The volatility, also known as the variance, indicates the frequency as well as the size of the winnings of a slot machine. It is thus an essential factor to be taken into account in order to understand if a video slot will pay often or not and if the profit one may hope for will potentially be important or not.
A low volatility slot pays frequent yet small winnings. On the other hand, a high volatility slot allows players to make huge wins, but winning combinations are scarcer. What about medium volatility online slots?
A low volatility slot pays frequent yet small winnings. On the other hand, a high volatility slot allows players to make huge wins, but winning combinations are scarcer. What about medium volatility online slots?
First of all, one must be aware that medium volatility is the only variance for which there exists 3 different degrees: the medium low, the medium and the medium high. That is why it suits practically all players.
In this video, we list some of the best high volatility online slots of all time, including Book of Dead, Extra Chilli, Danger High Voltage and others.? Wat. Book of Dead (by Play’n GO) RTP: 96.21%. Released in 2016, this online casino game is now one of the most-played high variance slots. Game of Thrones (by Microgaming) RTP: 95.01%. High volatility slots work in the same way as general slot games. The player simply has to press a button to initiate the slot machine to spin and await the results. Slots games are randomly generated which means that when a player initiates the spin, an integrated Random Number Generator freezes on a random set of numbers and determines which. A high volatility slot game offers very few pay outs, but when the slot game begins to pay, it’ll be very big wins. A good example of high volatility slots are the Progressive Jackpots. Playing the progressives needs a lot of patience and a hefty bankroll.
The medium variance indicates a slot machine which presents the following characteristics:
- A medium payout frequency (more than for high volatility slots). The Hit Frequency being usually higher in medium than in high variance, we say that these machines constitute a more moderate risk in the sense that the likelihood of making winnings during every bet is much higher.
- Medium-value winnings (more important than in low volatility).
Let us not forget that the volatility is a piece of data supplied by the slot provider. It gives us an idea as regards to the frequency and the importance of the overall winnings. Of course, it is also possible to make some massive wins with such a slot and some small wins with a high volatility slot.
What is a medium volatility slot?
As its name suggests, medium volatility slots are a happy medium between low and high volatility.
- On average, the winnings are more important than with a low volatility game and players may even make some big wins if luck is on their side, however they will be less frequent.
- In comparison to a high a volatility slot, the winnings combinations are more numerous and payouts more frequent. These machines display a greater hit frequency and therefore present fewer risks. The winnings are a little less important, and massive wins are usually uncommon, however the player may nonetheless hope for some big wins.
Gonzo’s Quest from Netent, Vikings go Berzerk from Yggdrasil and Jumanji from Netent again are somes examples.
What is a medium-low volatility slot?
A medium low volatility slot displays more frequent payouts that a classic medium volatility slot game but winnings combinations fall less often. These slots have a higher Hit Frequency than the medium ones and equate to lower risk.
Some examples : BerryBurst, Mega Fortune Dreams and also Asgardian Stones.
What is a medium-high volatility slot?
A medium high volatility slot is closer to high group for the sum and the frequency of the winnings is more important than for the medium group. One may obtain big wins and even some huge wins! It therefore targets especially high roller players!
Jack and the Beanstalk and The Wish Master are good examples.
What about RTP (Payout) ?
The Return To Player, more commonly called RTP by british bettors or Payout, presents itself in the form of a percentage. It defines what proportion of the bets wagered in a slot is paid back to players. Thus, an RTP of 96% signifies that 96% of the money wagered goes back to the player in the form of medium-sized winnings when we speak of medium variance.
Starting from this principle, it is by combining a high RTP (over 96.50%) and a medium-high volatility that the chance of winning big are most important in the mid-sized variance category. Kings of Chicago is an excellent example of a medium high volatility slot which displays an important RTP (97.84%). We could also mention The Wish Master and its Payout of 96.65%.
What about Hit frequency ?
We also invite you to take the Hit Frequency into account the Hit Frequency of every machine since the higher the percentage the more winnings round there will be. It can lie anywhere between 15% and 50% however it is generally around 20-30%. A Hit Frequency of 20% implies that on average, 20 bets out of 100 will generate winnings, this figure goes up to 35 bets out of 100 for a Hit Frequency of 35%!
