There are two types of slot tournaments: Free Tournaments and Paid Tournaments.

Invitational tournaments are free and are usually held as a reward or comp for loyal players or high rollers. These are by invitation only and not open to the general public.

To play in a paid tournament the player must pay an entry fee. The best-paid tournaments a player should look for are the ones that will give back the entry fee in a form of prizes or money. Casinos post the tournament rules and will usually list the prize structure.

You can then determine how much is being returned to the players. Since these tournaments have a set entry fee, participants know how much it will cost them to play. They can only lose the amount of their entry fee.

Slot tournaments have a simple format.When you sign up for the tournament you will be assigned a slot machine number and a session time to play. When it is your time to play, find your machine with your number and have a seat.Wait for the official to tell you to start. All players are given a set amount of credits that must be played within a certain amount of time.

A common format is to give each player 1,000 credits with 20 minutes to play. Each time you hit the spin button the amount of credits for a maximum bet (usually three) is deducted from your starting credits.

Any credits you win are shown on a separate meter.You do not get to replay any credits you win. When your time is up, the machine will lock up and play is over. Any un-played credits will be lost. The score on your winning meter will be compared to other players' scores to determine the winner.

After you finish playing, wait at your machine until the tournament official records your score. Most casinos have only a limited number of machines set aside for a tournament.There will usually be several sessions to accommodate all players.

What do you need for a playing strategy? Here are some tips.

Luck plays the biggest part in winning a slot tournament; however, speed and concentration are the two most important skills you will need.

Since you must play all your credits within a certain time period, you must play fast enough to use them all. Each winning spin will increase your total score. Any unused credits are lost and you will be at a disadvantage because you did not take as many spins as your opponents.

To help increase your speed, keep your fingers on the spin button and lightly tap it. You don't need to pound the spin button. By leaving your fingers on the button you will save a few split-seconds.

You need to concentrate when you are playing in a slot tournament.Before you start, look at the pay table of the machine.When the machine is adding winning credits to your score it will not spin until all the credits have been tallied.If you have a big win it will take a few seconds to do this.You can take a quick breath, but you must be prepared to start tapping as soon as this is done.

Don't be distracted or spend time celebrating if you have a big win. I was playing in a tournament and a young lady sitting next to me kept jumping up and hollering each time she had a big win. After the time was up, she had only played about half her credits.

Some players get bored or tired while they are playing in a tournament causing them to slow down.This has been the downfall of many players who suddenly find that time has run out and they still have unused credits on their machines. Many new players remark that twenty minutes seemed like an hour when they were playing. Make sure you are alert and well rested before entering a tournament.If you are not at your best, your score could suffer.

Curiosity can also affect the outcome of your score.It is human nature to want to know how you are doing compared to the other players. Many tournament players look around trying to see the score of the other players.Just keep your mind on your own score and concentrate on using all your credits.

As you play in more tournaments you will find that your speed increases and you will have time left on your meter after you play your credits. Until you reach this point it is advisable not to bring your soda, coffee or water to the machine with you. You don't want to waste precious time sipping a drink.

A simple slot tournament advice is to play fast, stay focused and have fun!.