The odds of any game are always going to be important when deciding which games you play. After all, it’s the chance of winning that ultimately makes your time spent playing the game worthwhile. However, there’s more to an odds ratio than just its significance for your gaming session. It also comes down to what type of game you want to play and how much money you’re willing to spend on it.
The good news is that even though some games are heavier on one side than the other, most casinos will offer you a fair deal when it comes to their slot machines and table games, depending on the location and operator. When looking at slot machine odds, the first factor that immediately comes to mind is payback percentage – after all, how can you make a profit from a game if you keep losing money?
But not all payback percentages are created equal and higher-end casinos will almost always have lower payout percentages than lower-end establishments. That said, several factors affect slot machine payback percentages such as features, design, volatility (the variance in results), frequency of play with different denominations and location.
Is your slot machine offered in all casinos?
If you want to be sure you’re playing on a fair and level playing field, you should make sure you’re playing at a casino that offers all their slot machines at the same odds. This is so you know that what you’re playing is the same as what other players are playing – and not that one casino gives more favourable odds than another. The best thing you can do is find out before you go whether the casino you want to visit offers all of their slot machines at the same odds. If all of their slot machines are not at the same odds, you’re just not going to have the same experience at the casino as other players.
What are the payback percentages for different games?
When it comes to slot machine payback percentages, most will have a range between 90% and 95%. However, these percentages can vary slightly from casino to casino and even between different machines within the same establishment. The only way to know for sure is to ask for the payback percentage for each game offered. Another factor is the type of game. While many slot machines will have the same payback percentages, some table games have lower ones. Furthermore, if you’re playing at a higher-end casino that offers a lower percentage, it’s often because they are cherry-picking the most profitable games.
Slot machine volatility
Another big factor that affects your odds when playing a slot machine is the volatility of the game. The volatility of a game is basically how much the game fluctuates from game to game. You want a game to have a low volatility so that you have a better chance of winning as you stand a better chance of winning a single game than a game with a high volatility.
Slot machine design factors
Before we get into the actual odds on each game, let’s talk about the design factors that affect each of the games. Design factors are things like the number of reels, the paytable and the wager amount that you see when you spin the reels. If any of these factors are different on the machine you’re playing at, you may have better odds or worse odds depending on the design factors.
Table game odds
As with slot machine odds, the odds on a table game are determined by many factors that are out of your control, but there are a few things you can do to increase your odds:
- Play for a longer amount of time – As with slots, if you play for a long time, you’re likely to lose a lot of money.
- Play with a different amount of money – As with slots, if you play with a different amount of money, you’re likely to lose more money than if you play with the same amount of money.
- Play with different denominations – Like with slots, if you play with different denominations you’re likely to lose more money than if you play with the same denominations.
- Play at a higher-end casino – Again, as with slots, higher-end casinos are more likely to offer lower payback percentages.
- Play when the casino is busy – If the casino is busy, your odds of winning are better.
- Play with a lucky streak going – Again, if you’ve been lucky for a while, keep playing.
- Play with skill – If you know how to play and win, you have a better chance at winning than if you play randomly.
- Play with a strategy – Some casinos offer strategy options that allow you to determine how much you play, how often you play, etc. While others offer these as a game customization option.
Conclusion
The best way to make sure you’re playing at the best possible odds is to do your research and play at a high-end casino. You’re more likely to find high-quality games, low-payback games, and better design factors. You can also play at lower-end casinos if you want, but it’s advisable to play at a high-end establishment. Even when you choose the best possible casino, the odds can still be against you. You’ll still have to deal with the ups and downs of the casino business, but you can take steps to improve your odds and make your experience more enjoyable.
