If you have seen one slot machine, you have seen them all. But are they really all the same? The probability of hitting the right combination of numbers is low but you may have a better chance at some casinos than others. Even the chair that you choose to sit in may have something to do with your luck.

With the progressive slot machines such as Megabucks or Quartermania, the jackpot may be higher but so is the cost to play. Up to 15% of the money that you put into a progressive slot could be going straight to the jackpot. While this is great for the eventual jackpot winner, your odds of earning a return on your money are lower. If you like going for the long shot, then the progressive or "on line" slot machines may be for you. With the odds of winning being reported at 50 million to 1, you may want to look at the more traditional slot machines.

If you like earning a higher return on every coin that you drop into the slot, you may want to give the "equal distribution" or "straight multiplier" machines a spin. Although the payout is not as high as far as a jackpot is concerned, these machines are programmed to pay out at a higher percentage of the amount played.

Some slot players have theories about which machines are hot and which are not. Some believe that if you sit closest to the door of the casino, you are more likely to win because the casino wants to attract the attention of people walking by so that they too will come on in and play the slots for a while. One person jumping up and down because their slot machine just hit does tend to draw quite a bit of attention.

When entering a casino for the first time, look to see if you can find any "certified" slot machines. Some casinos will have information posted about a slot machines certified payout percentage. Make certain that the percentage is talking about a certain slot and not the casinos slots in general. All in all, sitting at the slots and trying to tame the one armed bandit can be an entertaining way to pass the day. I would not expect to walk out with millions but I would be willing to drop a coin and take a chance.