How do Slot Tournaments work: Rules, Types and Prizes
First came the slot, then came the slot machine tournament. Well, slot tournaments.
For everyone and anyone who’s even remotely interested in spinning the reels and various slots-playing strategies, it renders virtually impossible they’d be uninterested in participating in a slot tournament. The excitement is overwhelming, and the stakes – high.
If you are like us (and we know you are), you’ll be thrilled to read and learn more about what is a slot tournament, why it’s so popular, how does a slot tournament work, and a few slot tournament tips you may want to remember for later.
What Is a Slot Tournament?
Being among the least competitive games you can entertain yourself with at an online or a brick-and-mortar casino, slots are kind of hard to imagine in the scope of a tournament. You wouldn’t be the first one to wonder what is a slot tournament and how does it work, so, here are some things to know about the concept –
A slot tournament is a gaming competition between you and other players, conditioning everyone in the tournament to collect as many game points as possible in order to win. There is a time frame limit in place and a leaderboard that shows ranks of every player involved in the tournament.
A slot tournament is a gaming competition between you and other players, conditioning everyone in the tournament to collect as many game points as possible in order to win.
When the tournament is over, the top-ranking players share the prizepool, with the player scoring the highest going home with the biggest prize. Depending on the slot tournament rules, the rest of the prizes get shared. Word of advice – always read slot tournament rules before entering the tournament itself.
Entering a slot tournament is a super fun way to entertain yourself and break away from the monotonous manner slots are usually played in. On top of that, they are giving you a chance to win big, and that’s always good, isn’t it?
How Does a Slot Tournament Work?
In essence, there are not many dilemmas in how do slot tournaments work: slot tournaments are pretty easy to get around, although there are a few rules to keep in mind.
Slot tournaments are all about two things:
- The leaderboard
- The prizepool
Both aspects carry a vital segment of spinning to them and, in that respect, make the whole how to play a slot tournament drama much more relaxed.
The leaderboard is the primary thing to focus on, as it shows the top players and their points. It serves as a reminder of where you are and where your competitors are; by keeping track of their score, you can know where you are in the game and/or what you can do to up your score (if needed).
Leaderboards are usually updated in real-time, always giving you a chance to know where you stand.
The prizepool is where the awards of top players are displayed. Unlike other gambling games, when it comes to slot tournaments – the winner doesn’t take it all. In fact, the prize is shared by the top X number of players, as designed by the casino you are playing at. What’s typically the case is that the top 10 players share the prize.
Still, with the current, raving competition among online casinos, one can never be sure as to how many people will go home with a prize after the tournament. Once again, that’s why reading slot tournament rules is key to no disappointment.
Online Slot Tournaments vs Brick and Mortar Tournaments
Although some players will never renounce the excitement of a brick and mortar casino, there’s no dispute about the fact that online casinos are all the rage in the last few years.
Online casinos offer a great mixture of freeroll, buy-in, and VIP slot machine tournaments, making it all just as exciting if not more. However, do note a real money deposit is a must for becoming eligible to play in the buy-in events.
Every online casino lobby features a list of online slot tournaments available, giving players the option to scan through the list and, ultimately, choose one that fits their tastes (and their wallets!) the best.
Each online slot tournament comes with a specific list of rules and details such as prizepool, buy-in amount, start time, sign up spot, leaderboard, a number of registered participants, etc. you should pay attention to. Mostly, you’ll be required to deposit before joining buy-in tournaments.
Land-based casino slot tournaments, also known as brick and mortar tournaments, are the type of slot machine tournaments taking place at “regular”, offline casinos. How to play slot tournaments in a land-based casino, and how different are they to those in online casinos, you ask? Well, here’s the thing –
As online casinos have grown immensely popular in the last decade, brick and mortar casinos are doing anything and everything to draw players back into their venues. Slot tournaments are just one way to do it. However, land-based casinos do keep their standards, so not everyone can play. Mostly, it is only frequent players that are invited to participate in land-based slot tournaments. Also, brick and mortar casinos don’t hold as many buy-in slot tournaments, but they are, however, occasionally available.
Mostly, it is only frequent players that are invited to participate in land-based slot tournaments.
To enter slot machine tournaments at brick and mortar casinos, players sign up at the venue itself. In some cases, you’d be able to sign up online as well. There some things to be mindful of as well:
- There is a limited number of slot machines available in land-based slot tournaments
- Every player gets a machine number and their assigned play time
- In order to participate, you can’t be late; you need to be in front of your assigned machine on time
- When your tournament session is finished, an official usually confirms your score
The most popular land-based tournaments to find are slot machine tournaments Las Vegas that never fail to treat the players to an awe-inspiring and glamour-induced gambling event.
Slot Tournament Rules and Terminology
Entering a slot machine tournament always comes with a series of questions like, Are slot tournaments rigged, Is entering a slot tournament easy, Can I win a lot of money from participating in a slot tournament, How to win a slot tournament, and questions alike.
