I've never been much of a slots player.
Sure, I've played them from time-to-time, but rarely for more than 10-15 minutes in a sitting. I usually slip a $10 bill into a machine and smack the button until it's gone or until I've doubled up, whichever comes first (usually the former). Frankly, I don't understand how people play the same machine hour after hour after hour, but I've seen this happen with my own eyes -- typically by older ladies at Wheel of Fortune or homely 40-somethings at Sex and the City slots.
When I acquired access to an online gaming account, my intent was to play only "strategy" games. Blackjack, Video Poker, Texas Hold'Em, maybe a little Roulette here and there ... games that required that I make at least some rudimentary decisions. I didn't think I would be too terribly interested in playing slots for more than a quick hit here and there, and for the most part, I've been right.
There has, however, been one small exception.
Over the past week or so, I've still been working on "free play". This is a bonus added to an account when you first sign up that lets you play without risking your own money. The caveat of free play is that you generally have to use the free money on games with lower payouts. The casino won't let you hammer away at $1 Blackjack for a couple days with $150 in comped dollars and I can't really blame them.
Because of the free play issue, I've used the free cash to sample a variety of online slot machines. Due to the amount of comped play available, I think it's safe to say that I've played more slots in the past two weeks online than I did in the previous 2 years in Vegas. It's not that I've suddenly rediscovered an affinity for slots, it's that I don't mind going through all of the reel games and messing around with them when I'm technically doing it on the house's dime.
During my time in slot machine free-play purgatory, I think I have finally found perhaps my favorite video slot of all time.
I would go so far as to say that it's the dopest, the chillest, the stone-cold illest -- the pimpest, the fattest, the stone cold baddest slot machine I have ever come across. The machine has a bassline that's so funky, you need a can of Right Guard just to play it. Without a doubt, this machine rocks the microphone like Al Capone:
Play Reel Gangsters at Rome Casino or any other U.S. friend site powered by TopGame
Keep in mind that I am using a tiny camera with a tiny mic in this video. In order to get your full swerve on, this game absolutely needs to be played with external speakers. If you crank it up with a 100 watt+ subwoofer, the groove is so nasty that you're gonna need a VD shot.
Fine, I've gotten carried away and grossly over-stated things, but still, for a slot machine the soundtrack is alright. It's not easy to get excited about slots, so I have to get a bit ridiculous just to make things interesting. Perhaps the beat is not all that, but it's certainly better than the lame "Wheel! ... Of! ... Fortune!" refrain we have all become accustomed to. After cycling through 20+ machines, this is the one that has spoken to me the most. Not only that, but since it's on my computer, I even recorded the audio, threw it into Garage Band, and made it into a loop. Try taking your laptop into the Bellagio casino floor and doing that.
Anyway, I just thought I would share.
Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to finally exhaust my free play and get access to the table games. I'm going to plug in my headphones, turn the sound up, and burn through the rest of my bonus cash on the machine you see above.
Damn it feels good to be a gangster.

Comments Reel Gangsters
06/10/2010 8:27pm by
EVERY online "Free Play" offer I've ever tried, and that has been a few, the requirement was there that I could not cash out until I ran the money through 3X or more times, including my original deposit.
No +EV under those terms. :(
06/10/2010 12:20am by Da Gansta
nice, but nothin' beats the sounds from the classic slots "Piggy Bankin'"
05/10/2010 12:22pm by vegasfun123
I tried an offer from one of the online casinos where you didnt have to make a deposit to get the $30 in free play. I won over $1000 on the slots and was able to cash out but only up to 300 times the free play. After fees by ewallet to deposit to my checking, I got almost $300. Took a couple of weeks but they paid me!
04/10/2010 3:31pm by FleaStiff
I understand about the "on their dime" stuff. I mean what the heck do you care if somebody else is paying.
But what sort of house edge were you playing against?
Someone recently said "I love to win" but she routinely plays Cleopatra Keno at 10.10 percent house edge.
Do these online casinos really pay off when you win?
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