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Moving On Vs. Waiting It Out

How long, exactly, should a slot machine player dwell on one device without winning before giving up? It’s a question for the ages, that’s for sure. Throughout the history of fruit machines, no one topic has generated as much discussion, controversy, and superstition as how to pick out a “loose” device from a “tight” one. Unfortunately, there is no surefire way to make this critical distinction. What is an acceptable period of time to keep on betting on a single device before giving up on it as a loser? We wish that there was one good answer to this question, but we’re going to have to settle for: “it depends.”

There are two distinct schools of thought regarding slot machine play: tenacity versus cutting one’s losses. We’ve heard of pokey players who will literally park themselves at a certain device, betting for hours and hours at a stretch until they win something substantial. These folks take a glass-half-full approach and figure that even the coldest machine has to pay out eventually. On the other hand, there are those players who jump machines like hopscotch, moving restlessly from game to game until they find a winner. These folks are less patient, more impulsive, and more inclined to “give up” on a game as hopeless if they don’t see some results within the period of time that they have set out beforehand.

Knowing slot game players who adhere to both styles and swear that their way is the right one, we tend to hesitate on delivering one conclusive verdict. We’ll say this much, however. When choosing a mate or a gambling partner, it would behoove you to find someone who shares your playing style. We have seen too many beautiful friendships nearly destroyed over this divisive issue!

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