Top five Konami slot games. Players looking to try out some of Konami’s hottest offerings can keep an eye out for the following games. 1 Dragon’s Law Twin Fever: A fun, Chinese dragon-themed slot machine, featuring five reels and 30 paylines.
The machine starts in the initial state, goes through a sequence of steps, and halts when it encounters the halt state. This machine is considered by some to be the origin of the stored-program computer —used by John von Neumann (1946) for the 'Electronic Computing Instrument' that now bears the von Neumann architecture name. My job for the past many years has involved writing the software that runs casino slot machines and their back end systems (player's club software and most recently server based gaming systems). I have experience not just with the software, but also with the on-site operations of multiple casinos - as I've had to go on-site to fix issues at times.
Learning gambling tips is a great way to improve your odds of winning. These tips help you make the right bets and decisions so that you can win more money.
However, you can’t take every piece of advice at face value. Some of these so-called “tips” are awful advice in disguise that will quickly drain your bankroll.
You should always make an effort to learn gambling strategy in order to win. But you should also avoid the following nine pieces of terrible advice so that you don’t damage your bankroll.
1 – Slot and Video Poker Machines Pay in Cycles (Don’t Let Anybody Take Your Jackpot)
Video poker and slot machines both offer a variety of payouts, ranging from small prizes to
big jackpots. Each of these payouts is programmed with specific odds of occurring.
Small slots prizes and lower-ranked video poker hands have the best odds of coming up. Meanwhile, slots jackpots and royal flushes have the longest odds.
It’s not difficult to understand that you have a better chance of winning smaller prizes than big ones. But how these payouts are determined can get confusing.
Unknowledgeable players commonly subscribe to the idea that slots and video poker deliver prizes on a cycle. Here’s an example of how this logic works:
- The average video poker variation pays a royal flush on approximately 1 in 40,000 hands.
- Those who believe in payout cycles think that the royal flush will be paid after exactly 40,000 hands.
- The same gamblers advise that you continue playing the same machine so that nobody can “steal” your jackpot.
The advice that somebody can steal your jackpot seems logical. But the problem is that there’s no such thing as payout cycles in video poker or slots.
The odds of each payout being delivered are merely long-term averages. However, these odds are by no means cyclical.
You might earn a royal flush after playing just a single hand, or you may be waiting for 200,000 hands before getting one.
Continuing to play a game just because you think that a jackpot is right around the corner is a terrible idea. Your odds of winning any prize are the same on your current round as they are in the next.
Don’t extend your bankroll any further than you feel comfortable with because you think that a payout cycle is coming to an end.
2 – You Can Win a Lot of Money with Systems
Gambling systems see you bet in a specific pattern in hopes of making more profits. You can find a wide range of systems, including classics like the Martingale to advanced strategies that involve complicated math.
The basis of gambling systems is that you can manipulate your chances of winning by betting a certain way. For example, the Martingale calls on you to double your bets after every loss.
Here’s an example on how the Martingale works:
- $10 bet loses ($10 in total losses).
- $20 bet loses ($30 in total losses).
- $40 bet loses ($70 in total losses).
- $80 bet loses ($150 in total losses).
- $160 bet loses ($310 in total losses).
- $320 bet wins ($10 in total winnings).
In theory, the Martingale will always see you win back your losses plus a small profit. But there are multiple factors that will ensure you eventually fail with this system and similar strategies.
Casinos have table limits in place to prevent you from continually doubling your wager after losses. Once you hit the max bet, you have to accept your previous losses since you can no longer double your next wager.
Even if there weren’t table limits in place, you’d eventually have such a bad losing streak that you’d lose your entire bankroll trying to double bets.
The Martingale and other strategies, like the Fibonacci, Labouchère, and Paroli, all have their limitations. No betting system has ever been devised that circumvents the house edge.
Instead, these strategies merely allow you to capitalize on hot streaks (e.g. Paroli) or win money back from losing streaks (e.g. Martingale). Betting systems are also extremely volatile, though, and can see you lose your bankroll rather quickly.
The only systems that truly work are those used in daily fantasy sports (DFS), sports betting, and esports betting. These are all skill-based games that can be beaten with the right strategy.
A sports betting system involves a combination of variables that may indicate a profitable trend. Here’s an example:
Slot Machines For Sale
- You’re betting on the MLB.
- You find that underdogs often cover the run line under the following variables:
- Swept in three-game road trip.
- Playing first game of a home series.
- Starting pitcher has a 2.50 ERA or better.
