Question: I have heard people talking about slot tournaments, and some of them mention that they can enter one of these tournaments for free. How do slot tournaments work? How can I enter for free?

Zung in Atlanta

Answer: All slot tournaments are not created equally, so the specifics may vary from event to event. However, most are based on timed rounds where you get a specific amount of time in front of a machine to rack up as many credits as possible.

For instance, I recently took part in a slot tournament at Paris/Bally's. The casino had a group of about 80 slot machines set up in the shopping arcade. Each person was allowed to select a tournament time (or times, depending upon how many entries they had received) and then we randomly selected a machine to play.

Each machine had the credit meter set at zero and we had five minutes to rack up as many credits as possible. They said, "Go," and 80 people sat there banging on the "spin reels" button like maniacs -- including me.

At the end of the five minutes the machines shut off automatically, and officials went around recording everyone's scores. Afterward, they compared high scores at all of the different tournament rounds and the highest scores received prizes.

This is the standard way most slot tournaments.

As far as entries, that varies also. Most slot tournaments are by invitation only, usually going out to members of the casino players' club. Those invitations are usually free, although you can pay to get extra entries. The invitations also often come with offers of free rooms, so be sure to join the players' club whenever you go to a casino.

Other tournaments require you to pay to get an entry. In those instances, the prize amounts are usually higher.

There are a few casinos around town that have regularly scheduled tournaments. The best way to find out about them is to check directly with the casinos.

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• Casaurina Brings Heavenly Style To Las Vegas
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• Wynn Construction Update; Stratosphere Opens New Ride
• Vegas Q&A: How Do Slot Tournaments Work?
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