What better way to learn not to gamble then by playing this game? The game play, the sounds, and buzzes as you hit a rare card directly reflects a real slot machine, and even though it provides better chances of winning than a normal slot machine, this game is quick to teach you that 99.99% of gamblers lose all their money in the end. Now these types of games, my friends, is what Neopets is about. The educational value that a person can derive from such games is amazing. I for one, have learned that slot machines are evvvvvvvvil! Apart from the previous rant, I often find myself playing this game, not to gain money, but to gain the trophy! So a word of caution for anybody who does attempt to play this game, do not play it if you are looking to make a quick buck. You could spend an hour making just 1,000 neopoints overall when it could take 3 minutes to make that much in a different Neopets game.
How to Win
Before any emphasis is placed on how to play, one of the most confusing aspects of this game is how to win. Sure, the instructions may say line up a few cards, but it goes deeper than that. Take for instance this card.
As you can very well see, the above card is an J, Q, K and A. Any card which has J, Q, K or A is considered ‘Royal Cards’. Because of the rarity of such cards, all you need to make a minimum return is to line up two of these cards. Also included in the ‘Royal Cards’ list is the much coveted golden dubloon coin, but more about this coin later.
Any other card which isn’t considered a Royal, requires three in a row to earn minimum points. Whether you do win a pot of neopoints will always depend on your first row i.e. the row furthest left. Even if you do match up four of the same cards in a row, if the first card isn’t the same as the other cards, the machine counts your lining up as null and void.
For example, we’ll use a ‘Royal Card’ to demonstrate. Keep in mind that all you need to make a minimum win with a ‘Royal Card’ is two in a row.
Win!
No Win. Reason is because the left most card is not the same as the cards that immediately follow it.
No Win. The cards must be next to each other, beginning with the card furthest on the left.
It should be noted that in the reel, there will usually be a pyramids card. These cards are called ‘Wild Cards’ and can match with any type of other card. The game will automatically match it up for you. Having these cards in the furthest left reel (on the top and on the bottom) is advantageous, as it opens up many avenues for multiple combination wins.
Shown here is a no-win situation. There are no two pairs of royals next to each other and there are no groups of three ‘non-royals’ next to each other.
To increase your chances of winning, the game gives you the option of selecting up to 7 possible lines. These lines make it possible to line up your cards diagonally, horizontally in all three rows, and even sided Z shapes. If you are trying to go for the trophy, it is definitely recommended that the number of lines be set to 7.
Shown above are the lines which are available if the 7-lines option is selected. Selecting this option increases your chances of winning.
This is example of a win with the 7-lines option selected. Notice the irregular line shape which makes it possible to match up cards not in the same line.
How Should You Play?
How you play this game can be divided into two categories. The first one is “I-play-for-the-neopoints” and the second category being “I-play-for-the-trophy”. If you decide to play for neopoints, I advise don’t! It is a very risky game if you don’t play properly. With that said, playing for neopoints is a delicate balancing trick. Question yourself if you need 7 lines? and Then question how much you should bet. Practically, if you want neopoints, you would go max bet (7 lines, 25 neopoints stake = 175 bet). I’d advise however that the number of lines you enable be set to 5. This is because the minimum gains you make from playing this will be smaller than 175, and ultimately you will need a neopoint base to continue making bets. Don’t be careful and you’ll watch your neopoints slowly dribble down the drain. A 5 line bet with 25 neopoints stake will equal 125 neopoints. Granted it’s not a big difference to 7 lines, but the difference will add up, especially after you play for a long time.
If you want a table of what you can gain with each spin, Click Here.
If you decide to play for the trophy, you’re best chances are going for the Jack Pot. Set your lines to 7 and the np stake at 1. Therefore each time you spin, you’ll be placing 7 neopoints on the table. Returns will be small, but that’s not what you’re after. You want the trophy after all and the only way to get the trophy, is to get the Jackpot. 7 lines option is recommended, because the odds of getting a golden coin appearing on the reels are minute, so you’ll need as much increased chances of winning as possible.
Another method, which is more recommended should you try for the trophy, is wait for the first of the next month, when the high score tables are reset. The chances of hitting a Jackpot is very, very small, so you’d be better off waiting until everyone’s score is reset to 0, and going for a high point-return combination on the reel. Set your lines to 7 and your stake to 25 neopoints. Each time you spin will cost you 175 neopoints but if you line up a combination, i.e. 5 of the same cards + other combinations in the same spin, you could get a return of 20,000+ neopoints and at the beginning of the month when no one has won the jackpot, this can potentially give you the trophy!
To see a table listing of all possible points you can get, Click Here.
Either way, if you want the trophy or more neopoints, be prepared for a long haul, or precise timing 🙂 Good luck and happy neopetting! – Shoyru_Lover
How do you submit scores?