What are your favorite 9-line 3-reel slots?

JD

My local casino doesn't have many 1 or 5-line slots at small denominations. They do have many 9-line 3-reel slots though. Curious about which ones are your favorite for low volatility.

McE

I really like the Black Diamond/Crystal Star slots and your casino will most likely have them. They've been at every casino I've been to.
There's also the triple jackpot gems and it's clones, and mega diamond and it's clones. Cowboy slots has a vid on the mega diamond one.

JD

McE Thanks McE! There is one Black Dimond, a few Double Black Diamonds, and several Crystal Star machines at 25 cents. I'll have to check out the Triple Jackpot Gems, Mega Diamonds, and clones. I go with my dad and he seems to get super lucky and win and I haven't had any substantial wins yet. Would bringing $100 for $2.25 bets at 9 lines be too little to start with?

Kevin B

JD With a $100 bankroll I would really suggest sticking to the $100 buildup method as closely as possible. You state your casino doesn't have many 1 or 5 line low denom low volatility slots but that may mean they do have some. If they do they are worth seeking out and even waiting for. But if the 9 lines mentioned are the best available then it seems you have no other option. Bets of $2 or more with $100 bankroll is taking on a bit more risk of losing your bankroll quickly then if you had a more appropriate sized bankroll for this size bet. You're going to need to get some "action" out of those limited spins to sustain or grow your bankroll before your bankroll is depleted. It's entirely possible but a larger bankroll or playing at a lower wager will give you more chance to ride out any lows between wins. But you could hit a jackpot in your first few spins.....possible, but not probable.

McE

Maybe not an all day session but I think you could possibly get a good amount of play even with just $100, those slots return a lot of bets.
You can also look for some single line $1 machines and just play 1 credit instead of max to stretch the budget.

JD

Kevin B McE
I was delayed in my excursion but came back and wrote stuff out. I have things somewhat organized by how many lines and then others by denomination.

1 line
Double top dollar $1 $5, $10 $25
Double gold $5, $10 $25
Pinball $1 $5, $10 $25
Double Pinball $1 $5, $10 $25
Pink diamond $5, $10 $25
Double diamond 3x4x5x $5 2 credit max bet
Top Dollar $1 $5, $10 $25

5 lines
5x3x2 strike $1, $2 $5
Double gold $1, $2 $5
Pink diamond $1, $2 $5

9 lines
Super jackpot wild Gems
Triple jackpot jets and double jackpot gems $1
Wild Gems extra spin $1
3x Wild diamonds $1
Double gold pinball $1
Double black diamond $0.25
black diamond deluxe $0.25
easy riches $0.25
crystal star $0.25
double nudge $0.25
Blazing 7 triple double jackpot wild $0.25
Blazing 7's 2x3x5x $0.25, $0.50, $1, $2

Penny
Wicked wheel
Regal riches
Queenie
Panda wheel
Mayan chief boasted great stacks
Hot stuff wicked wheel fire
Red hot tamales
Double chili mania respin

Other
Quick hit 10cent
Dollar action $1 10 lines
Eagle bucks $0.25, $1 10 lines

Machines My Dad Did Well On (He encourages me to play these)
Cash Express Luxury Line Buffalo $0.01 cent
Big Fu Cash Bats dragon $0.01, $0.02, and $0.05 cent

My overall thoughts: A lot of penny machines, many I didn't write down but it seems that's the demographic they are targeting to get people into the casino or keep them playing. In terms of the 1 line machines they don't have many. The $1 Pinball or Top Dollar could be something I could see myself playing if I can make a 2 or 3-credit bet with a $200 bankroll. The five line machines unfortunately I would have to work my way up to I would think as $5 a spin is a bit steep for me at the moment. My best ones would be for the $0.25 machines of Black Diamond, Crystal Star, or maybe one of the Blazing 7 machines I have listed. In terms of penny machines, I've seen people win big on the Mayan Chief Boosted Great Stacks and a similar kind for China Shores. They also have regular Mayan Chief and China Shores I could bet 3x for $0.90 though for those it seems you want to hit the feature with more than 15 spins as that's where it gets lucrative. I'm a fan of the Wicked Wheel games as they seem to pay steadily though curious about other's thoughts on the vitality. Might Double Chili Mania Respin be worth it? Saw Cowboy play it. I played it without too much action on it.

I don't know how low the Cash Express Luxury Line Buffalo or Big Fu Cash Bats Dragon are but those might be worth a shot. My dad played last time on a wheel-type machine (see photo). His thought is to play $20 plus $20 in free play for 30 spins at $2.25 a spin to see if I win anything. He came away with $400 last weekend.

