Is it a Good Idea to Bet the Max in Slots?

Everyone knows that there are no sure fire tricks to winning at slots.  However, there are some strategic actions you can take to maximize your chances to win a little whilst you’re enjoying all the great slots on offer here at Springbok Online Casino.

When to Make the Maximum Bet

It is well known that when you’re playing a progressive jackpot slot, either at a land based casino or at an online casino, you need to bet the maximum in order to qualify for the jackpot.  Many gamers didn’t know this little and vital rule until they read about it in our tips articles.  Since our goal is to maximize your gaming experience, we suggested to all our slots players to consider whether the chance to win an elusive progressive jackpot was worth the investment in all those maximum bets.

It may surprise you to know that slots players are playing for longer stretches since many have become big fans of the non-progressive slots where they can have just as much fun without the need to bet the maximum all the time.

Should I Bet the Maximum at a Non-Progressive Slot?

The answer lies in your individual bankroll and your gaming personality.  Some gamers like to bet the max because it raises the excitement level for them.  If that is your nature go for it!  Many other gamers simply enjoy playing slots.  We have found that many slots gamers at Springbok go from slot to slot as they like to sample many different slots in any single gaming session.

These gamers generally like to play the slots and are happy to bet the minimum rather than the maximum.

When is it Statistically Okay to Bet the Maximum?

The key is to look at a maximum bet strictly for its ability to give you a statistical edge over making a smaller bet. 

Before we get to times that it’s statistically a good idea to make the maximum bet, let’s look at some cases where it isn’t statistically a good bet.  In all these examples, if you really like making the maximum bet, you’re certainly welcome to do so.  As far as gaming tips are concerned, if your primary goal is to have fun playing slots and preserving your bankroll at the same time, here are a few examples of cases where making less than the maximum bet might be your best bet.

Straight Multipliers

In these games, the payout for a maximum bet is a simple straightforward multiplier from the payout for any smaller bet.  In these slots games, if you’re trying to preserve your bankroll for the long run, make smaller bets.

Modified Multiplier

In these slots, there is a benefit to making the maximum bet: when you win the top jackpot.  Most analysts say that if you like to play for the top jackpot, you should play a progressive slot where you also have to make the maximum bet to qualify for the progressive jackpot.

In modified multiplier games, you also get a benefit from winning the top jackpot but it isn’t at the level of a progressive jackpot and therefore, you would be much better off statistically making the maximum bet in a progressive jackpot game if you want to pursue the biggest possible payoff as against stretching your gaming time and conserving your bankroll.

So, rather than make the maximum bet in a modified multiplier game, we suggest you play a progressive slot instead.

Buy a Pay Games

These are slots that activate more combinations as you raise your bet.  These are usually slots with three betting tiers.  The increase between the lowest tier and the second tier is far greater than the increase from the second tier to the maximum bet tier.  So, if you’re playing a buy a pay slots game, we suggest making the middle sized bet.

Stand Alone Progressive Jackpots

These are slots that you might find at a land based casino.  There are several progressive slots that are exactly the same game but each slot runs its own progressive jackpot.  As we stated earlier, in a progressive slot, you have to make the max bet to qualify for the progressive jackpot. 

When there are a few stand alone progressive slots that are the exact same game except for the size of each individual jackpot, we recommend that you wait until the game with the highest jackpot become available.  There is really no reason to accept a 10% or more reduction in the size of the jackpot by playing one of these slots with a lower jackpot.  Keep in mind that the size of the jackpot varies based on the number of bets made on that machine.

The Biggest Jackpots

The highest progressive jackpots come about either through the game developer’s network all over the world or the interconnection of slots across a geographical area.  At Springbok Casino, we offer progressive slots that collect pennies on each bet from every player around the world.

In such gambling centres as Las Vegas, the progressive might be simply an interconnected slot throughout the many local casinos.  If you want to play for a massive progressive slot, you should and must make the maximum bet.

You should keep in mind that the average return to payer rate at massive progressive slots is quite a bit lower than the return to player rate at regular, non-progressive slots.

Multiple Lines

These days, almost all video slots have many pay lines.  Some go as high as 90 pay lines or more.  You can choose to play as many pay lines as you want.  In addition, you can choose to bet different amounts on different pay lines.

We all know that the best payouts come from the bonus rounds.  In some of these multiple line slots, usually found at land based casinos, you might have to make an extra bet to qualify for the bonus round.  In these slots, you don’t have to bet all the pay lines but as to the pay lines you do bet on, you should bet the maximum.

Be Sure of the Rules

At Springbok Online Casino, we want every gamer to know exactly what the rules are for every game they play, slots or otherwise.  If at any time you are not fully sure what the gaming rules are for a specific game that you want to pay, please contact us at our customer service desk by way of chat, email, or toll free telephone number for South African players.