Slots Tournaments
It's fair to say that gambling has risen in the public conscious over the last decade – the current popularity of televised Poker is a prime example of this. But good casinos realised that it wasn't simply the game of Poker that people found so exciting, but also the winner-takes-all tournament scenario.
So they began to apply this aspect to many of the other classic casino games on offer, which proved extremely popular amongst players. An online casino's angle when running a tournament is less about profit and more about attracting players to their site.
Players love tournaments because the buy-ins are relatively low, so you know exactly how much it's going to cost you to play. Plus, in most cases most of the combined buy-ins become the prize pool.
Slots fans have been delighted to discover that you can now play in online slots tournaments, just as you can for Poker or Blackjack.
Current Slots Tournaments
| Tournament | Starts | Ends | Prize Pool | Entry | USA | Casino | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slotsmania Any slot machine | Open 1 | 6h 1m 21716 | €225 | €0* |  | Betsson Casino | review |
| Radical Reels Any slot machine | Open 1 | 6h 2m 21776 | $175 | $0* | | Tower Casino | review |
| $250 Daily Freeroll Slot game, varies | Open 1 | 7h 2m 25376 | $250 | Free | | 32 Red Casino | review |
| Play for the Pot Slot game, varies | Open 1 | 13h 1m 46916 | $1500+ Pot* | $2 |  | Slots Galore | review |
| Daily Free Slots Slot game, varies | Open 1 | 13h 1m 46916 | $20 bonus | Free | | English Harbour | review |
| Friday $1000 Slot game, varies | Open 1 | 16h 17m 58676 | $1,000 | Free | | All Slots Casino | review |
| Weekly Slot Tournament Slot game, varies | Open 1 | 1d 13h 133316 | $250 | $10 | | InterCasino | review |
| The Slot-tery Slot game, varies | Open 1 | 3d 1h 262976 | $10,000+ pot* | $3 | | Slots Galore | review |
| $50k Weekend Madness Slot game, varies | Open 1 | 3d 9h 291776 | $50,000 | $12.99 | | Go Casino | review |
| Rags to Riches Freeroll 20 Line Rags to Riches Slot | Open 1 | 8d 13h 738116 | $1025 | Free | | VIP Casino | review |
| $100k Thanksgiving Feast Wheel of Chance slot | Open 1 | 23d 13h 2034236 | $100,000 | $10 | | Slots Galore | review |
| King of Slots Slot game, varies | 16h 2m 57776 | 3d 16h 316976 | $1,000 | Free | | All Slots Casino | review |
| $750 Bonus Bucks Slot game, varies | 2d 8h 201776 | 2d 15h 226976 | $750 | $0.50 | | Online Vegas Casino | review |
| $5k Guaranteed Slot game, varies | 2d 8h 201776 | 3d 8h 288176 | $5000 | $5 | | Online Vegas Casino | review |
| Frugal Friday $1500 Slot game, varies | 5d 22h 511376 | 6d 8h 550076 | $1500 | $1.99 | | Go Casino | review |
| $150k Countdown to Thanksgiving Freeroll Wheel of Chance slot | 6d 2m 518576 | 19d 11h 1681376 | $150,000 | Free | | Go Casino | review |
| Black Friday $3500 Holiday Feast Slot | 19d 14h 1692176 | 20d 4h 1742576 | $3500 | $1.99 | | Go Casino | review |
How Does It Work?
Playing slots is traditionally a one-person game – just you versus the machine. How then would a casino turn that into a tournament?The answer is: money. The person who wins the most money in any round of play advances to the next round.
Here's how it generally works, but bear in mind that there can be small differences at each online casino. First, you buy in – in some cases for as low as $5, but some tournaments can go up to $500.
The casino will then give you a stack of play money, and assigns you to a tournament group. The play money isn't real, it's specifically for playing the tournament you've entered.
When the round begins, you start playing the slot machine the online casino has designated for this tournament – often it's a new game they're promoting. The time period you play for can be anything from a short 20 minutes to a couple of days, depending on which site is running the game. There'll be a prominent leader board on display so that you can see how well you're doing relative to everyone else.
At the end of the time period, the two players who made the most money get to advance to the next round of play, while the rest are eliminated. The process begins again, and you'll find that there are 3-6 rounds in each slots tournament.
Eventually it will come down to a single group, and most often the top three players will earn prize money.
Strategies for Playing Online Slots Tournaments
Bet the maximum and go for broke – in a tournament you're not playing with real money so you risk nothing. Remember you're trying to earn the maximum cash before the round ends.In tournaments with short periods, speed is a big factor. Hover your mouse and click the SPIN button the moment a round ends.
Since the focus is on ending the round with the most money, and since you can quit playing at any time, it's a good idea to keep your eye on the leaderboard, and to stop playing once you're far out in front. It's better to quit while you're ahead than risk going bust chasing an even bigger number.
