10 replies to this topic

[bugalugs]

Having played machines for a fair few years - to a lesser extent nowadays I have come to one conclusion. The people that profit most from machines are either clueless souls who push blindly at the buttons and walk away with £50 from a pound or outright sharks who watch you lose all your hard earned and step in after you leave.

'Back in the days' when I was playing machines like 777th heaven and Cloud 999 it seemed I could win with a bit of skill and good judgment. OK, I still took (small) losses, but it seemed I had to rely less on pure luck to win and didn't have to look over my shoulder for the next 'non playing arcade parasite'

Have times really changed so much or is it just me? Seems all this is a product of the streak culture manufacturers have created and the amount of money you have to put in to even get decent gameplay and/or win.

[No1Stoney]

Hey,

I hate what you call 'hawks' because it pees me off to know that when I have stuck even just £3 or £4 in a machine and won nothing that the person who has walked around the arcades change box 32 times is going to take over and win my money.

It just pees me off and I try to grin and bear it, but I must say that I will watch people slightly and if I know someone has just played on a machine and won nothing, I will 'continue' play afterwards

This is the most effective way because at least you know the machine hasn't just payed but personally I HATE people who do it. Especially little 11 year old kids who 'THINK' they know what they are talking about.

Going off topic a little, but don't you just hate it when little kids come up to you and tell you that holding, cancling, holding, canceling will roll in a win..

Anyways, back on topic and releaved of my anger towards little townie fruity players.

I would say that halking is going to gain you the most cash and little skill is required because the machine already knows what it is going to pay you, before offering you the feature.. Oh and luck is also a good thing to have when p[laying of course ;-)

-No1Stoney

[Hibee]

Yep I would have to agree the only surefire way to win from fruities/puggies/bandits is to "shark" or "hover". Not that I'm advocating this technique! However, I would say that a good knowledge of the machine means that you might maximise your profits IF the machine is in a good mood to begin with.

[Pgamblin]

I dont shark or hover over a machine.

When i got into the pub/arcade the guy on the counter/till tells me whats heppening.. ususally he will tell me someone put £75 through that morning and didnt cash anything up and sure enough within a few quid i'd be £50 better off. If he says they both got raped i might put a few quid in and just take £3 wins up to a tenner..

people who do hover when im playing just make me play slower.. after all everyone has a time limit.. i mean i can make a fiver last about 30 mins if i really wanted to... it pisses these people off so much they leave...

[jayroller]

people who do hover when im playing just make me play slower.. after all everyone has a time limit.. i mean i can make a fiver last about 30 mins if i really wanted to... it pisses these people off so much they leave...

I think i might try taking my time next time some bstard is hovering either that or come off the machine and follow them round see how they like it!!

[Pgamblin]

Dont follow them as you look as bad as they do..

Just make your credits last ages and purposly take little wins so you give the impression you dont know what your doing.. then when they think "weve got a sucker here" start rolling the jackpots out as that annoys them even more...

Seriously always be looking up and down the reels even without nudges and super holds and always be playing with your mobile or taking a sip of your drink.. they will soon get bored if you give them the impression your not rushing

[bugalugs]

Yep I would have to agree the only surefire way to win from fruities/puggies/bandits is to "shark" or "hover". Not that I'm advocating this technique! However, I would say that a good knowledge of the machine means that you might maximise your profits IF the machine is in a good mood to begin with.

The problem is, the arcades don't kick these leeches out. No worries if the aracde owner points you in the right direction, i.e that machine has just paid, etc. But it really p**ses me off that these people don't even have the balls to risk their own money when playing machines. If aracde owners gave these people a harder time, at least they would force them to actually part with the £40 of pound coins they have on them when they walk in. Trouble is most of them are mates of the owners and sit in the place all day waiting for people to lose big.

[jaybee]

Sometimes when you are a high losing streak, you mind tells you to keep playing as you think that one of these machine stalkers will have your machine.
If the aint playing they should be thrown out.
There is one guy here in Scarborough, who covers in the change booth as the usual guy has a gag and just walks around watchine these machine. I don't think he has a job, he just walks around waiting for you machine! I no longer play in any arcades because of this, just the bookies and the boozer will do me!

[terry6475]

I only play fruit machines in the pubs and very occasionally in an arcade. I usually only put a few quid in and collect what i can, even if its only a pound profit. 2 or 3 pound will usually get you a board giving a 3 pound win.

So after going round the 3 or 4 machines and returning to my table with my friends, i usually find myself a fiver up 75% of the time. And ill admin, i watch other people out of the corner of my eye, seeing how many times their arm goes up to put a pound in and listening to how many pound coins hit the bottom of the tray. Most of the time they lose, and if the do ill stroll up there a while later and have another go, repeating the same method. If they have had a big loss and quit playing i will usually walk away up £5+

So by this time it comes around to being my round to buy the drink i usually have made enough profit by then to buy my drinks and have mor than what i went into the pub with. Repeat this process for every rond and around 3/4 visits to the pub are virtually free.

Does this make me a Shark or a Hover person? Does it make me a bad person? I don't think so, i think it makes me a clever person.

-Terry

[bugalugs]

Does this make me a Shark or a Hover person? Does it make me a bad person? I don't think so, i think it makes me a clever person.

-Terry

Theres a great deal of difference between having a sly look at players in a pub, at least you are in there spending money on beer or whatever.

There is a different breed of shark who will make no attempt to cover up the fact they are watching and waiting (and not attempting to even play another machine), these are the type that normally pervade in aracdes. There have been times where I have been in a position to cut my losses and walk away say £20 down but because I know I have been watched I have sunk more money in just so they don't get the satisfaction of making an easy buck. Petty or rash you might say, but why should I even be put in this position?

[khards]

I will shamefully admit that for the two seasons I worked alone in a small amusement arcade on a holiday park in cornwall I did the following.

I checked the hopper balance on the machines everyday with a refill key, so I could see how much money had been lost by punters whilst I wasnt working. I then played the machines and ALWAYS won because I knew how much had been lost (8 pound jackpots / 5p @ 76% payout).

Non hopper machines I would keep a peice of paper with numbered columbs on it so when a pound went in a tick went in the correct colum, I could then count the money paid out and crossed off the ticks to workout howmuch the machine had taken.

I could not lose, I ALWAYS won usually around £25-£50 pounds per shift * 5 shifts thats around £100 per week almost as much as my wages.

In then end after a final written warning and CCTV had been installed I had to give up playing where I worked.

It was good fun playing and getting paid for it as it is well boring giving change in an arcade