question Do stake progressions actually help, or just chew through the bankroll?

Been reading a bit about different ways people structure their spins — flat stakes, increasing after losses, pressing wins, setting hard stop points and all that. Not talking magic tricks obviously, just the different ways punters try to manage a session.

I mostly just pick a stake and stick with it, maybe tweak it if a slot is eating balance way too fast, but I keep seeing people swear by little routines they follow every time. Stuff like doubling up after a miss, bumping it after a hit, or breaking the bankroll into mini sessions.

Does any of that actually make a real difference for you, or is it more about keeping yourself disciplined so you don't go off the rails in the arvo and torch the lot?

Keen to hear what people here use, if anything. Not chasing fairy tales, just wondering what seems sensible for pokies when you're trying to make the balance last a bit longer and not play like a goose.

Max MegaPokie wrote >

Does any of that actually make a real difference for you, or is it more about keeping yourself disciplined so you don't go off the rails in the arvo and torch the lot?

I don't reckon it changes much besides how fast the balance disappears. The pokie doesn't care what little pattern we're doing. The only real value for me is stopping the dumb chase. Has anyone here actually kept up one of those loss-progression routines for more than a session or two?

only thing that's helped me is splitting the bankroll before I start and refusing to top up in the same session. If one chunk is gone, I get up and have a break. Sounds boring but it stops those annoyed spins. Anyone else do it that way or just go by feel?

For the people splitting the balance up, are you doing that by spin count or just by money? I've been around long enough to know sessions get messy when you start changing stake and pace at the same time, so I'm curious what you actually track when a machine goes cold.