High Limit VS. Low Limit

I am proud to announce that this weeks blog is written by guest writer, and Rudies Member, Joshua O'Connell from KnowYourSlots.com.

Slot players are a diverse bunch. Not only do we like to play different types of games, but we also like to play at different bet levels. So, in today’s post I’ll share with you some thoughts to consider when you are trying to decide between low limit and high limit play.

Payout Percentages
As mentioned here by Brian in the past, Payout Percentages will tend to be higher on a higher denomination machine than a lower limit one.

Remember that a single session could be better or worse; short term luck can always sway things temporarily. Get a handpay and you’ll have done way over the average! Lots of dead spins and you’ll be under. But play it enough, and slowly it’ll start to average out. And playing on a high limit machine will almost always be a (pardon the pun) better bet.

Progressives
I’ve had players ask me if it’s worth playing high limit because of the higher progressives. A $5 bet on high limit with a $100,000 starting grand on Lightning Link is not the same chance as a $5 bet on a low-limit $10,000 starting grand. It matters even more on the smaller progressives, but let’s focus on the grand first.

With a $5 bet, if you’re playing a low-limit Lightning Link you’re betting 10 times above the minimum bet. That means that, for the Major and Grand, you’re getting a better chance at them than you would a 50 cent bet, for instance. The minor starts at 100x your bet and caps at 200x your bet in a normal scenario, not that out of reach with enough play.

Compare that to a $5 bet on a high limit machine. You are now betting minimum bet on that machine. Your major is 1,000-2,000x your bet, depending on where it is in the climb to its maximum amount. That will be challenging to secure. But when you do, it’ll be a massive handpay!
For another example, consider Dancing Drums. Max bet is $8.80 a spin on pennies. At max bet you will close the pot more frequently and have a better chance at a progressive. Play the same bet on a high limit Dancing Drums on dimes, and you’ll be betting minimum bet (presuming all 5 gold symbols are active). So on dimes, you will close the pot much less often, but when you do, you’ll have access to progressives roughly 10 times as big.

At the end of the day it’s a volatility choice. If you play high limit, you will not hit the progressives as often, but you’ll get bigger ones when you do. But on lower limit, you’ll get progressives more often with a similar bet, but each progressive will be worth less. They should, in the long term, average out to be similar, with higher limit being a touch higher thanks to the payback percentage.

Line Hits
Line hits is the one place where things generally don’t differ on many games. For Dancing Drums, playing $8.80 a spin on high limit should yield an identical payout on the same line hit as an $8.80 bet on pennies on low limit. In those cases, it’s a wash.

But on a game like Lightning Link, check the lines. On a low-limit game, if you’re playing $5 a spin on dimes, you’re probably getting 25 lines. So each line pays more, but there’s less lines you can hit. Once again, you’re dealing with a higher volatility potential.

Compare that now to a $5 bet on a dime denomination in high limit, and you will likely see 50 lines – twice as many lines, and the payouts will be half that of the low-limit dime denomination. More lines tend to be less volatile as you’ll hit something more often. So not only will the high limit version give you the chances for a higher overall payback, but you won’t have as much volatility. That can be valuable on a game as tough as Lightning Link.

So, What Should You Play?
I always recommend games with higher payback over lower limit, even if the chances for a progressive shifts. So here are my recommendations from best to worst, using the Lightning Link example provided throughout this article:

1. High Limit Lightning Link, dimes, $5 a spin (minimum bet)
2. Low Limit Lightning Link, dimes, $5 a spin (minimum bet at that denomination)
3. Low Limit Lightning Link, pennies, $5 a spin (max bet at that denomination)

The above gives you the best chances payback wise. And, with the high limit option, you may lower your volatility.

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Joshua O’Connell is the founder and creator of Know Your Slots, a website that aims to educate about slots, advantage play and casino comps. He’s a slot enthusiast and a proud member of the Rudies since launch.

Thank you so much Josh for that insightful blog! If you would like to be a guest writer for BCSlots.com, kindly send us an E-mail.