There are several ways to classify slot games. From numbers of reels to standard and progressive slots, this type of entertainment is very diverse in numerous ways. Experienced players are already familiar with multiple criteria and concepts that serve for differentiation of slot games.
When we wish to learn more about the game, usually most of the information about the game we find inside the game’s settings section.
However, sometimes it can happen that one piece of information is not displayed there but can be found in reviews of that specific game. That little piece of information refers to volatility, a concept most players have heard of, but not quite fully understand.
So, what is volatility and how is it important for the players?
The Concept and the Term
Volatility refers to the level of risk for wins. To put it simply, volatility, or variance, indicates to the players how often they can expect wins, and how big they’ll be.
Games can have a low, medium, and high level of volatility.The main difference between them is the frequency and size of the wins. Both low and highly volatile games are present equally in the industry.
Choosing which game you’ll play depends on the type of player you are – if you like riskier playtime you’ll want to explore the high volatility games, whereas lower levels of variance are appealing to players who are there to simply enjoy and occasionally score some cash.
Both types have its benefits, and in just a moment we’ll elaborate on both.
Low Volatility
Slots that bear a lower level of volatility are the games where wins are quite frequent. Every two or three spins winning combinations will land on the reels, signaling to the player that they have won a certain prize. Now, when there are frequent wins, we cannot expect them to be big, or at least not all of them.
That is why wins in these slots are smaller compared to hits won in games with higher volatility. Players will have a chance to score quite often, all the while being kept entertained with colourful designs and interesting special features.
Low volatility games are intended for players who just enjoy the game, playing for fun where wins just serve to spice up the playing experience. However, that still doesn’t mean that significantly bigger wins aren’t expected at all. Sometimes they can appear as well.
High Volatility
On the other side of the spectrum stand games with high volatility. Considered a complete opposite of low-level games, they yield significantly bigger prizes but very, very rarely.
The main point with these games is the risk. Highly volatile games include bigger risks as players place larger bets in order to win bigger amounts. But, here comes a twist – they happen seldom. Sometimes players can spend a lot of time spinning without a hint of a win, and then luck strikes – a massive win arrives.
This way they usually cover everything they’ve lost during previous spins, but you can see why it is risky. What happens if the win doesn’t occur?
This is why such games require a lot of patience and a big bankroll. Players simply shouldn’t enter such games if they are not prepared to spend some time and money there before they get lucky.
Medium Volatility
These games represent the golden mark between the low and high variance games.
The wins happen more often and they’re slightly bigger but the fluctuations between the wins are slightly unpredictable and bring a great level of uncertainty as well.
In the end, the factor that should guide you in choosing what type of games you’ll play should be your bankroll. If you have patience and money to spare, try your hand with the riskier games, but if you wish to relax and play for fun- simple, risk-free games are just what you need.