If you love to play the slot machines, don't be suckered into buying one of the "sure fire systems" to beat them that you may come across in a newspaper, magazine, "infomercial", or in a direct mail advertisement. They're all a big waste of money. The only "sure fire" thing about them is the profit it will generate for the developer.

It's this simple: There are no systems to guarantee that you'll win. When you play slot machines you're playing a game of pure chance. The odds are always stacked against you because the computer chip that governs slot machine play is programmed to guarantee a profit for the casino. Period!

If you're looking for a rational approach to "getting an edge" in slot play, consider these game plans: (A): "Smoke out" the machines that appear to be programmed to return a higher percentage of money back to the players or (B): Employ wise slot machine play along with prudent money management. My advice is to opt for strategy (B).

The widely accepted and recommended way to play the slots is to always play the maximum number of coins on each spin. For example, if you're playing a 2-coin machine, drop in two coins every time. Similarly, if you're playing a 3-coin machine, drop in three coins every time. The only problem is, cold machines can wipe out a $50 session bankroll in a hurry. If you're playing a 2-coin dollar machine, 10 pulls with no return will eat up a twenty dollar bill in a minute.

In spite of the risk of catching cold machines, dropping in the maximum coins is the best way to play, but ONLY if you're playing a progressive machine or if you're playing a particular game in which the top award is much higher with maximum coins played than it would be with less than maximum coins played.

For example, IGT's Red, White, & Blue Sevens machines do not have a graduated pay scale for the top award. I've seen them with an award of $1,000 for one coin played if you line up the jackpot symbols, but a $5,000 jackpot with two coins played. It's great to win $1,000 for a dollar, to be sure, BUT it can be a sickening feeling knowing that if you had put just one more dollar in you would have collected $5,000.

To avoid such disappointment, and at the same time attempt to make your session bankroll stretch a little farther, here's a tip: If you want to play less than maximum coin in, search out the game formats that offer a perfectly balanced pay scale. In other words, find the machines in which the top award for two coins played is exactly double that of the top award for one coin played.

At least two game formats that offer such pay scales are IGT's Double Diamond machines and Double Jackpot machines. The 2-coin varieties offer 800 coins for the top award with one coin played, 1,600 coins for the top award with two coins played, and on the 3-coin formats, 2,400 coins for maximum coins played.

You're still taking a monetary risk by not playing maximum coins, but it's a risk that doesn't carry a penalty. You know that by playing one coin you stand a chance of winning less than if you had played more, but that risk is in perfect ratio to your play. It's not like some game formats where just because you bet one coin less you're going to get hurt five times over.

My method of attack on these machines is to take a ten dollar bill to a dollar machine and get 10 pulls for a dollar spin. If I get shut out, I simply walk away and try another machine. If I get something substantial back in the way of winnings, I pocket a good portion of the profits, then maybe risk two coins per play for a while. If things get cold again, I either go back to one coin or move on.

Remember: Don't think you're going to "beat" the machines. You're not. About the only thing you can do is to play smart and attempt to keep ahead of the game.