Combine two of Aristocrat’s most popular franchises(Buffalo & Lightning Link), add a feature that can be advantage played & you have yourself Buffalo Link. It was one of the more significant advantage play slot machines of 2021 for several reasons. First is that it was highly anticipated & had a wide release. I remember seeing ads in early 2021 constantly playing on YouTube prior to gambling related videos. In just a short time, Buffalo Link was in most major casinos nationwide & has proven to be wildly popular. In many places that I’ve seen it installed, the banks are almost always full & when someone gets off the machine the seat doesn’t stay empty for long. As a result I’ve seen many casinos increase the amount of Buffalo Links they have on the floor.
When it comes to how it plays & pays, there is incredible potential for massive wins. However, with that potential comes volatility that’s just as massive & unseen in previous iterations of Buffalo.
The gameplay on Buffalo Link is like your typical Buffalo slot machine. It is a 5 reel, 4 row slot machine that pays left to right with all of the symbols any regular slot player has grown accustomed to when playing a Buffalo game. Three or more coins trigger the free games. Additionally there is a hold & spin link feature, hence the name Buffalo Link. Unlike the hold & spin feature in other popular Aristocrat titles like Dragon Link & Lightning Link where 6 credit symbols trigger the bonus, Buffalo Link requires the player to hit 8. If a player fills all 20 spaces then they win the Grand jackpot.
What to look for & how do I advantage play Buffalo Link?
It’s all about that must-hit by number on the right side. In addition to being a paid symbol, each yellow buffalo that appears on the screen increases the meter. The closer it is to 1800 the better. Of course we’d all like to find advantage play opportunities in the 1700s but you’ll almost never find one at this level. I’m sure one of you big brained advantage players can break it down to the exact number what is a play. But for those of us who are not as mathematically inclined I like to separate playable numbers into several tiers.
1600+ = As great as you can expect to find. Very rare to find one at this number. A little volatile
1500+ = Good play, a bit rare to find & volatile
1400+ = Solid play, more volatile
1300+ = Decent play, expect regular ups & downs. Really volatile
1200+ = Ok play but welcome to Volatility City. Accept that you’re going to get sunk for a good chunk of change & go on rough losing streaks with a fair amount of regularity.
Play until the must-hit by bonus is triggered. Upon hitting it you will be awarded either the buffalo hold & spin feature or the free games.
Now as far as the actual checking for plays goes, this is what will separate you from the amateurs. I’ve seen hustlers & semi-aware customers check for plays on Buffalo Link 1 of 3 ways. One is to simply touch each denomination available 1, 2, 5, 10 & if available 25c. However, this is incomplete. Because no money is in the machine, you cannot go through each of the betting options. Therefore, you’re only checking 20% of the meters.
Method #2 is an attempt to work around this by putting enough money to cover all bets at all denominations & spinning each bet one time. This method is severely flawed. You may not find any advantage plays to hustle & it can be very costly to go through an entire bank of Buffalo Link slot machines.
Method #3 is the proper way to check for plays. What you do is put in a dollar or even better a change ticket that’s less than a dollar. The default meter displayed for each denomination is almost always the minimum. Touch the next bet level. Notice the meter changes. Also the “lucky chance spin” message pops up because you don’t have enough money to pay for a spin. That’s ok, just tap “return to game” & touch the next bet level over. Again the meter will change to show what it is at that bet & the lucky chance spin message will show again. Repeat the process across all bet levels & denominations.
Note: There will be times where you attempt to change the bet level & the meter does not move for any bets at a particular denomination. This is because the last person to play Buffalo Link attempted the lucky chance spin. To unlock it & check the rest of the bets at that denomination, a spin must be made. Of course it’s best to play a spin at minimum bet. Typically I’m only willing to place a minimum bet at 1 & 2 cent denominations as those get the bulk of play from customers. If there aren’t any plays, I only lose $1 or $2. The exception is if I happen to see a customer betting at a higher denom & want to take a chance to see if they left a play behind.
Remember when chasing the must hit by bonus that you are simply going for one of the two bonus rounds. There’s nothing inherently special about this bonus & just like any bonus feature it may or may not pay. Of the two I’d rather be given the hold & spin feature if I’m not in the machine for too much money & the free games if I’m getting smashed. Every once in a while you are given 15 or 20 games & you can still hit the hold & spin feature in the free games. Obviously you can still get skunked but I believe you have a better chance of making a full comeback with the free games. Personal preference.
Buffalo Link is not a slot machine for every advantage player. If you have a limited bankroll or would rather not deal with wild swings, Buffalo Link is probably not the advantage play slot machine you want to play. If this is you, I would stick with the tried & true lower volatility games like Scarab, Golden Egypt, Golden Jungle Grand & Ocean Magic. But if you have a good sized bankroll, tend to enjoy games with high potential for wins & don’t mind a high level of volatility, then Buffalo Link is a great option to advantage play.
