There is no such thing as a slots expert (just someone who's played them a whole lot), but we still have a few hints for you to take with you to the slot machines. These hints are not guaranteed to make you a penny, but if you stick to them, you may do pretty well:

Be prepared to walk away: If you sit down at a slot machine, and it doesn't pay out anything within the first ten or so pulls, move your butt to the next one. Odds are that it isn't going to get any better.

For bigger pots, play bigger money: The lower the denomination required to play a slot machine, the less likely you are to hit the jackpot. In general, nickel machines pay off less frequently than quarter machines, which pay off less frequently than dollars, and so on. Quarter slots are the most frequently played machines (with almost 75 percent of players using them).

Play the max: This one is a tough call; if you play the maximum number of credits, and you win, you win much more. Of course, if you lose, you go through your money that much faster. Most machines, progressive or not, offer higher payout odds on maximum bets. Bet .25, get three cherries, and you get .50 back, for example. The payout is 2:1. However, put in .75, hit those same three cherries, and you get $2.25 as a payoff. This makes the payout 3:1. In addition, if you want to win the big jackpot, you must put in the maximum number of credits. It's a hook to make you spend more money, but it's a hook that's hard to argue with. True slot junkies always play the maximum.

On most slot machines, you find a button marked credit if you push this button, your winnings are credited and your spins debited electronically. When you're ready to leave, just press the "cash out" button on the machine. But don't expect to hear that lovely "chingchingchingchingCHANG" sound any more. Well, you will hear it, but it will be recorded. Because there won't be actual coins cascading out when you press the button. As mentioned earlier, casinos have switched all the gaming machines to credit slips only. All pay outs are now done this way. It allegedly makes matters more convenient and less costly for the casino.

Look for busy carousels: When you look for a machine to park yourself in front of, take note of whether the machine is in a carousel that is empty or teeming with players. There's a method to this madness - empty carousels likely have machines that aren't paying well. Take your time to find a carousel where lots of people have lots of money listed on their credit readout. Again, we're not going to guarantee that you'll do better here, but you may have more luck.

Investigate progressive payouts: If you're thinking about playing at a bank of progressive slots, ask an attendant what the jackpot starts at and when it usually hits. Most of the time, she will be happy to give you this "insider" information. Here's a good general rule: If you discover that a progressive slot carousel jackpot starts at $10,000, usually hits before it reaches $15,000, and is currently at $14,500, then sit down and start playing! If it's only at $10,500 (meaning that somebody recently won), it probably won't hit again anytime soon.

Ask the experts: Feel free to ask the floor attendants if they know of a certain area that is doing well. It sure beats wandering around from machine to machine looking for that special vibe. Technically, the attendants aren't supposed to tell you this, but many often do - especially those in the change areas above slot carousels.