Poker Machines vs Online Pokies
If you love playing the pokies when you head to the local pub for dinner, or you head straight for the poker machines when you hit the casino; you already know how much fun these machines are. There are so many different pokie games you can play, each of them offering their own benefits. High cash payout options, a progressive jackpot perhaps, and all of them give you a decent chance of winning. If they didn’t have these options, we wouldn’t bother with them.
The only thing about the slot machines at the pub or the casino though, is that you can’t be there all the time. And on a cold winter’s night in Australia, or in the blistering heat in summer, often the last thing you want to do is get a suit on and head into Brisbane CBD to brave the crowds. That’s why we love online pokies.
With online pokies, it doesn’t matter how hot or cold it is outside, you can play your favourite games in your undies, or your trackie and uggies, from the comfort of your own couch. And you can still win amazing jackpots!
How Pokie machines Work
Pokie machines in your local pub or casino work much the same way as online pokies. Your poker machine is computer generated – and that computer provides players with thousands of different outcomes. Hit the play button, and the machine works randomly to choose your outcome. It could be a winner, or it might be a loss. Every time you hit the button, it generates a new outcome.
There’s no sure answer for how to win on poker machines, simply because it is computer generated. There are no skills involved; it’s really all a matter of luck. And video slots work the same way, except you’re playing directly with the computer (not the machine).
Learning how to play pokies is pretty easy.You’ll see the poker machines (online and off) have a number of lines. Some might have five lines, others have 50. This is where the images are – and this is where you want to watch. Insert your money or make your bet. You can choose the number of lines you want to play and how much you want to bet per line. Keep in mind that betting on multiple lines increases your chance of winning a payout, but this can decrease the amount you win.
Then hit the PLAY / SPIN button. This gets the automated computer to generate random lines of symbols. If you get the same symbols all in a row, you win the cash payout that matches your combination. You’ll see this either at the top of your screen or on the machine itself. Playing the pokies is similar whether you’re playing pokie machines or online gambling.
Benefits of online pokies compared to pokie machines
Convenience
If you could choose between spending an hour or two getting ready, taxi fares into the city, spending ridiculous amounts of money on expensive drinks, and of course – having to brave the summer heat or fresh winter air … or saving money, staying home, and still having the fun of gambling – most of us would choose the latter option. It’s great to go to the casino on occasion to play the poker machines, but it isn’t really affordable. Yet, you can play at the online casino every weekend if you want.
More Variety
You can choose from a far bigger range of games when you play online. When you head to the casino in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth or even on the Gold Coast, you’ll find an abundance of machines – but it’s still not even half as many options as you’ll have when you look online. You’ll find all your favourite games online, but also new ones that come from overseas or are available for online playing only.
Better Options
The third benefit of playing online pokies compared to poker machines is that you often have a larger range of betting options. When you’re at the casino or pub, you get a few options – you can choose from a 1c machine to a $2 machine, you can play 5, 10, 25 or 50 lines, and you can bet x1 play per line, x2, x5, x10 or x20. That’s pretty much it. When you play online, many games give you the option to bet more or less money per line (anywhere from 1 cent to $1,000+ is possible), and some games even give you the option to play single line increases (eg instead of having to play 5 or 10 lines, you might play 7).
Bigger Odds and Better Payout
Another benefit to playing online pokies compared to poker machines is the odds are much better online. Pokie machines in your local pub probably have a payout percentage of around 87%, which is the minimum they must have in Australia. Online pokies, on the other hand, generally have payouts of around 97%.
Finally, with online pokies you can often win more. Although it’s pretty exciting when you get a full win at the local pub and you can shout all your mates a beer and brag about the win... but it’s just as fun to win online. With online pokies giving you more range of games to play, you can choose the ones with the highest jackpots. Progressive jackpots are ideal as they increase every time someone places a bet, and there are more players contributing to this online (from around the world) than at your local casino or pub in Australia.
Poker machines
While online pokies offer many benefits, there are also some great reasons why you might choose to head to your local pub or casino instead. The main reason, in particular, is that it is the social option. It gets you out of the house, chatting with friends, and you get to be part of something real.
In some cases, you can also stick to a budget easier with slot machines. If you are there for dinner, you can take a $10 note in the pokie room with you, leaving your wallet or purse with your partner, and know that you aren’t going to break the budget.
And the entertainment factor is definitely better - you might even get to listen to a live Australian band while you’re there.
JoeFortune.com vs Poker machines
We’ve already discussed all the benefits of online pokies versus going to your local casino or Aussie pub and playing the poker machines in the flesh. Although it can be a lot of fun getting dolled up for a night out, there are some days where you prefer to just sit at home under the doona. JoeFortune.com provides you with a pokies experience, where you have the chance of winning real money, without taking off your PJs.
There are two things we care about at Joe Fortune. One is that you have fun – and we offer a vast range of games for you to choose from to do so. And second, that you play responsibly. We encourage you to set a budget before you get online and stick to it. Don’t play more than you can afford. Just enjoy yourself.
