I spent about 4 hours on Tuesday afternoon sitting in my favorite chair with a cup of coffee and my laptop. I wasn’t looking to spend any money right away. I have this habit of opening the practice mode first whenever I see a new game that involves path-based mechanics. These games are different from standard slots because you feel like you have more control over the outcome, even if it is all based on a random number generator. I was looking at a specialty game where you have to guide a character through five levels. There are three lanes you can pick. Level 1 gives you a x1.2 multiplier. Level 2 jumps to x2.5. By the time you reach Level 5, you are looking at a x15 or even a x20 return on your bet. The catch is that at any moment, a block can fall and end the round. If you hit a block, you lose everything for that round. The screen flashes red and you have to start over from the beginning.

I noticed a pattern in the demo mode. I played exactly 100 rounds without using real credits. I tracked every single crash moment. I found that the middle lane tended to fail three times in a row before allowing a player to reach Level 4. I started calling this my personal triple fail rule.

Pro tip: In practice mode, wait for those three fails to happen on small virtual bets, then bump up the stake for the next round. It worked about 70 percent of the time during my testing session.

Once I felt I had a handle on the rhythm, I decided to switch to my real balance. I had $55 sitting in my account from a previous session. I also checked the promotions page again to see if I missed anything. They have a massive 400 percent match bonus which can go up to $2000. I had already used my initial welcome offer, but I like how they keep the rewards going with raffle tickets. For every $25 you deposit, you get a ticket for their weekly draw. I currently have 4 tickets sitting in my profile. I logged into Avantgarde Australia and started my session for real. I didn’t go straight for the middle lane with big money. I started with $1.20 bets. My goal was to see if the demo patterns held up in the real money version. Sometimes they do, and sometimes the RNG feels a bit different when there is actual skin in the game.

I hit a really nice run about 50 minutes into the session. I followed my rule strictly. Three fails on the right lane, then I bumped my bet to $5. Here is how that specific round went:

1. Level 1: Cleared with a x1.2 multiplier.
2. Level 2: Cleared with a x2.8 multiplier.
3. Level 3: Cleared with a x5.5 multiplier.
4. Level 4: Cleared with a x12.0 multiplier.

My heart was racing a bit because $27.50 was already a decent profit from a $5 start at Level 3. I could have cashed out. But the strategy I practiced in the free mode suggested that the fourth level was safe after a long losing streak. I clicked Level 4 and hit that x12. That $5 bet was now $60. I cashed out immediately. The loyalty program is also a nice touch. I earn 1 point for every $1 I wager. By the end of my session, I had 485 points. Even when I had a losing streak of 5 rounds earlier in the hour, knowing I was building points for future rewards made it easier to stay calm. They also have a 25 percent weekly cashback which is great if you have a rough few days. It gives you a bit of a safety net.

I also took a look at some of the 3D slots while I was there. Some of the multipliers on those are even crazier, reaching x88 or x100 if you hit the right bonus symbols. But I prefer the path games for now because of the decision-making involved. The 24/7 chat support is also there if you get stuck, which is a relief. Overall, my $55 grew to $176 over the course of the afternoon. It wasn’t a life-changing jackpot, but it was a solid win based on the tactics I refined in the demo mode. My advice is to never skip the practice rounds. It costs nothing to learn the mechanics and it can save you a lot of frustration.