How to Win Online Slot Tournaments

N. Nazifova (editor)

Participating in slot tournaments is a great way to spark your competitive spirit and potentially walk away with a generous prize. Slot fans can now join these action-packed competitions from the comfort of their surroundings as many online casinos host them on a regular basis. Slot tournaments are fun, simple to play, and do not require any particular skills.

With that said, there are ways to improve your winning chances and catapult yourself into the lead. In what follows, we cover everything players should know about online slot tournaments, including the different formats available, the entry process, and tips to help them come on top of the leaderboard.

Basics of Online Slot Tournaments

Online slot tournaments are competitions between reel spinners based on their performance in specific slots. They enable players to socialize with their fellow combatants and test out the latest releases of the largest software suppliers in the gambling industry. Online gambling operators host such contests for three main reasons:

  • To promote and popularize slot games they have recently added to their gaming libraries
  • To engage new players and maintain the interest of existing customers
  • To attract more action and generate additional revenue
The Leaderboards
Spin Value and Qualifying Games
The Scoring
The Prizes

Types of Slot Tournaments You Can Play Online

1Overview

If you are considering competing in a slot tourney at an online casino, you should first learn to distinguish between the different tournament formats. Understanding the individual rules and peculiarities of each format will make it easier to map out a strategy. Below we cover a few of the most common slot tourney types you will come across at online casinos.

2Scheduled Tournaments

Scheduled tournaments commence and end at a predetermined time on condition the minimum number of participants required has been reached. This format is widely adopted but requires registration in advance. Scheduled tournaments can continue for several hours up to a month, depending on where you play.

3Freerolls

Freerolls, as you can probably guess by their name, do not require players to buy their way in to participate. All they have to do is sign up on time and play the qualifying slots for the specified period. There are still some requirements to satisfy, however.

Some online casinos require interested players to earn a given number of comp points before they can participate in their freerolls. Prize pools are typically smaller due to the free nature of this tournament type.

4Buy-In Tournaments

Buy-in tournaments are pretty much the opposite of freerolls as participating players are required to pay an entry fee. The host casino will then provide them with a specific number of credits to play with. The buy-in amount is proportional to the prize pool – the larger the rewards, the more you have to pay to get in.

5Sit and Go Tournaments

Sit and Go tournaments feature limited open positions and commence as soon as the maximum number of available seats has been reached. When this happens, a pop-up message will appear on the screen to inform you in time to set the reels in motion.

6Guaranteed Tournaments

Guaranteed tournaments feature guaranteed pools, with predetermined prizes paid out to the top finishers in the leaderboard. If the pool surpasses the guaranteed amount, it continues to grow.

7Re-Buy Tournaments

Re-buy tournaments allow participants to purchase additional credits or spins if they happen to run out. The re-buy amount or spin number typically coincides with the original buy-in.

These are more strategic as participating players have the opportunity to get extra spins and improve their chances of securing a win. Some casinos impose restrictions on the maximum number of re-buys per player.

8Freezeouts

Freezeouts are the opposite of re-buy tournaments as each participant can make no more than one buy-in. All participating players are battling it out under the same conditions. Those who exhaust their credits or spins may drop out of the race if other contestants have outperformed them.

9Survivor Tournaments

Survivor tournaments involve multiple flights that all continue for the same amount of time. The players with the lowest scores get disqualified at the end of each round. One-shot tournaments are similar as players must achieve a specific score and those who fail cannot proceed to the next round.

10Heads-Up Tournaments

Heads-up tournaments are rarer but you can still find them at some online casinos, with Videoslots being one of the examples. Here you compete against a single contender and have the opportunity to double your original buy-in. The battle continues until the time runs out or both contestants finish their number of spins.

Joining Online Slot Tournaments

Joining Online Slot TournamentsJoining an online slot tourney is as simple as it gets but you still need to plan ahead and consider a few things beforehand. We recommend you visit the tournament page of your preferred online casino regularly to keep track of the upcoming competitions.

Some gambling operators host multiple tournaments per day, while others hold them on a weekly basis. The tournament section features all the vital information you need to pick a suitable tourney, including the qualifying games, the entry fees (if any), the minimum bet requirements, and the way scores are recorded.

slot tournaments

Make sure you carefully peruse the terms and conditions of your chosen slot competition before it starts. You will never win a slot tournament if you keep getting yourself disqualified due to rule violations.

Once you make up your mind about which contest to join, you simply must sign up for participation. The registration process is rather straightforward and requires a couple of clicks to complete. Make sure you have sufficient funds in your balance to cover the entry fee if you pick a buy-in tournament or plan on multiple re-buys.

How to Improve Your Chances of Winning Online Slot Tournaments

1Overview

Online slot tournaments are fun because each spin is packed with action but the competition can be rather fierce. As exciting as these tourneys are, snagging a share of the prize pool is based predominantly on luck. Nevertheless, there are several things players can do to boost their chances of winning.

All online slots rely on random number generators (RNGs) to determine whether any given spin produces a winning combination. The result is decided in a millisecond after you hit the spin button. There is pretty much nothing spinners can do to influence the outcome of the rounds.

2Get a good rest before the tournament starts

As unbelievable as it sounds, clicking the spin button repeatedly becomes fatiguing after a while, so we recommend you take full advantage of your rest opportunities.

3Test the qualifying slot releases before the tournament starts

You can play in free mode with demo credits if you are looking to preserve your bankroll for the tourney itself. This will give you a good idea about how the games behave and what their volatility is. Do not forget to examine the paytable to see what you can expect in terms of winning combinations and bonus features.

4Choose an environment that is free of major distractions

Online slots generally do not require a lot of concentration but every second counts when you compete against other spinners. Focus on winning and make sure you spin the reels as fast as possible.

5Set up an alarm or a notification on your smartphone to ensure you join the tournament on time

Some gambling sites permit players to join the action even after the tournaments have already started but late entries reduce your chances of getting ahead. It is difficult, if not impossible, to catch up with fellow contestants when they have a lead of hundreds of spins.

6Bet large in point-based tournaments to progress faster in the leaderboard

In such cases, the number of points you receive per spin is proportionate to your wager size. (Eg. ¢20 equals 1 point, ¢40 earns you 2 points, ¢60 results in 3 points, and so on). Larger bets will understandably generate more points for you.

7Spin the reels as fast as possible and do not wait to see the results

As we previously explained, the outcomes are determined in the split second you hit the button. The only reason why the reels move is to make the gaming experience more authentic.

The software will reflect the outcome in your balance even if you spin again before the reels halt. Waiting for the results will only slow you down and decrease your odds of gaining the lead.

8Turn on the turbo mode feature if the tournament’s terms and conditions allow using it

This will improve your speed as the reels come to rest almost instantly after you hit the spin button. Bear in mind the turbo mode is deactivated for players based in countries like the UK due to regulatory requirements.

9Put all your credits to good use as the casino will not carry them over

Any remaining credits are voided after the slot tournament comes to an end.

10Do not allow the leaderboard to distract you

Constantly checking your current position will slow you down and most slot tournaments are all about speed. If you glance at the leaderboard every couple of seconds, you are less likely to see your username listed among the top finishers.