You would then find any game that fits this criteria and bet on it to take advantage of the trend. Again, though, sports betting is a skill-based game that can be beaten over time.
House-banked casino games, on the other hand, feature a house advantage. Therefore, you can’t expect to consistently beat these games with a system.
3 – Place Bigger/More Bets to Earn Extra Comps
Earning rewards on your play is definitely a highlight of gambling. It’s especially fun to collect land-based casino comps like free meals, drinks, hotel stays, cash back, and free play.
But some players overvalue slots comps and place bigger bets and/or extend their sessions just to earn more rewards.
It’s perfectly fine to continue playing if you feel like it and have the bankroll. However, you should never extend your session just to collect more comps.
The biggest thing to understand here is that casinos don’t comp you at a very high rate. As a low stakes gambler, you’ll usually only be comped on 0.1% of your wagers.
Here’s an example on how much you’d earn in rewards versus your theoretical losses:
- You’re playing a slot machine with a 5% house edge.
- You make $3,000 worth of wagers during your session.
- 3,000 x 0.05 = $150 in theoretical losses
- You’re comped at a 0.1% rate.
- 000 x 0.001 = $3 in rewards
- 150 losses – 3 comps = $147 difference
You can see that the amount of losses you’re taking on just to earn a few dollars’ worth of rewards isn’t worth it. The best idea is to risk what you’re comfortable with and let the comps come naturally.
4 – Keep Playing — You’re Due for a Win
One of the most-overused gambling phrases is that you’re “due for a win.” Some players dispense this line as advice, meaning that your previous losses set you up to win in the future.
This idea stems from the belief that gambling odds have to average out. If you’re in a long losing streak, it seemingly makes sense that you have to start winning in order for the odds to even out.
Here’s a scenario that illustrates this logic:
- You lose three blackjack hands in a row.
- You know that you’re supposed to win almost half of your blackjack hands (46.36% to be exact).
- You double your next bet from $25 to $50 in anticipation of this win.
The theory that you’re due for a win after losing streaks is based on the “gambler’s fallacy.” This fallacy is centered on the illusion that past outcomes can indicate feature results.
But it’s important to realize that the past has no bearing on casino game odds. Your chances of winning a blackjack hand are 46.36% no matter how many hands you’ve lost before.
It’s difficult to accept a losing streak and cut your losses. But it’s even tougher to risk your bankroll by continuing to bet big every time that you’re expecting a guaranteed win.
5 – Hedge Your Bets to Guarantee Wins
Casino games like craps and roulette allow you to bet on multiple outcomes within the same round. Doing so adds excitement since you can get more action per turn.
This is a form of hedging your bets, where you wager on different outcomes in order to mitigate your risk. But hedging wagers only works in skill-based forms of gaming like sports betting.
The reason why hedging sports bets can work is that the prospects of a certain wager can change. Here’s an example:
- The New York Jets are playing the Miami Dolphins.
- You wager on the Jets at +125.
- The Jets’ starting running back gets hurt in practice.
- You believe that the Dolphins are now offering more value.
- You hedge by wagering on the Dolphins at -135.
The same scenario doesn’t happen in house-banked casino games with fixed odds. Seeing as how the odds don’t change, hedging bets doesn’t do anything for your long-term chances of winning.
The lowest form of hedging casino game bets is wagering on two opposite outcomes. An example is if you made roulette bets on both red and black (red/black wager).
Doing this almost guarantees that you’ll win. But there are two distinct problems with hedging here:
- You only receive a 1:1 payout for wins, meaning your bets cancel each other out.
- European roulette features one zero pocket, which can cause both of your bets to lose.
It makes no sense to hedge your wagers like this because you won’t earn any profits when you win. Plus you’ll be up against a 2.70% house edge when accounting for the zero pocket.
You may be fully aware that it’s a bad idea to bet on directly opposing outcomes. But you can also use systems in either roulette or craps that involve combining multiple wagers in order to hedge.
One classic example is the Iron Cross in craps, which sees you wager on the following:
- Place bets on 5, 6, and 8 (each one pays 1:1).
- Field bet (pays 1:1 on 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11; pays either 2:1 or 3:1 on 2 or 12).
The Iron Cross seems like a great system because it covers all numbers except for 7. You’ll win 80% of your wagers with this strategy.
But the key problem is that you lose all four bets if a 7 is tossed. You’ll also lose your three place bets when anything other than 5, 6, or 8 is rolled.
The Iron Cross features a 3.87% house edge when taking everything into account. Your chances of winning are better if you simply stick with basic wagers like pass line (1.41% house edge) and don’t pass line (1.36%).
