Choose Wisely: High vs Low Volatility Slot Games

When you decide to play an online slot, there are tons of factors that come into picking the perfect game. It's common to consider aspects like whether or not you like the look and theme of the game. It's also common to compare special features, bonus rounds and RTP. Another factor many slot players use to evaluate whether or not they wish to play a game is a slots volatility. Now, what is slot volatility, anyway? It's only one of several metrics to take into account when picking a game, but it's far more important than you might realize. In this article, we're going to discuss variance, and whether or not you should be playing a high or low variance slot, covering the pros and cons of both options to better help you evaluate games. The average casino will offer a diverse range of slot games. There are low, medium volatility and high volatility slots.

High Variance Slots

Comprehending slot variance is a key factor when it comes to understanding effective gameplay and making the most out of your slot session, and that's because slot variance will help you understand the payout frequency of a game. Variance is not the same as return to player percentage, because the RTP is the accumulated amount of money a slot pays back over a large amount of times. Now, comparatively high variance slots pay out the same RTP as low and medium volatility slot games a lot of the time.

The Difference Between High Variance and Low Variance Games

If you decide to embark on the journey of playing only high volatility slot machines, you will not receive small or medium sized wins while playing. High variance slot games only pay out larger wins, and they're best suited to players with a bigger budget, who wish to take a risk on a slot game and see if they can land a huge payout. These slots are usually jackpot slots, and offer less high payout symbols, but if these high payout symbols do make an appearance during gameplay, you'll be in store for a huge win. While every punter would prefer to win big, these slots aren't always suited for everyone. If you play in a high volatility slot, you're likely to encounter many losses before landing your first big win.

If your bankroll is on the lower side, low volatility slots are better suited to you. These offer casino game odds that pay out more consistently. These regularly occurring payouts sound great, but keep in mind they'll be significantly smaller than the sort of payouts you'd land on a high volatility slot. Of course, if you're a gambler on a budget it's far better to win small amounts of money than to use up all of your bankroll and not win anything. Many players start out with low volatility slots and slowly work their way up to high variance games. If you bet small and score a bigger win, you can increase your bet size and receive large wins. After that, you can switch to high volatility slots when you want to take more of a risk.

The amount of cash in your bankroll is the deciding factor when it comes to playing high, low or medium variance slots. For example, if you've got $100 to blow, that'll give you about an hour or less on a high variance slot machine, while $100 will give you much longer on a low variance slot. Low variance slots will result in a lot of low variance wins, which could accumulate over time, but high variance slots will either win to big wins or the loss of your bankroll.

You should keep your eyes peeled for low bet slots feature at online casinos, because some low bet slots will also feature large wins if you play for an extended period. Low variance slots payout at best 250x to 500x your bet. On the other hand, high variance cans slots payout 3,000x to 10,000x your wager. Now, there are also medium variance slots, which fall somewhere in the middle. The medium variance slots will pay out a mixture of low and high jackpot prizes.

Deciding Between High and Low Variance Games

It can be tricky to pick which type of slot is the best option for you. Now that you are fully aware of the primary differences in the levels of variance between slots, you have to pick the variance that is best for you. There are some rules of thumb to follow, though. If you're a patient player who plays for the long run, and is willing to wait for big wins and big bonus features, and doesn't mind losing in the short term, high volatility slots are for you. High rollers will prefer these sort of slots.

If you decide to play medium to high variance slot games, you'd better be patient enough to wait for wins which will occur only semi frequently, and also be experienced enough to endure short term losses in exchange for higher valued wins. Similar rules apply to players who choose high volatility slots apply here.

Medium variance slots are best for players prepared to wait for larger wins, but also not opposed to landing smaller wins in the meanwhile to keep their bankroll full. It's best for semi experienced slot players who cannot lose too much in the short term. Low to medium volatility slots are better for players with a limited bankroll. So if you're on a tight budget and you're semi new to slot gambling overall, this is the best option for you. Lastly, if you're interested in taking the least amount of risk possible and still want to play slot games, low volatility slots are ideal for you. It's perfect for impatient players who need nearly immediate wins, however you will be sacrificing the potential for large payouts this way.

Finding The Right Slot

If you're on the hunt for a high variance slot, you'll need to look at the pay table. Oftentimes the information section will tell you what a slot game is considered. However, if for some reason the volatility isn't described, look for less winning symbols. The amount of each symbol that pays will be higher than your average online slot. This type of game will include wilds, scatters and free spins. Once you've found the high volatility slot you'd like to play, you have to set a budget and stick to the budget by managing your bankroll properly. You should also look for a high volatility slot that hosts both high RTP and high volatility. While playing this game, you have to make wise bets, start small and slowly increase your wager as time goes on. Prepare for dry spins and little payouts in the long term.