Suncoast Slots with 90% return or more?

I'll be heading to LV for the 5th time next month and will be trying to pay for mytrip using the coupons in the 2014 ACG. Many of the coupons are for $5 and $10 worth of free slot play, and I was wondering if there are nickel and quarter machines that will return at least 90%, and if you know of specific machines. My bankroll is small (< $100).

There's one coupon for 5X points at a place called Suncoast casino. The maximum that can be earned is 100,000 points, and I am wondering how the casino makes money here. Isn't the standard to issue $1 in free play for every 100 points earned? I'd think that it would be worth it to play on machines that hold back less than 5% in this case. Are there machines at this casino that are this loose? Thanks!

 

I could show you a machine that returns 99%.. but you still may not want to play it. Here is why. Let's say this machine has a top payout of $100,000. And, the average play is $5 times two lines or $10. Over time, it will eventually pay out the $100,000 on one lucky spin. Along the way, it will also payout $10, $50, $100 etc.

How much money do you think has to go through that machine before it gets to that 99% payout? To make it simple, let's say the ONLY payout is $100,000. That means if you put in just over $100,000 and it paid once, it would be at 99%. Still want to play it?

 

To maximize the return on free play or to stretch a bankroll you want a low volatility game. For slots, the higher the jackpot typically the more volatile the game. It takes millions of spins to approach the theoretical return. For every time I've hit a bonus and a $100 win I've had it suck down my $20 like it was nothing 5 times. Video poker, particularly Jacks or Better is a low volatility and typically you get decent milage out of your money in terms of time played.

 

If you are wanting to maximize your return these free play coupons, I would recommend learning video poker instead. Most places let you use free slot play on video poker. Otherwise, either a quarter 3-reel slot, or an older penny slot with fewer lines. The older units are a bit more likely to be set just a bit higher. Video poker would be better than either of these if you know how to play it well.

And as for Suncoast, no, it's 1000 points per $1 of freeplay. You earn one point every 50c coin-in on slots, and for every $1 coin-in on video poker. It's the CET system shifted over a decimal place basically.

 

If video poker is not allowed, another good alternative is those stupid blackjack machines with pretty bad rules. Despite that, they return better than video slots and you have a high probability to turn your $100 freeplay somewhere in the range of $85-$105.

These are not the ones with a huge screen, and a lady shuffling for the whole table electronically. These are the individual gaming machines, in the same format as video poker.

 

Since you have an American Casino Guide and a $100 budget let me recommend a couple things.

1.) Visit Fremont Street / Downtown Las Vegas - there are lots of coupons in the ACG for downtown properties. By signing up for cards and using matchplays you can expand your budget a bit. Ditto goes for the strip/off strip properties you don't have cards at, but of course this takes a lot longer.
2.) Use the freeplay coupon for The D. It's an awesome bonus, especially for the educated video poker player. If you're really motivated you can learn proper play for the single full pay Loose Dueces machine they have upstairs. It's a nickle machine and pays back 101.60% to the perfect player. You could probably play that machine all day on your budget and get some free play out of the deal.

 

I've used LVA and ACG coupons all over town and I have not found any that don't allow Video poker. Some of the better pay tables might be restricted but a bad VP pay table is better than a slot machine.

 

I cant help but think this is a trolololol

 

If they allow slot FP on video poker, that would be much better. ACG has a couple of strategy tables for the higher-paying games (including a "simple" strategy that is about 0.50% less than the optimal return), including mention of full-pay deuces wild. Also, I'd accept a lower rate of return for smaller comps like free buffets and drinks...will casinos rate ~$100 in play at that level?

 

Suncoast makes money by bouncing the people playing their best vp machines on high point multiplier days. They have a good history of 86ing players but usually its at a lot higher denom. Its not worth your time to drive there if you're staying anywhere near the strip. $100 can go in 30 minutes on a bad run playing .25 vp. Not worth the drive.

 

I don't know, its not really that much of a stretch: there has already been a few posts this year about people going with limited or small bankrolls and planning to stretch it out as much as possible with either free play coupons and/or slot signup bonuses.

For the OP I will say that asking about specific machines is pretty useless: the casinos don't advertise the paybacks on their machines, the paybacks can change regularly and just because somebody had some great luck on a machine on their trip a few months ago doesn't mean you will as well.

For stretching your gambling dollar out I would look for:

Nickle Jacks or Better Video Poker
You can find single line machines downtown, pretty rare on The Strip though you can find multi line machine and just not play all hands. IE: on a penny 50 Play Video Poker you can just go with 10 hands at 5 credits per hand for only 50 cents per play. You won't find full pay machines at that level but you gotta take what you can get.

Video Keno
You can find nickle video keno on The Strip but even 25 cent machines would be good. Most video keno has paybacks in the 95-98% range and if you play pick 4, pick 5, pick 6 or pick 7 you can do pretty good and still have a decent change at a big hit (going with pick 8 or higher the odds of hitting one of the big prizes starts getting up there to downright astronomical).

Older Video Slot Machines
Look for video slot machines from 10-15 years ago as they will have much lower volatility than the newer machines. Yes, with most newer machines you have a chance to hit a $200-300 win on a 30 cent spin, but you pay for that with the high volatility that can just suck up your money. Definitely avoid anything that is linked to some third party trademark like Iron Man slots, Spiderman, Batman, Tarzan, Deal or no Deal, Michael Jackson, etc. as these will have higher house edges and are some of the most volatile machines out there.

Slot Promotions
If you are going to be somewhere or near some places where you don't have a slot card check if there is a promotion for signing up. Years ago used to be anybody would give free slot play just for signing up, but not so much now. Most places now want some level of play out of you before they give you anything so you should know just what they need and how much it'll cost you to earn it.

 

If you were sat in front of two machines and one paid 99% and the other 89% you probably wouldn't be able to tell which is which in a single trip.
After all, Craps and BlackJack are close to 99% but you couldn't tell based on the amount of money I lose.

 

I just noticed something from the OP. The level of free play is incorrect. At Boyd properties the free play/cash back is $1 per 1000 points not per 100.

 

Any documentation or source to verify that statement?

 

It's a well known fact in the vp world. Do some research you'll find articles and posts from advantage players. I have no vested interest whether you play there or not.

 

You posted it, I'm just asking for a source.

 

Well I can't give out actual names of my sources but I believe there is a public article by bob dancer about his encounters there. Vpfree may have more on it as well.

 

As a VP player planning to do some time there next week, I'd like to know the answer to Joe's question as well...

 

If you don't go with VP, which you shouldn't unless you possess a reasonable level of knowledge, just pick any slot that looks good. As stated, the old three reelers will probably give you as good as any. To hit much of anything on $5-15 of play would be sheer luck no matter what percent it pays out over it's play life. Just look at it as a little bonus. If you hit something, great. If not, you haven't lost anything.

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes

 

I don't usually play slots unless I'm looking to waste a few minutes waiting for my wife or as a diversion from hours and hours of VP, which is what I play most of if I'm not playing table games. And I do play with (mostly) correct strategy for the game I'm playing, I just want to make sure they don't walk me out for winning, which seems absurd on any slot or VP game. Suncoast is mostly geared to locals I think, along with most Boyd properties and they would soon go out of business if they 86'd people that do possess a reasonable level of knowledge. Just my humble opinion of course