Long story short, you can’t hedge with single bets or systems to beat house-banked games.
6 – Play Skill-Based Games — They Offer Long-Term Profits
The ideal gambling scenario is to become great at a skill-based game and win long-term profits. Games like poker, DFS, sports betting, and esports betting all give you this opportunity.
Some gamblers will strongly advise you to jump into these games because they give you a realistic chance to win money. But your odds of winning are only as good as your skills.
These types of games see you compete against fellow players, rather than the house edge. The casino/gaming site only takes a small commission (a.k.a. “rake”) on each wager.
You can win a great deal of money assuming you’re better than the competition. But the problem is that the average player isn’t better than the competition.
This can lead to heavier losses than simply sticking with house-banked games like baccarat or blackjack, which can both feature a 1% house edge.
I’m certainly not saying that you should stay away from poker or sports betting if you’re up to the challenge. You do, however, need to work on improving your skills in order to win more money.
The methods of improvement all depend upon the exact game you’re playing. Here’s an example on everything you can do to become a better poker player:
- Poker books
- Strategy articles
- Twitch streams from pros
- Training videos
- Joining a training video site
- Hiring a coach
Everything comes down to what type of gambler you are. If you’re somebody who wants to get some thrills without learning intense strategy, then baccarat, craps, and slot machines are up your alley.
You may also be perfectly fine with being at a disadvantage in games like poker and DFS. But these options are even better when you’re willing to put the effort into improving your strategy knowledge.
7 – Don’t Use Player’s Club Cards on Video Poker and Slot Machines
One of the oldest casino gambling myths is that you shouldn’t use your player’s club card on video poker and slot machines. The logic is that these games are programmed to pay less when you use your card.
This is another bad piece of advice that sounds reasonable in theory. You can’t see the inner workings of a slot machine, so it makes sense that a casino could program the game to pay less.
Going further, it would be in the casino’s best interest to make sure that you win back less money when you’re getting rewards.
But the myth-buster here is that the comps you receive aren’t worth anywhere near your theoretical losses.
Here’s an example to compare your comps to potential losses:
- You’re playing a blackjack game with a 1% house edge.
- You bet $2,000 total.
- 2,000 x 0.01 = $20 in theoretical losses
- Your bets are comped at a 0.1% rate.
- 2,000 x 0.001 = $2 in rewards
- 20 / 2 = 10
- Your losses are 10x greater than the comps.
Failing to use your player’s club card on a slot or video poker machine isn’t going to crush your bankroll. However, it will rob you of the chance to earn rewards.
8 – Poker Is All About Knowing Your Opponent
Here’s a common quote that’s been uttered in poker for decades: “Poker isn’t about the cards, it’s about knowing your opponents.”
This quote stresses the importance of considering your opponents’ tendencies, rather than just looking at your cards. But it also creates the false impression that you can simply stare down an opponent, read their soul, and make crazy bluffs to win pots.
Knowing your opponents is definitely a big part of poker. However, good play involves a number of elements too – not just blindly watching other players and forgetting about in-depth strategy.
Strategy basics include understanding table position, what hands to play/fold in each spot, identifying opponents’ hand ranges, pot odds, and implied odds. You also need to learn situational play and review your own sessions after the fact to improve.
Becoming a really good poker player is a long grind that involves experience and intense study. No clever saying will ever change this.
The advice that you should know your opponents definitely holds true. But don’t let this saying convince you that poker is only about observing other players.
9 – Blackjack Is the Best Game for Beating the Casino
Certain gamblers will tell you that blackjack is always the best game for beating the casino. The reality, though, is that this is only true in some cases.
Blackjack can be one of your best options for beating the house. However, the right rules must be in place to create a low house advantage.
The most-important rule involves whether you receive a 3:2 or 6:5 payout for a natural blackjack (21 on first two cards). A 3:2 payout lowers the house edge by 1.4%.
Being able to double down on any total lowers the house advantage by 0.25% when compared to double-down restrictions (e.g. 9 through 11).
The dealer standing on a soft 17 (rather than hitting) decreases the house edge by 0.2%. You also want the option to double down after splitting because this reduces the casino’s edge by 0.17%.
The goal is to find blackjack tables that offer several favorable rules and feature a house advantage ranging from 0.5% to 1.0%. Don’t, however, sit down to any random blackjack table under the assumption that you’ll have a great chance to win.
Conclusion
The nine tips discussed here prove that you can’t believe everything you hear at the table or read online. Some pieces of gambling advice are just plain bad.
