How to Advantage Play “Spy vs Spy” by WMS

Spy vs Spy is an older advantage play slot machine from WMS. It is based on the classic comic strip which debuted in Mad Magazine way back in 1961.

As for the game itself, Spy vs Spy is a low volatility game with frequent small hits & a decent paying bonus round that hits with a fair amount of regularity. There is a progressive jackpot that can be won when betting at max bet. However, in all the years that this game has existed I’ve never witnessed anyone win it.

As the name Spy vs Spy suggests, there are two spies a white one & black one that are pitted against each other in a constant back & forth. In the slot machine there is a constant feature called “versus mode” where one of the spies is “in control.” When a spy is in control, anytime a character representing that color lands in the center of column 3 the meter representing that character goes up. If you land that character again, you will be awarded that credit amount & the meter increases further. Credit values increase proportionally to your bet. So a black 7 at minimum bet is 1000 & 5000 credits at max. If a wild symbol lands, all meters are increased and values are awarded if there is an existing value for that character..

A spy remains in control until the other spy lands on column 3. Therefore, as a player you are hoping that whichever spy is in control, stays in control & that you are able to build up the meters & go on a long streak. Although if I had the choice I’d prefer the black spy because the black 7 is worth much more than the white 7.

What to look for & how do I advantage play Spy vs Spy?

Look at the top screen. A plus to Spy vs Spy is that you can spot the meters from a long distance so there’s no buttons to touch. If the total adds up to over 1000 credits it’s a play. I’ve seen slot hustlers play it at lower numbers but I believe 1000 is a good baseline. Another area where advantage players have differing opinions is what to bet when you have a play. Bets range from 50-250 credits. The conservative method which is the more common method as far as I can tell is to minimum bet. 

The aggressive strategy is to max bet it. Again max betting gives you the chance to win the top progressive prize. It also gives the potential for larger pays with the spies, particularly the black spy if you are fortunate enough to go on a streak. Of course on the flip side max betting puts you at risk of losing more. However, the losses on this game won’t be enough to send you to the poor house if you have any type of bankroll. The most I’ve ever lost on this game betting max is around $50. Truthfully I don’t know which method is better. If I were to guess I’d say they balance each other out.

Spy vs Spy was never the most prevalent slot machine but it’s still out there. For example, the only place as far as I know that currently carries it on the Las Vegas Strip is The Venetian. In this new era of high volatility slot machines, Spy vs Spy is a bit of a throwback. Not a powerful advantage play by any stretch, but you know what to expect when to play it & it’s a low risk play.

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