How to Win at Online Pokies
Let me be straight with you from the start: there is, simply, no guaranteed way to win at online pokies – and anyone telling you otherwise is trying to scam you, or sell you something! Pokies are sofware-based games that generate results using a random number generator, and the software used in the game is random, certified, and audited frequently – provided you play at a safe online casino in NZ. Every time you hit spin, a brand new result is generated – and each round is totally, 100% independent from the last, so there is no way to “game” the system.
That said, there is a big difference between playing smart, and playing blind – and understanding how pokies actually work – and making a few decisions before playing that you’ll stick to – can have a big difference on how long your sessions last, while also giving yourself the best chance of winning. On this page, I’m going to walk you through everything I’ve learned from playing pokies for more than a decade – and share my thoughts with you.
1. Understand RTP Before You Pick a Game
Before you even think of opening one of the thousands of online pokies available online today, the single-most important thing, in my opinion, is understanding how RTP – which stands for return to player – works. The RTP represents the theoretical percentage of all wagered money that a game pays back to players – although it’s calculated over millions, or sometimes billions of potential spins.
A pokie with an RTP of, say, 96%, will, over time, return NZ$96 for every $NZ100 wagered – whereas a pokie with an RTP of 93%, would return NZ$93 for every NZ$100 wagered – and so on. For me, I would look at it like this:
- 96%+ – Good; aim for this, or higher.
- 94-95% – OK, but a little on the low side; acceptable, and normal for a progressive jackpot game.
- Below 94% – I would personally avoid any pokie with an RTP below 94%.
Thankfully, it’s quite easy to find the RTPs of pokies today. Most software providers put the info within the game’s help file or paytable, but if you can’t find it, simply Google “slot name RTP”, and you’ll see tons of sites that give you all the info!
2. Know Your Volatility
So far, we’ve walked through what RTP means, and looked at how it impacts your gameplay; the next thing to familiarise yourself with is volatility – sometimes also known as variance. This is a simple (but effective) way of telling you how a pokie will actually play – and there are three main types:
- Low Volatility: Low-variance pokies pay out smaller amounts, but more frequently, making them good for low-rollers, players wanting longer sessions, and those not wanting too much risk.
- High Volatility: The polar opposite of low-variance pokies, high variance games offer fewer wins – but the wins, when they do land, can be worth a lot more. These games can eat your bankroll fast, but they’re also where most of the big 1,000x+ wins are found.
- Medium Volatility: Medium variance games, as the name suggests, are, simply, games that fit somewhere between high and low-variance pokies; balanced win frequencies with win sizes.
Now, it’s worth pointing out that no single volatility profile is “better” than any others – it all just comes down to what you actually want as a player. If you’re looking to have long, low-risk playing sessions, then choosing a low or a medium volatility pokie is probably the right call. On the other hand, if you’re happy to take more of a gamble – in the hopes of hitting one of those bigger wins – then a high volatility slot could be the better choice.
3. Set a Budget – and Stick to It
Yes, this is probably the most unglamorous and simple-sounding tip, but it’s also probably the most important one. Before you make a deposit – or choose which pokie you want to play – decide on how much you’re comfortable spending for that session – the absolute maximum amount you’re comfortable losing. Don’t think about what you hope to win; only focus here on what you can actually afford to lose and then treat that as a hard limit.
Some of the practical rules I follow to help me stick to this include:
- Never Chase Losses: Yes, it sounds obvious – but if you hit the “hard limit” we just talked about, stop – walk away. You can always come back later, but depositing more money to try and claw-back losses almost never works in your favour.
- Set a Win Target: It’s also worth having a think about what you’d actually be happy winning and walking away with. For example: You might decide that if you double or treble your balance, that’s enough, and you withdraw. Again, super simple – but it can prevent you from squandering away wins you have.