The thought that gambling systems work over the long run is one of the worst tips to fall for. Gambling systems don’t overcome the house edge, and they can lead to heavy losses when your luck turns sour.
You also want to avoid any notion that you’re due for a win. Past losses never indicate future winnings, so don’t raise your bets just because you’ve lost several rounds in a row.
It’s always fun to receive comps from casinos. But don’t play longer just to receive more rewards because the house still has an edge with comps factored in.
Another horrible tip involves playing the same slot or video poker machine under the thought that these games have payout cycles. Holding onto this notion can cause you to play longer and drain your bankroll.
In summary, you always want to keep an open mind whenever you hear gambling advice. Some tips are of course good and worth implementing into your strategy. But others increase your potential risk and can lead to much bigger losses.
Konami’s position as a creator of innovative, visually impressive slot machines and casino games comes after a long, varied history in technology and entertainment. Starting from its simple roots, this Japanese company grew into a multimedia powerhouse with gaming divisions throughout Asia and North America.
Staying true to its slogan of “Born from Fun,” Konami develops and distributes both original creations and games based off of its popular video game licenses.
With a growing online presence and a steadily increasing list of unique slot machine features, Konami is prepared to stay competitive in the modern gaming environment.
Free to play Konami slot machines
Top five Konami slot games
Players looking to try out some of Konami’s hottest offerings can keep an eye out for the following games.
No. 1 Dragon’s Law Twin Fever: A fun, Chinese dragon-themed slot machine, featuring fivereels and 30 paylines. This game includes basic action-stacked symbols as well as a free spin bonus round. The titular twin dragons are at the heart of the game. One or two lucky dragons can arrive after any spin to drop additional wild spaces onto the reel for some surprise wins.
No. 2 Solstice Celebration: A cute, wonderfully designed slot game has a theme around the beauty of spring in an enchanted meadow. The five-reel machine features 30 paylines and uses an enhanced version of the action-stacked symbols as a bonus. Called the Sparkle feature, all action-stacked symbols are lined with a bright border. Filling two reels with a full stack of sparkle-lined symbols nudges other partial stacks to fill their reel. It also has the potential to trigger a free spin bonus round.
No. 3 Chili Chili Fire: A five-reel 30 paylines slot has a general Mexican theme. Including action-stacked symbols and the chance to win free games, this machine also uses the Fade Away feature. After any spin, low-paying card symbols have the opportunity to fade away. The newly empty spaces then fill with random higher paying picture symbols, with a chance to turn a disappointing spin into something special.
No. 4 Lion Festival: Boosted Celebration – Inspired by Chinese New Year celebrations, this five-reel slot machine offers players a mix of neat features including a boosted middle reel that has double the symbols to make forming a winning combination that much easier. It includes action-stacked symbols and a free spin bonus round, but the bonus round includes the twist of the Balance of Fortune system. After winning free spins, players can stick with their standard 2x multiplied free spins, or they can trade stacks of five free spins for a “super-free spin” with a much higher multiplier.
No. 5 Castlevania: Labyrinth of Love – Konami has multiple Castlevania themed slots, inspired by its video game franchise of the same name. This five-reel machine includes an expanded free spin mode along with a progressive jackpot tied to the Castlevania game board. Players who trigger the minigame get to pick from different sets of potential moves to try and reach the castle. At that point, the game switches to a flashy battle minigame, where players get to spin a set of reels to try and land on attack symbols that kill enemies while hoping that they avoid the damage symbols that close off the reel. Making it past the bosses can reward the player with one of the four progressive jackpots. Sadly, Castlevania machines are generally not available on a mobile device.
Konami mobile slots
While some of Konami’s more advanced machines are sadly still stuck in physical casinos, it has developed mobile versions of many of their classic slots. Players with a mobile device should be able to find free versions of Konami’s online slots available in participating casino apps. Anyone lucky enough to live where real money online slots are legal will also find real mobile versions available.
For unlucky players, Konami does offer a nice middle ground. The My Konami Slots app is available for iOS and Android devices. This app offers several popular slots for free play. Players can collect free chips throughout the day, and the app includes a daily free bonus spin that can award credits. While packages of chips are available for purchase, patient players can stick with the Konami free casino slot games.
The Konami slots app includes linked progressive jackpots and slot tournaments for players looking for high-stakes play. Konami goes back to its video game roots by also offering daily challenges and quests, which reward players for hitting set goals or betting certain amounts. The real hook is that players can win loyalty points that they can spend on prizes and comps at real casinos, similar to Chumba Casino. Players can earn room discounts, credit toward food, tickets to great shows or just themed merchandise. It’s a great way for players to have a little fun between trips.
