River Dragons — AP Overview
AP Checklist
- Start with the fast scan: $486+ / $4,920+
- It is recommend having access to a bankroll that is 5x the jackpot. So $2,500 when chasing the $500 and $25,000 when chasing the $5,000. That might sound like overkill, but there is nothing worse than having a bad run and going bankrupt without ever getting the jackpot. If that sounds like a crazy amount of money to have on hand, then you should avoid large plays like these. You can probably safely get away with a lower bankroll if you aren’t taking the play early and have the time to min bet. But I always recommend having extra cash on hand, just in case.
- If you don’t use a player’s card, then you will be missing out on lots of points, especially when chasing the $5,000.
Exit Rule
Most APs will take these machines at much lower numbers. Anything approaching $480 or $4,900 often gets jumped on. Some APs will take the play early hoping to get lucky or else just to stop other hustlers from getting the play. And some APs are fine with losing money on the play as long as they get points on their card, which could lead to lucrative freeplay offers.
Arizona Casinos to Scout for River Dragons
Talking Stick Resort
Scottsdale · tribal · 2,000-5,000 machines
Arizona Gaming Context
River Dragons is commonly found at Arizona casinos like the 1 listed above. Floor inventory changes often — confirm on-site. Arizona casinos operate under tribal-state compacts, often more favorable for AP.
Other AP Machines at Arizona Casinos
Piggy Bankin’
Piggy Bankin' features a jackpot pick bonus that is triggered by finding the one lucky coin hidden amongst 510 coins. Play when three or fewer pigs remain in the bottom row.
Buffalo Link
1610 or higher (displayed in green text on the counter above the fifth reel).
Ocean Magic Grand
The following strategy is the same for both regular and Bubble Boost mode (see my reasoning in the notes below).
Cash Falls
A simple heuristic is to only play when either reels three, four or five are one coin away or else reels one and two …