How to win at the Pokies

It may seem obvious, but the secret to winning at the Pokies is to not lose. If you keep this in mind, then the way you play will be different than if you think you will win. By thinking that you are going to win at the Pokies, you will keep hitting that button thinking that the next spin will be the one that drops the jackpot down, making you a tidy little sum. Or, at the very least - winning combinations will rain down on you. I hate to burst your bubble, but playing like this can potentially help you win big, but it can also see you losing large amounts.

If you play thinking the next spin will not win, then it makes sense to keep your bet down until such time as you think you WILL win. How do you know when you will win? Well you don't - so minimise your losses until the chances of a winning drop increase. If a machine is giving out the feature game or free spins regularly, then the chance of winning increases. This is sometimes referred to as 'running hot'. Sometimes, machines can go a long time without giving any features or free spins - so whereas you may fluke a big win, you will lose a lot between these games. As such, you need to work out which machines are worth staying on, and which ones you need to move on from.
A lot of people use a system when playing the pokies to make sure they don't lose all of their money. Some that have been observed described below.

Examples of playing methods to minimise losses

There are many methods that players employ when betting low as a strategy. This is a great way to play machines which appear to be 'running cold'. You never know when a machine is going to start running hot, so keep the bet low until then.

  • Bet low until the machine starts winning, then increase the bet
  • Bet low for 40 games then increase the bet for another 40 games, then increase it again for another 40 games. If the feature or free spins comes up, then start the count again
  • Bet low, but every 5, 10 or 15 games, increase the bet for that spin.
  • If you have a reasonable return on a spin, consider playing more lines until you have ran through the amount you won on that spin. The increased lines mean that you may have more returns for non-feature spins, making that win last longer.

Count your spins

If you only get the feature game or free spins every 100 spins, and there is not much return - move on, the chances of the machine doing much are low. If you find the machine is winning within 20 spins several times, then gets to 100 spins, then it has possibly had its run and is slowing down. If you find the machine gives the feature or free spins within 20 spins, consider betting low for 10 spins then increasing your bet to see if you get the games within the next 20 or so spins. Although we can't predict how many spins it will take for the feature to come up, this will help keep your bets down until you feel there is more chance of the feature coming up.

Change the demonination

If the machine offers multiple denominations and doesn't do much on a particular denomination, increase the denomination but lower the number of lines you play. This minimises losses, but doubles any wins. This can be great if a bonus drops as it will usually be multipled by the denomination!! Be careful not to play endlessly on increased denomination if it is not doing much.

Try to leave with what you came with

Although a lot of the time you will run through your money and lose it, if you do have a bit of a win and keep playing, at least try to leave with what you started with.

Only take how much you are willing to lose

When you go to the pokies, think about how much you are happy losing and only take that amount. If you leave your credit/debit card at home (or in the car) then you are more likely to stick to this amount.

Remember, Pokies are designed to only return a percentage to the player. This means that ultimately, we all lose - although some may have a win. Please play responsibly, and do not play with money that you cannot afford to lose.

Important things to remember


  • Never play with money needed for other expenses such as bills
  • Do not increase your bets when you are losing
  • If you do win make sure that you cash out and walk away
  • Don't play when you have had too much to drink (you can't think clearly)
  • Don't continue playing just because the feature has not hit in a while