The odds for slot machines are generally mentioned as payback percentages which can range from 1% to 100%. The closer the odds are to 100%, the better are your chances of earning money on the machine. A few machines pay back more than 100%, adding a positive expectation to a win. These are also known as loose slots, are the preferred option of players keen on making big sums of money.
Impact of limits and denominations on odds
Gambling machines come with a number of betting limits that may be as low as 0.01 and as high as 100 credits. The currency you can use for wagering will depend on the country from where you are playing. The denomination will however remain the same. The best odds are typically offered on games in which you can bet with the highest denomination.
Though a lot of players opt for games with small denominations, the money that goes into the machines will be less than that in games with big denomination. For instance, in a game with a denomination of 0.05, 200 players who make 10 bets each will be able to generate only the same amount as one player who makes one bet on a machine with a credit of 100.
As high denomination machines bring in better turnovers than low denomination machines, players get better odds on the former. For example, the average payout in a game with a denomination of 5 will be 98.4%, compared to a machine with a denomination of 0.05, which will have a payout of 92.5%.
Good odds on slot machines with big credit limits
It is possible that your bankroll, if it is small, may not suffice to play for several hours at a 5 credit game. However, you have better odds of earning money on it with the same funds when compared to a 0.05 credit machine. A few players have in the past won big by making just one wager on a high credit machine.
You can find out whether your bankroll will be big enough to play on a gambling machine. You will have to consider the wagering limit of a machine, how many spins you want to play and the duration of the session. For instance, you may play on a machine with a maximum bet limit of three credits. You want to play ten spins every minute, for an hour. On a 0.05 credit machine you will need 6.75 coins, and on a 0.025 machine you will need 26.75 coins. If you play a 1 credit machine, a bankroll of 74 credits will be required. A 5 credit game will need 145 coins.
Effect of virtual reels on slots odds
In the latest machines, the odds are affected by the way their virtual reels have been set up. Every stop on a reel will correspond to at least one virtual reel. The odds of getting an image will depend on the number of virtual reels connected to the stop.
In standard machines, the stop for the top jackpot will correspond to just one virtual stop. The odd of hitting the image that pays out the jackpot is therefore 1:64 on a single reel game. In a three reel machine, the odds go up to 1:262,144. The more reels a game has, the less are the chances of triggering the jackpot.