For example, on top of a high volatility and an important RTP, The Wish Master possesses one of the most impressive Hit Frequencies (38.17%). Thus, the potential of this machine is enormous!
Do note that the technical datasheets supplied by the slot providers not only give the general Hit Frequency but also the Hit Frequency for the Free Spins or for the Bonus Game Features for example, which indicates at which average frequency these special features arrive.
Player profile: for whom are these machines ideal?
The online slots which fit into the medium volatility category are aimed at all players, regardless of their profile, and that is precisely what makes them so attractive. Only high roller players who play solely to make massive wins (Bet X…) and enormous jackpots may find that they do not fulfil their needs.
The most successful online slots which are also the most iconic ones fit into the mid-sized variance category. This is notably the case of Vikings Go Berzerk by Netent, Cleopatra by IGT or Immortal Romance by Microgaming.
These online slots have the advantage of frequently paying out interesting winnings, especially the medium-low ones. It is possible to make bets with all kinds of budget, winning rounds are frequent enough for players to maintain their bankroll and for the playing session to be long enough for it to be entertaining and hold out hope for big wins.
Thrill-seeking players who wish to try and obtain some massive wins will focus on the best medium high variance slots. On the other hand, players who want to limit the risks will look at the best medium low games.
Find below great additional and different kinds of medium volatility video slots :
- Blood Suckers 2 – medium low
- Asgardian Stones – medium low
- The Great Albini – medium
- Jack and the Beanstalk – medium high
The biggest trend in online gaming involves highly volatile slots. I often see reviews praising a game that features a 9/10 or 10/10 volatility rating.
I’m not quite sure when high volatility became a universally great thing. The gaming experts and players have apparently spoken, though.
Why is insane volatility the “in” thing these days? I’ll discuss more on volatile slots along with why players love them.
How Does Volatility Impact Slots?
Volatility impacts real money online slots in a few key ways. You should know what you’re getting into before choosing the most-volatile games.
Affects Hit Frequency
Hit frequency refers to how often you can expect to win per round. Some developers actually provide a figure in the info section, such as 25% hit frequency.
Higher win frequency will lead to more overall payouts in a session. Depending upon the type of player you are, you may enjoy winning over and over again.
Volatile slot machines don’t usually offer high hit frequency. A game with a 9/10 or 10/10 rating doesn’t typically see you win more than 20% of the time.
Alters Bankroll Management Strategies
You should always have a set budget that you’re willing to play slots with. A budget, or bankroll, helps ensure that you don’t risk money you can’t afford to lose.
In following responsible bankroll management, you can only bet so much in one session or series of sessions.
Highly volatile slots make it difficult to stretch your money further. You’ll either be dealing with a slot that offers low win frequency or doesn’t pay much when it does deliver wins.
You probably won’t feel the effects of these problems with a big bankroll. However, you normally won’t last long if you have a small roll.
Increases Big Win Potential
Here we come to the big payoff: volatile slots are more likely to deliver bonuses and huge wins. These games may not pay often, but they offer larger top prizes than the average game.
The average online slot features a maximum win worth somewhere between 4,000x and 5,000x your stake. Many volatile games, on the other hand, often feature max prizes worth 10,000x or higher.
If you’re looking for jackpot-type payouts, then you’ll appreciate such slots. You may also trigger more features in these games too.
Why Do Players Love Volatile Slots?
Volatile games won’t hand out prizes left and right. But they do offer a few key benefits that make them extremely popular.
More Features
These days, slots players love lots of action. They want winning combinations exploding (a.k.a. avalanche), animations all over the place, and the potential for many features.
The latter refer to bonuses, such as free spins, respins, expanding wilds, and win multipliers. More available features can lead to bigger payouts and more overall excitement.
The most-volatile slots offer several features. You may even see multiple features in one bonus round too, such as free spins with avalanche, expanding wilds, and a win multiplier.
Bigger Wins
Slots players have been chasing big jackpots since the mid-1900s. Nothing has changed in this regard, because gamblers still like games with serious payout potential.