The rise of Konami
Konami began as a jukebox rental and repair company in 1969 based out of Osaka, Japan. The name comes from the first letters of its three original officers, Kagemasa Kozuki, YoshinobuNakama and TatsuoMiyasako. The company’s founder, Kozuki, still sits on the executive board. Konami moved away from its original jukebox focus fairly quickly, transitioning to manufacturing arcade cabinets in 1973 to take advantage of the growing video game market.
Konami would go on to produce its important additions to arcade gaming by developing hits such as the massively popular Frogger in 1981, along with gamer favorites such as Scramble and Super Cobra. The company was able to adapt to the rapidly changing video game market throughout the ’80s and early ’90s, providing titles for the Atari 2600 and the original Nintendo console. Konami adapted and evolved its popular Scramble arcade game into the fan-favorite Gradius for the NES, and also developed popular franchises such as the Castlevania and Metal Gear series.
The video game division continued to grow through the ’90s and 2000s with steady sequels and developments even as the company branched out into the gambling industry. Always looking to maintain synergy between their divisions, many of these great video game properties would be adapted into themed slot machines.
Konami’s casino gaming division began with its entry into the Japanese pachinko machine market in September 1992. After several years, the company opened Konami Australia in late 1996. In 1997, this subsidiary would oversee the rollout of Konami’s expansion into the Australian gaming market and later the general Asian market.
Konami expanded into the American casino gaming market in January 2000. The move into the American market was cemented with the construction of a manufacturing and development office in Las Vegas in 2005. The 360,000-square-foot facility served as its base of operations for expansions through North America, South America and Europe. Building on the success, Konomi opened a second facility in Las Vegas in 2015.
Konami’s unique features
While Konami is known for its striking visual design, the company has introduced some software innovations to offer exciting updates to the classic slot machine design. Its development takes full advantage of the ability to modify digital reels before the game or switch symbols after a spin. As a rule of thumb, Konami has focused on enhancing standard slot machine play rather than focusing on adding separate bonus rounds. Konami’s unique twists on the slot machine formula give players a chance to see ordinary spins suddenly change into rich jackpots.
The action-stacked symbols feature
Players of Konami slots are almost guaranteed encounter its action-stacked symbols system. This feature creates sections across all the reels in a game that pick one single symbol to stack for that spin. With a little luck, players will see these sets of stacked symbols fill up their paylines for big wins.
Also, many games have separate bonus features that tie into the action-stacked symbols feature. For example, players may see the reels get nudged into higher payouts with the right set of lucky frames.
Other variations on standard play include dynamic reels that can morph after a spin. In certain games, players may see new wild symbols appear to fill out lines, or they may see low-value spaces disappear to make room for big winners.
The Balance of Fortune features
That’s not to say that Konami has ignored its bonus games, even if it sticks to traditional free spins and multipliers. When going through Konami’s catalog, players will find innovations such as the Balance of Fortune system. This offers winners a choice in how their bonus game plays out, usually based around a more certain smaller payout versus a riskier shot at a big return.
The Mirror Reels bonus feature
The addition of special Mirror reels in bonus rounds also adds a fun change of pace to free spins. Mirror reels are what they sound like, with the two leftmost and rightmost reels mirroring one another, making it easier than ever to get a straight line of five symbols.
Similarly, while many of Konami’s games feature bonus games and special features instead of traditional jackpots, some entries feature progressive jackpot systems.
Konami’s progressive jackpot games
Games such as Pirate’s Jackpot and Pharoah’s Wish include stand-alone progressive jackpots. Konami also has machines with community-linked progressive jackpots.
For example, Beat the Field offers players — in a bank of linked machines — each a chance at different progressive jackpots when one player in the bank triggers the special round. Eligible players can win set bonuses or a progressive jackpot based on the results of a simulated horse race.
Machines, such as the new Power Boost Inferno, offer a supreme progressive jackpot that can potentially be linked across multiple participating casinos.
Konami’s recent innovations have also shifted toward more noticeable changes to gameplay. In 2016, the company unveiled the Crystal Cyclone. This upgrade adds a social element to Konami’s older physical machines. The system places a roulette wheel in the center of several linked Konami slot machines.
When triggered, players on the linked machines get to watch bonus balls fall onto the spinning wheel in the center with credits and bonuses applied based on where the balls land.
Finally, Konami’s development comes full circle with the recent development of a partially skill-based Frogger game that provides increased payouts to players who can get their frog farther up the randomly generated arcade game.