells and whistles, the sounds and lights and the almost hypnotic quality of the game play. Slot machines started out as simple and requiring no skill, a great way to escape where you didn't really have to think or plan a strategy when playing. Todays machines still require little or no skill to play, but have added new technology, stunning graphics and sound effects, and some of the largest jackpots of any game of chance, and have captivated the hearts and minds millions of people worldwide and continues to attract and hook thousands more yearly. You can find slot machines that still have very inexpensive pulls, starting at a nickel and going all the way up to $100 a pull and jackpots in the millions. So there is a game out there for everyone and every budget. How to determine your odds? Take the number of reels, example 3 reels and multiply the amount of symbols. This would work out to 20 x 20 x 20 = 8,000 so the odds would be 7,999 to 1.  .

Tips to playing slot machines. Tip 1. - No matter what tip or strategy you use to play slot machines, set a limit to how much you are going to spend before you ever begin to play. Once you reach that limit, quit. Do not keep feeding a machine in hopes of recouping any loss. Tip 2. - Know the slot machine payout schedule. Two identical slot machines can have different payouts. Play the one with the best payout. Tip 3. - Look for advertised slot machines offering 96-98% paybacks. Casino's usually have a few banks or carousels of high percentage payback slots. Tip 4. - Play slots with your bankroll and not from the credits meter. The reason is not that it makes a difference in winning, but any winnings will increase your credits. This way, when you run out of money or want to leave the casino, any credits you earn are your winnings. If you spend all your money and use up all your credits, you walk away with nothing. Tip 5. - If your going to play progressive slot machines, play the maximum bet. The odds on progressive slot machines are higher, so when and if you do win, you want the highest payout possible. Tip 6. - Join the casino players club. Once you receive your players card, always play with it in the machine. The casino rewards players for time and money spent. Even if you don't hit the jackpot, you may still receive free casino comps like meals, discount hotel rooms, event tickets and more that are worth money too. Tip 7. - Try to avoid slot machines with 4 or more reels until you have built up a bankroll. Odds on 4 or more reel machines are higher than the standard 3 reel slot machines. Tip 8. - Play the slot machines you can afford and only spend money you can risk losing. $1 slots payout more over time than 25. Name of this page is Symbols In It S Early Days The Slot.