Pros and Cons of High vs Low Volatile Pokies

No other casino game can make you richer as quickly as pokies if you play the right slots. One of the critical indicators of whether you are going to win or lose, and how much you can win is volatility, also known as variance. You have probably heard people talk about low or high volatile pokies when choosing a slot in the casino. But what do they mean?

Volatility, where slot machines are concerned, is the level of risk or uncertainty that a particular slot presents. It is also a combination of three things; frequency of payouts, the amounts paid, and the level of risk. In other words, volatility tells you if the game is a high risk, medium risk or low risk.

Types of Volatility in Slots

High volatile pokies

High variance slots present the most significant risk when playing slots. This means you have higher chances of losing your money. In essence, the payouts are very far apart, and few but the winner will get a windfall.

If you are a 'go big or go home' type of guy, high volatile pokies are perfect for you because they carry the promise of a vast payout one day. The secret is to be patient and persistent knowing at the back of your mind that you may never win.

High variance slots also come with other benefits such as high return to player value, above 97% and lucrative bonus features such as free spins that can help you boost your bankroll as you wait for the big day.

You should play these slots if you have a big bankroll, you enjoy taking risks, you want a huge win, and you don't mind waiting a long time for the win or losing the money altogether.

Low Volatile Pokies

Low variance pokies are less risky because they offer low-value payouts at a faster pace. You can expect to get a small win every ten or so spins, which makes it more enjoyable to play and prolongs your bankroll. That doesn't mean you can't win big money on these slots though, but it won't be as huge as high volatile slots.

If you are new to slots, you have a small budget and don't like to take big risks or wait for long, low volatile pokies are the best. Unfortunately, the small wins here and there can trick you into thinking you are winning when you are actually losing if the wins are lower than the deposits.

How to Determine Volatility

Unlike RTP, casino game developers don't handout volatility information for free. However, you can determine a slot's volatility by playing the game starting with free trials. Studying the paytable for values displayed is also a great option. Any game with huge winnings that are spaced out over time is high variance. At the paytable, check also how the payouts of 4 identical symbols and payout of 5 similar symbols in a payline differ. If the difference is 3 to 5 times, its low volatile, and 10 to 15 times is high volatile.

Lastly, check the bonus intensity; high volatile slots have fewer bonuses with high payouts. Alternatively, you can just checkout our regularly updated slots review page to know everything you need including RTP and volatility.