High volatility normally equates to a large maximum win. An explosive game can pay anywhere from 10,000x to 100,000x your stake (or more).
Of course, you may need to place higher bets to win serious money from these wins. But you’ll find the risk worth the reward if you ever do collect a 50,000x prize, for example.
More Winning Opportunities
Earlier, I mentioned that volatile games don’t usually offer high win frequency. They can, however, give you more opportunities to win in each round.
Slot Volatility Index
How is this the case, though? Here are some ways that volatile slots can offer more chances to win:
- Avalanche – Symbols from winning combinations vanish and new icons take their places.
- Expanding wild – Spreads wild symbols across an entire reel.
- Megaways – Can offer up to 117,649 ways to win (or more).
- More rows – Some games add additional rows (and ways) when certain conditions are met.
Nothing guarantees that these features will lead to high hit frequency. However, they increase the chances of you netting big wins in rounds.
Best High Volatility Slots Stocks
Why Gamblers Should Be Wary of Volatile Games
Huge payouts and more action sound like a great combination in slots. However, you still need to be careful with these games due to the following reasons.
More Dry Spells
Nobody likes experiencing lengthy losing streaks. Unfortunately, volatile slots increase the odds of you going for long stretches without wins.
Even a Megaways slot with avalanche payouts may see you go several rounds without a single payout. You’ll typically find that 117,649 ways, or so, don’t mean much per round.
It helps when you have a big enough bankroll to survive dry spells. Even still, you won’t appreciate those periods when a volatile game fails to deliver a prize for several consecutive spins.
Your Bankroll Doesn’t Stretch as Far
I suggest waiting until you have a large bankroll before playing slots with 10/10 volatility ratings. Otherwise, you won’t get much play from your funds.
High volatility games present problems on one or both of the following fronts:
The first dilemma forces you to suffer through more dry spells. The second problem will see you rack up lots of nickel and dime payouts that don’t do much to cover your overall spin costs.
You may get lucky and stretch your $50 bankroll over the course of many sessions. More likely, though, you won’t get much play out of a small bankroll when dealing with volatile slots.
Most Wins Aren’t Life Changing
Extreme volatility doesn’t necessarily indicate life-changing money. A slot with a 20,000x maximum payout sounds enticing, but the win potential is relative to your bet size.
Sure, you can risk $100 per spin and win $2 million with the maximum prize in this case. The key problem, though, is that you’re betting $100 each round.
What if you scale your wager back to $1, though? You can win $20,000 at the top range, which is a nice prize. However, you can only retire early with this amount when living in the poorest countries.
Why High Volatility Will Remain Popular in Gaming
You can see that slots with insane volatile aren’t entirely perfect. They don’t see you win often and may not even deliver the life-changing money that makes them worth the effort.
The downsides make me question why every slots reviewer acts like high volatility is such a great thing. Volatility isn’t a trait that every player appreciates.
Some gamblers don’t want to see their money vanish within minutes during a bad session. Instead, they’d like to stretch their $20 to $40 for 1-2 hours or longer.
High Volatility Options List
Of course, games with high volatility aren’t popular due to their incredible risk. They’re popular because of what they bring to the table.
A volatile game normally includes several features, a big maximum payout, and more opportunities to win.
You probably aren’t actually going to win big when playing an online slot. However, you’ll appreciate when the potential to do so is there.
The features are what really drive the success of highly volatile slots. They ensure that you have chances to earn serious money and, at the very least, experience lots of action.
Most players are entertained by exploding payouts, expanding symbols, and unique bonuses. Therefore, they appreciate volatile slots that can deliver these elements.
Conclusion
I don’t think that slots reviewers should necessarily use high volatility as a defining point for quality slots. After all, more volatility creates more difficulty in managing your bankroll and winning at slots.
However, volatile games offer what modern slots players want. They feature the prospect of huge wins and several bonuses.
You’re simply going to experience more entertainment when playing these games. You’ll see a lot going on the screen at once due to the various features.
Of course, you still may not want to play a 10/10 volatility slot due to the high risk. But you might be comfortable with games that have an 8/10 rating, for example.