Slot Machine Payback Percentage. Understanding how to play slot machines is more than just knowing how to press the spin button. Like anything in life, slots are more fun if you understand something about how they work.Concepts like payback percentage, payout schedules, and RTP (return to player) are essential to understand if you really want to know what you’re doing in a casino. Last year I logged on about 6.30-7am and all the slots were still available. Not very happy that I've got to get up early on a Saturday this year, DH usually gets up with the kids on a Saturday so Tesco have officially ruined my only lie in of the week!!
One of the most debated topics regarding slot machines is max bet and whether or not your should always hit that bet max button. There is no definite answer to the question as it really depends on the game you are playing. In this article we take a comprehensive look at all of the game types and situations and give you recommendations on what is the best way to play.
What is Max Bet?
Just in case you are new to playing slots Max Bet or Maximum Bet is the highest amount of coins or credits you can play in a single spin. For example most classic slots let you play up to three coins per spin - a max bet of three coins. This gets a bit more complicated with video slots - see below for details.
Classic Slots
While max bet is not always necessary you will often find that there is a good reward for betting max. For example you might have a game that pays 1,000 for one coin, 2,000 for two coins and 5,000 for the max of three coins. In this case you get an additional 3,000 coins for just one extra coin bet.
If you are playing a game where all of the jackpots are in proportion then it is totally up to you whether you bet max. For example a game which has a top jackpot of 3,000 for three coin play (Max Bet), a 2,000 coin win for two coins and a 1,000 coin win for one coin. Each coin can win an additional 1,000 coins.
There is one type of classic slots that require max bet. These games are known as Buy A Pay slots. Quite simply they have two or three different pay tables. Each coin activates an additional pay table. If you play less than max bet you cannot win any of the top prizes even if you hit the right symbols.
Progressive Slots
There is one type of slot machine that makes playing max bet an absolute must - games with a progressive jackpot. Almost all progressives require that you bet the maximum number of coins to qualify for the top jackpot. If you play less than max you cannot win the top jackpot.
We don't recommend playing progressives unless you intend to play max. You are much better off going for a non progressive slots. This is because you can hit the top winning combo and in some cases get nothing because you are a few coins short. In other cases you will get a small consolation prize but this is always just a fraction of the main progressive jackpot.
Bonus Feature Slots
On slots with a bonus game there is no set rule as to what to bet. In some cases you will be required to play max to win the jackpot and in some cases you will not have to. Before playing any bonus game slot be sure to read the pay out table to find out if max bet is required.
Free Slots 10x 5x 2x
Multi-line Slots
If you are playing a three reel game with more that one pay line then it is always a good idea to play max bet. This is because in most cases each additional coin activated an additional pay line. Quite often the highest jackpots are only available on certain lines. If you play less than max you cannot win them.
5 Reel and Video Slots
This is where things get interesting as there are so many variations. In general you do not have to play max bet on video slots unless there is a progressive jackpot involved. We suggest playing max lines but not necessarily max bet. This is because on many games you can bet more than one coin per line.
For example a 20 line slot with the option to bet 10 coins per line has a 200 coin max bet. Even at the penny coin size this turns into $2 a spin. In most cases you will be fine with just one coin per line and can therefore play for as little as 20 a spin. There is a minor catch - your jackpots won't be as big.
The reason for this is that wins are multiplied by your bet per line so a game with a 10,000 coins jackpot and a max bet of 10 coins per line can pay a 100,000 coins win at max bet. Playing just one coin per line will yield a 10,000 coins jackpot only. This is a trade off between low bets and bigger wins.
Conclusions
One of the most important tips we can give you is to always spend a moment reading the pay table of the game you are about to play. All pay tables indicate whether or not max bet is required for any jackpots or features. Another good tip is that if you find a game where playing max is needed and the game is too expensive for you try to find the same game with a lower coin size.
There can be a lot of confusion for new slots players when it comes to some of the different betting terms and options available. Here is a look into coin denominations and when you should bet max when playing slots.
Coin denominations
The coin denomination you select on a slot game will reflect the value that each coin you bet will hold, whether it’s 0.01 or 1.00 (or sometimes even more), that is the value of each coin. Think of it as a penny, nickel, dime, etc. If you select a coin denomination of 0.01, then you can consider each coin you play to be equivalent to a penny. Slots that offer 0.01 coin denominations are often referred to as penny slots.
Coin denominations allow for a wider range of slot limits, thus, accommodating a wider range of players’ bankrolls. The value of the coin applied to the number of paylines you’d like to bet, and the number of coins you’d like to wager on each line, will give you the total of your bet amount.
A maximum bet is an optimized bet of all possible paylines wagered at the highest number of coins per line possible. A true Bet Max is set at the highest coin denomination offered. Be careful though as sometimes a max bet can be as high as several hundred dollars per spin, though this is more common in online slots.
Megabucks by IGT is a perfect example of when betting max is essential - if you don't bet max you can't win the huge jackpot
Why bet max?
Bet Max simply means the maximum amount you can bet on a spin. Online slots players also refer to Bet Max as Maximum Bet or Max Bet.
There are many slot games nowadays that incorporate a Bet Max button or tab that automatically places the maximum bet with 1 click.
The reason that betting max is important in slots is because there are numerous games in which the Jackpot or the progressive Jackpot feature can only be won when you bet the maximum.
This can dictate though, whether or not you can afford to play that slot in particular, because if your budget for a slots session is $50 and the maximum bet is $5, you’re not going to get value for money, as unless you run very hot, your kitty will be empty in no time.
You should always bet max when there is a possibility of getting to the free spins or bonus rounds. You should also bet max when you have the sole aim of hitting a progressive jackpot.
A bigger slice of slot pie
High denomination slots have a higher fixed Max Bet than ordinary slots. More so, high denomination slots have higher payouts.
Some slot machines pay out better when you play max bet. For example, on some 3-reel slot machines, if you hit a line of the top-paying symbols you might win (for example) 1,000 credits if you are playing a credit per line. However, if you had been playing maximum credits per line (for example, 3 credits), then the top win might rise to 10,000 credits.
Not betting max is often a big mistake
Generally speaking, it is always best to play the maximum bet when you play slots, whether it's online or in real world casinos. Wins normally pay out at higher multiples and many progressive jackpots can only be won via a max bet. If you have a smaller bankroll, rather than betting less lines or less coins, you should look for games with lower max bets. In the long term, this will be a far more profitable strategy.