Slot variance is a term branded about by many experienced slots players and online casinos themselves – it can be defined as the risk a particular slot game incurs. As a result, there are low variance slots, medium variance slots and high variance slots. Whist all slots have a different variance or risk, this is not the same as a low, medium or high payout percentage. A high variance slot game but have a low payout percentage – the two are unrelated.
Think of it as this – slot variance can be perceived to be the level of risk you’re taking when playing the particular online slot. If you look at a high variance slot game for example, Great Blue by Playtech, it’s difficult to trigger the bonus round. It will probably eat up a lot of your bankroll or even wipe it completely before you win anything substantial.
However, when you do win, you can expect some pretty big wins. It all depends on the depth of your pockets as a player – if you can afford to take a bigger risk in return for bigger rewards, then high variance slots are for you. If you like smaller, more frequent wins, you should play low variance slots such as IGT’s Monopoly You’re In The Money for example. Your bankroll will last longer with the latter but don’t expect a monster win. Medium variance slots are somewhere in the middle.
Slot variance is something you need to decide – high variance slots can be considered bad for some and great for others. If you want to play for the fun element and want to make your money last, you should play lower variance slot games. If you thrive on taking away a huge sum of money, high variance it is. Furthermore, if you build up your bankroll with lower variance slots, you could try your luck at medium variance slots for bigger rewards. You have to remain in control at all times though and stick to your budget.
Chasing losses is a terrible idea no matter how much money you have – if you see that a slot game isn’t giving a lot back, change slot game and see if anything changes. If you see lots of wins that are small in size, move on to another slot. It’s all about finding the right balance – it’s harder than it looks though. However, if you do win big on any online slot game, cashout so you have something to show for your time on the reels.
To summarise, playing a particular slot game depends on what you want from your experience – if you want big wins, expect to lose lots too and put in a bigger amount of money. If you want to play with a low budget and have fun trying the various features and bonus rounds, stick to low variance slots so you can make the most of your bankroll. To determine what the variance is of a slot game, play a number of spins and make note of the returns. Alternatively, go online and type in the slot game name.
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