The truth is, when you are playing at reputable online casinos like those we hold at AskGamblers, all games and tournaments you choose are safe and tailored to your benefit. However, there are rules you need to learn prior to entering a slots tournament.
It’s important to note that rules vary from one tournament to another. For instance, some tournaments prohibit using features like Autoplay, while others encourage it… and similar. Still, these are mere specifics that sidetrack from some general slot tournament rules, like –
- All players are granted the same number of credits at the start of the tournament
- Everyone in the tournament is competing on the same slot machine or title
- Every competition has a specific time frame
- The winner is the player who has generated the highest number of credits unless specified otherwise by the casino
- The first few players to finish in the top places share the prizepool
Depending on the tournament, there may be consolation prizes for the players with the lowest total of credits. Further, the casino organising the tournament collects a cut from the prizepool. This is why it’s best to analyse the tournament’s structure carefully before entering it, just to make sure it’s worth paying the entry fee.
Another factor to consider is the number of participants. The number of participants in a slot tournament factors in two ways; first, it shows how many participants have contributed to the accumulation of the pools, and second – it affects a player’s chances of coming in first.
What also needs to be factored in is the length and number of rounds of the tournament. While shorter rounds offer greater excitement and are generally much more dynamic, longer rounds are there for bigger swings, more anticipation and therefore prolonged gambling pleasure.
If, after reading all of the above, you are still wondering how to win a slot tournament, the following answer may be a true bull’s eye – by reading the tournament’s rules and conditions, explained in the “terms & conditions” section of the event.
The rules of getting points is the next important thing to check out. Are they win based or bet based? To win the tournament, you must know how to win points; the points are your ticket to a status on leaderboard.
Slot tournament terminology to remember:
- Betting Based Points: By placing a bet, you gain points regardless of winning the slot or not. If you place a hefty bet, you can lose every spin you make, but you’ll still get enough points to climb in the scoreboard
- Winning Based Points: By winning the slots you play, you gain points. Different points are collected with each winning combination, and the more you win, the higher your place gets on the scoreboard
Upon mastering basic slot tournament rules and terminology, participating in a tournament gets easier every new time.
Types of Slot Tournaments
Tournament enthusiasts or those leaning towards becoming them should know there are a few types of slot tournaments to look out for. They differ in terms, mechanics, and/or the maximum number of participating players. Even so, despite their differences, the end-goal of every slot tournament remains the same: to climb up the leaderboard.
Here are the tournament types to remember:
Freeroll Slot Tournaments
Evocative of its name, a freeroll tournament is free of charge, meaning – you are allowed to participate in a tournament without buying yourself in.
Usually, a casino/betting site makes a specific slot a freeroll game on which the match is centred, making it the only game applicable for the freeroll tourney.
Feeder Slot Tournaments
A feeder tournament is similar to any “regular” slot tournament. To participate, a player is required to purchase their buy-in, collect points, and rank high. However, in a feeder, instead of a cash prizepool, players are getting a free entry to a slot tournament with big payouts awaiting.
Sit-and-Go Slot Tournaments
If you enjoy having just a few participants around, you go for a sit-and-go tournament. This tournament typically has no more than six players per match; the prizepool is lower than usual and does not follow a fixed start time. When all players gather, that’s when the tournament starts.
Survival Slot Tournaments
This type of tournament could be the most thrilling spinning competition. Typically, a survival slot tournament only has three rounds that run for no more than a few minutes. With every new round, the number of participants gets trimmed down based on the ranking. The players who make it to the final winning cut receive rewards.
How to Win a Slot Tournament: Strategy and Tips
Although slot tournaments are super easy, there still is a slot tournament strategy here, and there you can learn.
Naturally, no slot tournament strategy will ever guarantee a win, so stop browsing those Ferraris right this second and focus on the stuff you can acquire to improve the overall winning chances and make your gameplay more successful.
Here’s what to do:
- Spin over and over again in order to play the most rounds. The more rounds there are within a short period, the higher your chances of winning
- Spin The Maximum / highest Bet. Place the maximum bet on all rounds to ensure proper utilisation of the available credits. This should increase your chances of bigger wins. The higher the gain, the higher you will rank; with that come better chances of getting the highest payout
- Play On All Paylines. To increase your potential wins (in case a winning combination is created on any of them), activate all the pay lines before placing a bet. After all, you don’t want to end up with a win on an inactive payline, do you? Instead, play with the most pay lines possible
- Ignore small wins. It is in human nature to get excited even by small wins, but give your best not to. Ignore small wins on the way to avoid losing concentration and wait for big wins to come
A Few Last Words
With all the information you have on slot tournaments, we hope your gameplay will be better as ever! Remember, play smart, stay composed, have a strategy in place and show them what you are made of.
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