I feel like overall someone let me know that the denominations at this casino favor low rollers or high rollers. More variety in penny machines but I am not sure about the volatility. Any insights with a budget of either $100 or $200 feel free to comment as I'm curious about what thoughts/takeaways I missed.

JD

Kevin B This evening I'll go "scout out" and report back what options they have. I won't be going over until Weds or Thursday as they have free play then.

Kevin B

JD That is a ruff selection of machines. Most casinos these days are going to have mostly higher volatility penny or nickle machines. But many will have a better selection of low volatility 3 reels. It does seem like if you want to play lower volatility games there you need to have deeper pockets.

That's a lot of machines to parse through. Most I have heard of or played but it would still take a lot of research to be sure I completely understood the game rules for each. Most important in that regard is what you lose/gain for wagering a certain amount. But from just reviewing your list, the games you mentioned stuck out to me as well (i.e. Black Diamond, Crystal Star, Blazing 7 triple double jackpot wild). I would also consider playing double gold starting at just 1 line and seeing if you can't grow your bankroll. Pinball and Top dollar aren't bad options especially if you've grown your bankroll.

The best advice you can use from here is how to manage your bankroll and making sure you understand the game rules. Frankly, with the very limited low volatility options you might need to think about your entertainment factor over volatility in the long run. At some point it's likely you could simply get bored, or even demoralized, playing the same few machines. If/when that happens I don't see any issue playing something higher in volatility. Just realize lucky streaks can end quickly with these higher volatility games so my suggestion is take what you can from them and move on. In short, fight the urge to chase the next bonus when playing penny denom. With lower volatility games it is a safer assumption the next decent hit is going to come. The best analogy I can think of is the story of the tortuous and the hare. The tortuous (i.e. low volatility games) can be easier to get and keep ahead of. While you may be able to catch up to or even pass the hare (i.e. higher volatility games), it can quickly leave you in the dust with not enough bankroll to get caught back up again.

Some of the higher volatility options that stuck out to me were, Eagle bucks, Double chili mania respin and, as already mentioned, Pinball or Top Dollar. Regal riches can be in an advantageous state so you may want to take some time to research what to look for on that game and keep an eye on it when you're at the casino. You might be able to catch it in at least a somewhat favorable state.

At the end of the day it's gambling so you never know and always try to keep the focus mainly on being entertained. Every machine is a losing proposition in the long run. The main thing is to manage your bankroll to maximize the entertainment you get out of it and along with that comes an increased chance of winning something.

JD

Kevin B Thanks for the thoughtful reply Kevin! It confirmed my observations. I will try
Black Diamond, Crystal Star, Blazing 7 triple double jackpot wild, and even the 1 line Double Gold. I do think the entertainment factor is a thing too like you said. The big wheel slots like wicked wheel are very entertaining too. I'll try not to overthink it and when going to that particular casino focus on having fun while not spending a ton of money to try and win. It also seems my dad has gotten rather lucky too. He has his own superstitions like that the casino only pays out well on weekends and when it's busy.

Kevin B

JD I'd bet, and I'm a betting man, your father just says that because there's more "eye candy" at the casino on the weekends.....JUST KIDDING! Seriously though, slot are like leopards. They can't change their spots, at least without a lot of intervention and effort.

JD

Kevin B Haha you might be right! Yes, you are right that it doesn't matter much when you go. As for a brief update, went last week on Thursday. Used $40 of my own money and $20 in free play. First tried the game my dad wanted me to with the big reel thing. Had a couple of $1 wins on a $2.25 bet, but not much of note. After losing $20 of my own money and $20 in free play, I decided to be done with that. I went downstairs and on my way out decided to sit down at Black Diamond 25-cent. Decided to play $2.25 bets with my $20. Ended up building to $50 and then going down to $40 and leaving. I think I'll be sticking to the Black Diamond/Crystal Star mostly and maybe Blazing 7's and Wicked Wheel (for entertainment value).

JD

A week or so ago had a $380 win at Double Chili Mania Respin, $1.80 bet and put in $25. Won on my first spin.

Today put $50 into Black Diamond $2.25 bet 25 cent 9 line and then $50 on Double Black Diamond same bet amount without luck. That said I think the Double Chili Mania Respin win was great but the volatility I think is higher so won’t play that as frequent. My goal next week is to try putting $100 to 9 credit $2.25 bet Black Diamond and see what happens. I know not every time one wins even on a low volatility slot.

JD

Also @Kevin B are my thoughts on volatility correct or off base?

Kevin B

JD I tend to agree with that assessment but I haven;t played these games enough to base this on a lot of my own experiences. But I would personally head for black diamond before Chili Mania in most cases.