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Why Slot Volatility Matters and How It Can Affect Your Wins

Slot volatility determines how sizable your wins and losses will be. Learn how volatility works, what the types are and how to choose slots that align with your style

Slot machine volatility is one of the most important yet commonly overlooked attributes that greatly impacts overall gameplay enjoyment and even your chances to walk away a winner. Also called variance, volatility refers to how often a slot pays out jackpots and how large or small those payouts are.

Understanding the volatility levels in different slots enables you to make better-informed decisions when selecting your games. Some active Casino Fair Go players may prefer highly volatile slots for their potential to deliver less frequent but very sizable wins. Others may opt for low volatility games that pay smaller amounts but on a more consistent basis.

How Slot Volatility Works

Behind the scenes, every slot machine has a payout percentage built into its programming. This is also called the return-to-player (RTP) percentage or the house edge. A typical RTP that most reputable online slots hold is between 94% and 97%.

This means for every $100 wagered on that slot over an extended period of play, it will pay back an average of $94 to $97 to players in winnings. The remaining 3% to 6% is kept as profit for the casino. These RTP rates ensure predictable profits for online casinos over hundreds of thousands if not millions of spins.

However, that RTP percentage alone does not determine the playing experience. The volatility indicates how those long-term payouts are distributed over your actual gameplay sessions.

Some https://www.freeslots99.com/egt/ pay smaller wins much more frequently, keeping the balance more steady with fewer big swings up and down. Others can go many spins without paying anything only to suddenly drop massive jackpots that greatly exceed your average wagers. These extremes are called low and high volatility slots respectively.

Let’s examine how volatility impacts slots through an example below:

Slot A:

  • 96% RTP
  • Low Volatility

Slot B:

  • 96% RTP
  • High Volatility

Over 10,000 spins both games will payout an average of $96 for every $100 wagered. But Slot A does so through smaller yet more frequent wins while Slot B has far fewer but much larger payouts. This creates vastly different experiences during actual play:

Slot A Session:

  • 500 spins
  • Won $7, $5, $10 and $15 many times
  • Bankroll remained steady

Slot B Session:

  • 500 spins
  • Won nothing for 400 spins
  • Suddenly won $2,500 jackpot
  • Bankroll swing wildly

As you can see, despite having equal long-term payout rates, the volatility creates completely different gameplay. Low volatility slots provide steadier, smaller payouts for less risk while high volatility games feature enormous but infrequent jackpots.

Types of Slot Volatility

There are no set standards for classifying slot volatility, but most industry experts reference five common tiers:

Low Volatility Slots

Payouts are extremely frequent but usually very small, often just recouping part of your bet. Jackpots rarely exceed 10 to 20 times your wager. Ideal for low stakes play with little bankroll risk.

Medium-Low Volatility

Pays out smaller wins regularly with mid-sized jackpots possible but still infrequent. Allows reasonably long play sessions without huge swings.

Medium Volatility

Considered the sweet spot for many players. Decent frequency of small to mid-sized payouts mixed with reasonable chances for jackpots. Some swings but extended gameplay potential.

Medium-High Volatility

Can go through many spins with no wins followed by large payouts exceeding 50 times or more of your bet. High risk but very high reward potential. Bankroll can take big swings.

High Volatility Slots

Will commonly go through hundreds of spins with no payouts then suddenly drop massive multi-thousand-dollar jackpots. Huge swings and the highest risk but life-changing wins possible.

Assessing an individual slot game’s volatility level prior to playing enables you to temper expectations and decide if it matches your risk tolerance. High volatility slots can decimate your bankroll quickly but also present the biggest jackpot possibilities. Meanwhile, low volatility games provide steadier extended play with fewer big swings.

How Volatility Impacts Overall Gameplay

Volatility’s effects on slot gameplay are far-reaching. Beyond just the frequency and size of payouts, it also influences:

  • Enjoyment
  • Required Bankroll Size
  • Length of Playing Sessions
  • Risk of Ruin
  • Hitting Bonus Features

Examining how volatility impacts each of these key factors will further illustrate why it matters greatly when choosing your preferred slots.

