How best to play penny slots

Ok.....I'm kind of "cheap" with the slots. Would rather throw the dice or play VP. That being said, the wife enjoys the $.01 slots and I play along during the daytime with her.
I have read (somewhere) it is best to play ALL lines and then play 1,2,3, or whatever credits. So, if I'm playing a max 45 line machine at 2 credits it's costing me $.90 a spin.
Makes sense to me to play "max" lines.....Comments?

Depends on the pay tables. Almost all penny slots award a higher ratio jackpot when you play max coin vs 1 penny per line. If you are looking to maximize your payback then you must play max coin on these.

Of course, you're likely burn through your bankroll faster.

I play a lot of "penny" slots. Most don't have a paytable that increases other than by a direct multiplier. So, if you bet 1 per line, you get the base payout, 2 per line is 2x payout, and so on. So, I play max lines and 2 or 3 coins per line depending on the game. If it's a game w/ a lot of bonuses and wilds I like the higher multiplier for big, fun payouts but it depends on my bankroll at the time. However, some machines with progressives require max bet which can be $4/spin or more depending on the game. If you can handle getting a jackpot spin but winning less that the top progressive then it's no big deal to play less than max.Some can't handle that and won't play if they can't afford to play max bet. Also, there are some that have "bonus bets" where it costs extra coinage to access all the available bonuses. I treat these like straight multiplier machines where I pick all lines+bonus bet and then 1,2, or 3x multiplier depending on bankroll for session.I know it makes no sense, that the RNG probably doesn't care what level I bet, but I DO notice that I seem to get more bonuses w/lower bet multiplier. Maybe it's because I can play longer and, therefore, see more bonuses for the session.

Always activate all the play lines on a penny machine. It's so frustrating seeing the person next to you not doing that and seeing all of the wins they would have had if they were playing all the lines. That being said, I have always found that the lucky machine is the one that I just left or the one that belongs to the person next to me!

Larry from Las Vegas, NV

Play all the lines and at least 1 credit per line. Some games like quick hits, require max bet to win the progressives. Sometimes max bet is 5 coins per line or $1.50 (30 lines x 5 credits per line).

You have the right idea-- I like to win on 3 or 4 coins and lose on 1 or 2 coins but yes- play all lines..
Bonus rounds rock.
I get up and move around after a decent bonus round/ move to another machine.

but do not be fooled- new machines have often up to 100 LINES! so it's a $1.00 a pop w/ one coin.


Airplane
Invaders from the Planet Moolah
Zesus
Rockin' olives
Hitchcock
Goldfish
Alice in Wonderland
Penguin Pays

all are so cute

Slowly while drinking heavily.

lots of good advice above. The payback and machine percentages are based on all lines activated, so by all means try to do that. Many of the new machine make it possible to win little progressives that are offered as long as you are covering all the lines, even if you are only betting one per line. As mentioned, many are 100 lines, money goes fast. Vpwannabe said it right. for those machines that offer additional bonus for say an extra .15 bet, it's best to do it, really adds to the bonuses and fun of the games. Good luck!

JM, have you played the "Hangover" yet? So much fun! Especially if you've seen the movie it will be even more fun to play. But IMHO I think it's best to play max credits. Be careful though - I found some penny "Hangover"s have a max play of $3 (Orleans) and another at $6 (Planet Hollywood). But it's a super fun slot to play

Yes I have!
Too much fun...that Hangover.
Won 3 days in a row at Rio (of all places) and have tanked here in AC at Bally's
It's $6.00 here on the East Coast