One of the first things you’ll notice when playing slots at an online casino is that they’ll give you a choice between low, medium and high variance slot machines. This refers to the amount of risk associated with each slot, and it’s important to understand the variance of a slot before you play it so that you can play in a way that increases your chances of winning.

Low Variance Slots

As the name implies, low variance slots are low-risk, which means they can only offer small wins. Pair that with the fact that your bankroll will see a gradual and automatic decrease over time, and you’ll understand why this slot is only popular with beginners. For the experienced player that’s looking to win big and play an exciting game, this slot is not it.

But, the good thing about low variance slots is that you can play them for extended periods of time and they’re really good for wagering casino bonuses.

Of course with low risk comes low reward. But the upside of this is that unlike high-paying medium and high variance slots that can drain your account at any time, low variance slots give you regular low-value payouts that keep your account active for longer.

High Variance Slots

When considering high variance slots the phrase “with big risk comes great reward” comes to mind. That’s because high variance slots are quite versatile but playing them will definitely increase your chances of getting that big win.

The only downside is that you must be willing to take the “L” a few times before you see the Promised Land. Of course, the house will always win so while it might be tempting to play for longer in order to increase your chances of winning big, you’ll also risk giving the casino an added edge.

That’s why it’s advisable to always cash out while the going’s good when playing high variance slots. According to users, the gamblingmetropolis slots list has some of the best high variance slot games you can hope for.

Medium Variance Slots

It’s worth mentioning here that if you don’t see yourself going through the extremes of high or low variance slots, there’s a middle option in available in the form of medium variance slots.

Medium variance slots are probably the most common and popular out the three options because they’re right in the middle. This makes them suitable for bold beginners and seasoned players alike.

Although medium variance slots are not as challenging as their high variance counterparts, they’re fairly exciting to play. They also offer you a choice between low and high jackpot amounts, as well as bonus game features where you can win high or low amounts of cash depending on your risk tolerance per game.

Is it possible to regulate slot machine variance?

Interestingly enough, most casinos don’t openly display the variance levels of their slot machines. That’s why you need to check the machine’s paytable. Here’s how:

• Look at the various combinations available and compare them with the ratio of wins.
• Try and figure out the possible payout amount for hitting the same icon 3 or 4 times. Then, compare this to the payout for a 5 icon combination.
• If the machine says that you stand to get 10 times more for a 5 icon match than you would for a 3 or 4 icon combination, then you’re dealing with a high variance slot.
• The difference with low variance slots is that there’s little difference between the payout of a 5 icon win and that of a 3 or 4 icon combination win.

 

While this sounds simple enough, you might want to see it in action first without playing with real money. Luckily, most online casinos nowadays offer demo accounts where you can play slots with virtual money.

Not only is this a great way to familiarize yourself with the slot machine, but it allows you to determine whether the slot you’re playing is a low or high variance machine. You’ll be glad to know that there’s no difference between a game played on a real machine and a virtual machine. They both offer the same game play and variance levels.

How to decide if you’re a high or low variance player?

Some of the factors that will help answer this question include:

• The amount of money you’re playing with.
• Your level of patience when playing at a slot machine.
• Your budget and disposal income.
• If you have a lot of disposable income and patience to spare, then you’re well suited to a high variance machine.
• If you only have a few pounds or dollars to spare and not enough time to spend at each slot machine then you should go for low variance slots.

 

Now, it’s important that you go through the checklist shown above so you can figure out what kind of player you are and how much risk you can handle. At the end of the day, you want a slot that meets your needs and appeals to your personality type.

Consider the slot’s features as well, such as fixed coin values, jackpots, bonus games and themes which you may or may not like. All of this contributes to how the slot is created and will have an impact on the gameplay as well.

Conclusion

The term “variance” is used to describe the amount of wins that a player can expect from a particular slot machine. If it says “low variance” then you can expect regular wins, albeit in small payout amounts. If it says “high variance” you should gear up for a long game of multiple tries where you only get one or two wins every now and then, but with big payout amounts.

So, the one you pick will depend on your risk tolerance, your patience levels and how much money you’re willing to lose before you finally win out.