Enjoyment

Game enjoyment partially comes down to personal preference. Low volatility slots appeal to players wanting the excitement of frequent payouts even if most are small amounts. The steadier balance climbing provides satisfaction. High volatility games cater to players who crave the huge jackpot thrills even if it means risking longer dry spells of no payouts.

Required Bankroll Size

Bankroll refers to the total funds you have allotted towards slots played during any one session. Appropriate bankroll size varies based on the game’s volatility. Low volatility slots often only require 25 to 50 bets worth of bankroll to sustain steady play given the high frequency of payouts. But high volatility games demand far deeper pockets given you could go through 500 bets or more without winning during cold streaks.

Length of Playing Sessions

The size of your bankroll and the volatility of the slot directly impact how long you can sustain play before exhausting funds. Low volatility games allow reasonably long sessions, even with modest bankrolls due to regular small wins recouping balances. But high volatility slots can empty accounts rapidly when lady luck turns sour. Knowing volatility enables properly sizing your bankroll and setting gameplay duration expectations.

Risk of Ruin

Your risk of ruin represents the chances of losing your entire bankroll, forcing you to end the slots session. Due to steady trickles of smaller payouts, low volatility slot players face an extremely low risk of ruin assuming bankrolls allow at least 50 bets. But high volatility games carry tremendous risk of ruin given sessions can turn icy cold suddenly. Even large bankrolls can be wiped out by high volatility slots in the blink of an eye.

Hitting Bonus Features

Nearly all modern video slots include bonus features like free spins, pick games, multipliers and more. These extras add excitement and offer huge additional winning chances. Lower volatility slot players see reasonably high bonus feature frequency since the games hit smaller wins more regularly. But bonus rounds in high volatility slots are generally much harder to land. Yet when finally triggered, the potential payouts reach astronomical levels.

Choosing Ideal Volatility For You

Rather than blindly select any online slot, get into the routine of researching volatility and how it fits your preferences. Those wanting excitement of big but less frequent jackpots may enjoy high volatility slots. Players focused on low risk and steady longer sessions tend to prefer low volatility games. Others seek a middle ground with medium volatility.

Several factors to consider when matching game volatility with your gameplay preferences include:

  • Budget – Lower volatility for modest bankrolls
  • Risk Tolerance – Lower volatility if averse to risk
  • Session Length – Lower volatility for longer sessions
  • Enjoyment – Lower volatility provides more steady action

Keep in mind volatility levels vary not just from one slot game to the next but even on different machines with the exact same game. For example, Buffalo slot volatility can swing between low to high depending on starting values and other settings established by the casino. So always assess options carefully, even among different machines offering your favorite games.

Using Free Play Modes To Test Volatility First

Rather than simply guess at a slot game’s volatility, always test it first in free play mode before risking actual money. Leading online casinos offer practice play on nearly all slots allowing you to gauge volatility at no cost.

To accurately evaluate, be sure to mimic real stakes gambling by:

  • Set bet size to planned real money amount
  • Play at least 100 spins
  • Note the frequency and size of payouts

Keep tabs on your balance fluctuations, time between wins, common payout sizes and jackpot frequency. Watching volatility firsthand over an extended free-play session gives excellent clarity on what volatility tier a slot likely falls into.

Parting Thoughts

While every slot carries an advertised return-to-player rate suggesting it pays back a set percentage of wagers, the playing experience varies wildly based on volatility. Lower volatility slots provide smaller yet very consistent payouts, enabling low risk extended sessions. But they only rarely deliver jackpots. High volatility games feature sparse payouts with huge jackpot potential but can also rapidly drain bankrolls during cold runs.

Selecting slots using volatility as a key decision factor results in more enjoyable sessions catered to your preferences. Always determine volatility first through free play modes before spending real cash. Matching volatility tier to your bankroll size, risk tolerance and enjoyment enables better gameplay outcomes.


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