Above all else – and I really can’t emphasise this enough – don’t deposit money you can’t afford to lose. Take advantage of responsible gambling tools – mainly, deposit limits – and if you feel that you’re in a spiral and can’t stop depositing – enter into a short time-out (also known as a cooling-off period) that will lock you out from your account for between 24 hours and six weeks.
4. Use Bonuses – Smartly
Welcome bonuses at NZ online casinos – deposit matches, Free Spins, and so on – are, for me, genuinely useful for maximising your play-time and getting more out of each casino you join – but they always come with terms and conditions that you need to be aware of. Here’s what to check:
- Wagering Requirements: Wagering requirements determine the number of times you need to play-through your bonus funds before the funds are “unlocked” and withdrawable. Look for bonuses with 25x-35x wagering requirements – anything higher than that starts to creep into the unrealistic territory in my opinion.
- Game Contributions: Most pokies contribute 100% towards a bonus’ wagering requirements, but it’s not always the case – and some games (usually those with high RTPs or jackpots) either don’t contribute at all, or do, at a lowered rate.
- Time Limits: Some bonuses have time limits, which mean you have to complete the wagering – or lose any remaining bonus funds. Most casinos give you at least 3 days – but some can be sneaky and give you just 24 hours so, again – it’s worth checking.
5. Use Demo Mode (Free Play)
Almost every online casino in New Zealand lets you play pokies in demo (free play) mode without you needing to deposit a single cent – and for me, the biggest benefit of this is that you can see how a game plays – and what kind of volatility profile it displays – without risking any of your own cash.
Using demo mode allows you to get a feel for how often the bonus rounds trigger, how the volatility actually plays out – and, most importantly, whether you actually enjoy the game or not! There’s no point spinning away reel money if you don’t actually enjoy the game, so this is a great way of “testing” a pokie without committing any cash.
If you do decide to go ahead and play for real money, you simply need to deposit and switch from demo mode to real mode – or, if you want game inspiration or a nudge in the right direction playing at these pokies with real money.
6. Bet Sizing – More Important Than You May Think
It may sound obvious, but you’d be amazed at just how many players ignore this completely. How you size your bets – relative to your bankroll – matters a lot more than you might think – and I’m talking from personal experience here.
A general rule of thumb is that your individual bets shouldn’t exceed 1-2% of your total session bankroll. That means if you deposited NZ$100, your MAXIMUM bet should be NZ$2 – ideally, less. This becomes even more important when you start playing high variance pokies, as it’s not unusual for high variance games to go hundreds of spins without much happening.
Now, there is one exception to this – but even then, it’s rare – and that’s in game where increasing your bet size improves the RTP. I find these types of games predatory, personally – but they exist, so I have to at least make you aware of them.
7. Don’t Chase Losses, Know Your Limits
For me, good bankroll management is the backbone of successfully playing pokies online, and setting an amount of money that you’re happy to spend – and then sticking to it, win or lose – is very underrated in my opinion. I’d recommend setting a daily or weekly budget, knowing that if you end up losing that amount, you won’t suffer financially.
I know how tough it can be to walk away when you’re losing, but it’s just so important that you’re able to do so; especially if you feel yourself getting angry, annoyed, or frustrated. If you’re on a losing streak, take a break, get some fresh air (yes, seriously; it helps) – and remind yourself that pokies are 100% random, and every spin is independent – you are not “due” a win or bonus.
Conclusion: How to Get the Most Out of Your Pokies Sessions
Winning at online pokies ultimately comes down to nothing more than good ol’ luck – and there is nothing you can do to “beat” pokies like you can (somewhat) in titles like blackjack and poker. The most important thing to know when playing pokies is to understand how the machines work – what RTP and volatlity means – and how these impact your sessions, so you can choose the right game for your bankroll and personality type.
Of course, you should also make sure you’re playing at a safe, reputable online casino – and here at DashTickets, myself and my co-editor, Sonia, review new casinos in NZ every month. You can find our best NZ online casino recommendations here.
