We wonder how you pick a slot game? Do you grab the latest one with a fun theme or you stick to a good old classic? Maybe your mate recommends his favourite game and you decide to try it out? Whichever way you choose, let’s imagine that you’ve decided on a game and you ardently keep hitting the ‘spin’ button.
And here comes the most exciting part! Ever wonder what the outcome is of your playtime? We roughly guess there could be 3 possible options.
First – you enjoyed playing, you got exactly what you expected and thus you can say the game was a success. For sure, this is an ideal final for a slot aficionado!
However, in contrast, there could be a twist in the tail of your gameplay story. To be more precise, you may find yourself not really being satisfied as the game did not meet most of your expectations. Or worst scenario – you end up finding yourself in a foul mood because the slot turned out to be a nightmare. The game either ate all your money instantly and gave you very little playtime with no cash won, or you played for a long period of time, but your winnings turned out to be a far cry from what you expected.
We wager there is no slot player that would be okay with the last two outcomes as they are all about wasting time and money. That said, there is a feature that proves to deal with the issues in question pretty well, and if treated properly, can make a huge difference to your gambling satisfaction. We are referring to the slot variance, otherwise known as volatility.
Breaking down the concept of the “online slot variance/volatility”
The variance (or the volatility) is the feature in a slot game that determines how much risk a player is exposed to with regards to having loose spins.
With that being said, it is vital for every sensible and ambitious slot punter to distinguish between high volatility and low volatility online slot games.
High volatility slots are the games that involve a high-risk playtime. On the contrary, low volatility slots are all about low-risk playtime.
Which to choose: ‘high volatility/variance’ or ‘low volatility/variance’ slots?
Low volatility slots
As a rule, low volatility slots are intended to satisfy a player’s wish for prolonged entertainment. As such, they don’t tend to drain budgets fast. On the flip side though, they will yield frequent payouts of a rather modest nature (nothing of the scope of 1000x the wager or more).
Therefore, you may opt for low volatility slots if:
- you long for entertainment (low volatility games often embrace ingenuous and fun features)
- you wish your entertainment to be virtually never-ending; in other words, your intention is to play for longer
- the budget you possess is quite modest
- you would like to play occasionally and prefer to earn small amounts often
- you don’t want any risks, and playing safe is the aim of the game
Best Low Volatility Slots:
- Starburst by NetEnt
- Jack Hammer 2 by NetEnt
- Thunderstruck II by Microgaming
- Piggy Riches by NetEnt
- Irish Eyes 2 by NextGen
- Blood Suckers II by NetEnt
- Holmes and the Stolen Stones by Yggdrasil
High volatility slots
Fantastically enough, high volatility slots unlock opportunities for winning impressive cash prizes. Hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars can be within reach!
On another side of the coin, however, is the element of high risk, meaning you should be prepared to go through a lot of futile spins until you hit a really big win.
So we advise opting for high volatility slots if:
- your bankroll is beaming with plenty of cash
- you’d categorize yourself as an ‘all or nothing kind of a player. In other words, your appetite for a cash prize is gigantic, and a small reward will not quench it whatsoever
- you are patient and could do with a long time of barren gameplay that costs you decent money
- you are okay with the knowledge that eventually you will either lose all or scoop a massive win
Best High Volatility Slots:
- Dead or Alive by NetEnt
- Reactoonz by Play’ N Go
- 300 Shields by NextGen
- Leprechaun Carol by Pragmatic
- Break Da Bank Again by Microgaming
- Cazino Zeppelin by Yggdrasil
How to pinpoint the volatility of a slot?
Unfortunately, the type of slot volatility is not specified in a game itself. This is why, in order to work it out, you will have to either do some research by browsing the game’s reviews or look at some of a game’s features.
To dwell on this, if a slot’s maximum payout is off a whopping nature, you most likely can categorize it as a high volatility game.
Then, we would also urge you to have a look at a game’s paytable. Specifically, your attention has to be drawn to the payouts for 5 of a kind and 4 of a kind winning combos. If the gap between them is something like 3x – 5x, it suggests that a slot’s variance is low. On the other hand, the 10x-15x gap speaks volumes of a game’s high variance.
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May the best of luck stick with you!
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