Just like plenty of players around the world, New Zealanders are known to have a love affair with bright and coins-carrying reels of online pokies. With life-like visuals, engaging storylines, and explosive bonuses, no wonder online pokies for real money have won the hearts of many.

If you are one of those online pokies NZ players who are looking for ways to win at pokies more often, you’ve come to the right place. Brace yourself because this entire page discusses some of the best ways to increase your winning odds. 

How do pokies work behind the scenes?

To understand how you can make the most of your pokies online gaming, you have to first figure out how pokies work. 

Pokies are some of the most loved and played games across free online pokies casinos all over the world. Equipped with Random Number Generators, they are completely random, meaning that you cannot learn any special skills to beat them. Because you cannot predict when an RNG will generate the numbers associated with a winning combination, pokies are totally out of your control and down to pure chance. 

Now, you can understand why ‘hot pokies online’ and ‘cold pokies online’ do not exist, they are just a myth used by some casinos to make you spend money on certain games. So, if someone tells you that the game is due to pay out soon because it hasn’t paid out for a while, don’t believe this nonsense. 

Even if a pokie does go on a ‘hot streak’ and pays out repeatedly for a period of time, this streak is just a result of a short-run deviation from what is statistically likely. You can expect anything to happen in the short run, just like you may see a run of ten heads in a row when flipping a coin.

How to make a success of your pokies online gaming?

Considering the random nature of pokies, you might now think that there’s nothing you can do to boost your winning odds when playing online pokies for real money - well, it’s not exactly true. While you cannot influence the result of any given spin, there are a few things you can do to increase your overall odds of winning when spinning the reels on pokies.

1. Pokies with high payout rates are the way to go

To begin with, not all games pay out at the same rate, all successful online pokies real money NZ players know that. To be clear, online pokies can come with a Return to Player (RTP) rate as low as 85% or as high as 99%. The higher the RTP percentage, the higher your overall payouts are likely to be in the long run. So, make sure that you check how much your chosen slot pays out before spending your time and money on it. Some of the best games in the category of high RTP pokies include:

✓ 1429 Uncharted Seas by Thunderkick

✓ Blood Suckers by NetEnt

✓ Fire Lightning by BGaming

✓ Big Bad Wolf by Quickspin

✓ West Town by BGaming

You can find the above-mentioned titles at the best online pokies NZ casinos where you can also play them for free.

2. Lucrative in-game features will do the trick

Another important piece of advice: when choosing online pokies NZ players should pay attention to lucrative in-game features, such as expanding wilds, progressive multipliers, multiple ways to win, etc.  

However, finding a pokie with well-performing bonus games is no easy task. More often than not, you will come across online pokies for real money that are jam-packed with extras that have very little or no effect on your winning potential. The slots listed below have stood the test of time; they are regarded as the best free online pokies with lucrative bonus games and high payout rates.

Immortal Romance  - With a high RTP of 96.86% and 243 ways to win, Immortal Romance will take you on an exciting journey through as many as 4 free spins features. Get lucky by entering the Troy Spins round with 6x multipliers, and you’ll be on a speedy way to the big bucks. You can win a whopping 12,500x your wager prize.

Book of Dead - The most famous Ancient Egypt-themed pokies out there, Book of Dead is all about free spins and expanding symbols. Get on a roll and your prize could be sweet - 5,000x your wager.

Deadwood - Dust off your cowboy boots and head to the cash-packed town of Deadwood. This legendary game is a hit across free online pokies casinos. The highlight here is the Gunslinger Spins Feature where progressive multipliers can bring you the riches you dream of! 

Bonanza Megaways - When it comes to cult classic online pokies NZ players are crazy about, Bonanza Megaways takes the cake! The game is all about consecutive reactions and an unlimited win multiplier. With 117,649 ways to win, you can try and win the game’s top prize of 26,000x your bet.

Jamming Jars - If high-risk online pokies for real money with potentially mind-blowing payouts tickle your fancy, this game might be perfect for you. A fruity game with plenty of character, get lucky with progressive multipliers and win up to 20,000x your wager.

3. Pocket frequent wins with low volatility online pokies NZ

We highly recommend that you take into account the risk factor of the pokie you’re about to play. Why is it important? Well, that’s because the game’s volatility determines your winning potential.

To explain, high volatility (high-risk) slots offer substantial yet rare payouts, while low volatility (low-risk) games tend to generate modest winnings with higher frequency. If your budget is limited, we suggest going for less risky free online pokies like Starburst, Aloha Cluster Pays, Dragon’s Myth, Thunderstruck II, and Bloodsuckers II. Even though your winnings won’t be enormous when playing these games, they can still pad your bankroll and allow you to stay in the game for a longer period of time. 

4. Play crypto pokies

Professional online pokies real money NZ players tend to favour crypto pokies over fiat money games. The reason for this is the fact that crypto prices are constantly on the move and crypto players can earn money on any increased price at the time they withdraw their winnings. As for the best online pokies NZ crypto spinners choose to play, these include titles by NoLimit City, Play’n Go, BGaming, Amatic, and BetSoft. 

Summary

While our online pokie NZ tips might not be enough for you to select the winning game every time you spin the reels on pokies, they will surely help you win more frequently and - most importantly - have more fun playing pokies! Plus, don’t forget, it’s always best to play free online pokies before you’re ready to commit to real money play. Best of luck!