Slots Tournaments

How Does It Work?

Playing slots is traditionally a one-person game – just you versus the machine. How then would a casino turn that into a tournament? The answer is: money. The person who wins the most money in any round of play advances to the next round.

Here's how it generally works, but bear in mind that there can be small differences at each online casino. First, you buy in – in some cases for as low as $5, but some tournaments can go up to $500. The casino will then give you a stack of play money, and assigns you to a tournament group. The play money isn't real, it's specifically for playing the tournament you've entered.

When the round begins, you start playing the slot machine the casino has designated for this tournament – often it's a new game they're promoting. The time period you play for can be anything from a short 20 minutes to a couple of days, depending on which site is running the game. There'll be a prominent leader board on display so that you can see how well you're doing relative to everyone else.

At the end of the time period, the two players who made the most money get to advance to the next round of play, while the rest are eliminated. The process begins again, and you'll find that there are 3-6 rounds in each slots tournament.

Eventually it will come down to a single group, and most often the top three players will earn prize money.

Strategies for Playing Online Slots Tournaments

Bet the maximum and go for broke – in a tournament you're not playing with real money so you risk nothing. Remember you're trying to earn the maximum cash before the round ends. In tournaments with short periods, speed is a big factor. Hover your mouse and click the SPIN button the moment a round ends.

Since the focus is on ending the round with the most money, and since you can quit playing at any time, it's a good idea to keep your eye on the leaderboard, and to stop playing once you're far out in front. It's better to quit while you're ahead than risk going bust chasing an even bigger number.