Are you looking to blow off some steam and get paid handsomely while at it? Then we recommend you try your hand at online pokies. These fruit machine games have been around for decades and keep improving.
So the all-important question is how you can make a pokies payout? We have this question, and some others answered below that are sure to make you better placed to understand this amazing game.
What is the Return to Player of a Pokie?
The return to player (RTP) is one of the most important terms that any player should learn and understand. The return to player is a figure expressed as a percentage and will, in most cases, be displayed on the payout table.
If you start with a bankroll of $100 after you play one spin with a pokies machine of 92% RTP, you expect to receive $92 returned to your payroll.
It is important to know that the RTP is more of a guide than a fixed figure. Before you start any game, you should note the RTP written on the pokies machine, which can be high, medium or low.
You should be aware that the RTP and variance work closely together and that the whole pokies game is automatically controlled by a random number generator (RNG). The RNG ensures that the game is completely fair and there is no possible external manipulation that can affect the winnings for the benefit of the player or the casino.
There are three main types of RTPs, namely theoretical, actual and expected. The word theoretical is used to mean that there is no guarantee that the payout for each game will be as explicitly stated for each game.
For example, it is possible to make one spin and get a 0% RTP, but the consecutive spin gets more than 100% RTP. The combination of all the RTP from the total spins you have played in a single pokies game determines how much payout you get in the end. However, fear not because there is also a ray of hope known as the expected RTP.
Expected RTP is what each pokies game is designed to compensate the player at the end of each spin. The expected RTP varies from one game to the next.
Actual RTP is a wild card that varies vastly for or against your benefit because it can increase more than the theoretical RTP, even increasing as far as in the thousands.
How do I find a loose pokies machine? This seems to be one of the most frequently asked questions when players decide which pokies to play. In casino terms, a loose pokie is what players refer to as a machine that supposedly pays out a higher percentage than the average.
It is common to hear that a slot machine is loose because some players believe that a pokie that has been around for a while is guaranteed to increase their bankroll. This is not a viable statement because pokies are controlled by a random number generator, making them a game of pure chance and luck.
There is no scientific proof that there is a pokie that can be precisely determined as loose and thus offers a bigger payout. Reports from online pokies players that doubt the automation and randomness of the results are unfounded and thus not of much use.
How to Make Pokies Pay Out?
It would help if you remembered that pokies is a game of combinations, and you are looking for a winning combination as dictated by the game. Since Augustus Fey invented the first pokies machine in 1887, people have been looking to make winning combinations to cash out.
You need to familiarize yourself with some terms to know how pokies payout works. These important terms include;
- Reels
These are the columns that represent every symbol in a game and are controlled by the random number generator. Most pokies machines will utilize five reels.
- Rows
These are the horizontal lines on which symbols lie. They work in conjunction with reels to help the player determine whether the combination falls on the pay line or not.
- Paylines
The slot line where the symbols need to lie horizontally and vertically so that the combination can be considered a win is called the payline. The payline is predetermined in each slot game and remains in place during a spin.
- Symbols
Symbols are the icons used in each game, and the most common ones used in pokies are fruits. There are also other special symbols that you need to be aware of that affect the game and can be used to your advantage.
The most significant include sticky, wild, multiplier and scatter symbols. Each of these can be sued by a player to ensure a bigger payout.
So, with these three terms defined, you can qualify pokies payout to be valid when the symbols in the reels and rows line up on the payline. While most pokies require that symbols land on a single payline, some call for a different approach, such as cluster pays.
Players are encouraged to learn how each game is designed to work, which helps to avoid confusion and misconduct. The types of symbols and pay lines determine the payout greatly because not all work the same.
Australian Pokies Payout RTP ?
As a general rule, pokies in Australia are required to have an RTP percentage of between 85% and 90 %. We offer a disclaimer here that this rule does not mean that you can automatically expect a payout of 90% on your wager for a poker machine with a 90% RTP.
This is because the RTP is a mathematical equation whose payout probabilities are determined over millions of spins.
Pokies Payout Rate ?
On an online casino, the payout rate for each pokies machine is determined primarily by the stated volatility. You can expect high volatility to have a high-risk and high-reward situation. High volatility and, thus, a high payout rate are most useful and recommended for seasoned players.
One of the main risks of playing a high-volatility game is that you can deplete your bankroll quite fast in case of a loss. This can be quite discouraging and confusing for novice players, which may make them averse to pokies from then on.
The pokies payout rate will be listed on the paytable, and in a game where it is not listed, you can easily check for the rate online. Beginners are also advised to utilize all the free trials a game offers because they can better understand the expected payout and other details that may affect the pokies' payout rate.
What is the Volatility of a Pokie ?
The main word you should pay attention to here is variance. For the passionate and avid player or even for the beginners, you will soon realize that there is a common term used in online or land-based casinos, which is volatility. Essentially, variance and volatility mean the same thing as far as determining a pokies payout rate is concerned.
Pokies can either have high, medium or low volatility. The volatility is a great indicator of how risky a game is and is a particularly useful skill to have for pokies players.
A high-volatility pokies game presents a higher risk of losing your wager, and the opposite is true for low-volatility pokies.
In simpler terms, the volatility of a pokie determines how often a spin triggers a win and how big the win is. The best way to explain volatility is with a popular pokie such as roulette. In roulette, a player is free to bet on adjacent, single or rows of numbers. Alternatively, players are also allowed to play even, colour or odd numbers.
The choice is left to the player because the game's volatility is determined by how you choose to play.
If you choose to wager on a single number, your odds are 35 to 1, making this pokie a high-volatility game. If you choose to bet on two different colours, your odds are 18 for each colour, where you can win double or nothing, which essentially makes this pokie a low volatility game.
The lower the volatility, the higher your chances of winning but the lower the payout. In a sense, you are choosing to take a small payout with the aim of combining your winnings at the end. Low volatility pokies are generally a great idea for people who are new to a game, want to play longer and make smaller loses or wins.
After this explanation of volatility or variance, you can now understand how it relates to the RTP and how one depends on the other. Low RTPs are also referred to as low volatile games, and vice versa is true.
A couple of ways to determine the volatility of a game include;
- Playing the game and determining whether the volatility is high or low as per your expertise. It is advised to use the free trials if this is your strategy to determine volatility.
- The RTP is also a proven way to determine how volatile a game is.
- The bonus features availed for each game are a great indicator of how volatile the pokie is. For most of the pokies, you will find that the bonus features add to the game's volatility because the payout is also increased.
As per the information above, it is quite clear that there are set ways in which a player can make pokies payout. It is also clear that some of the half-truths that circulate among pokie players, such as finding a loose pokie or shaking the pokie, are unsubstantiated and ineffective.
With a bit more research, you will understand the game and what needs to be done to increase your odds of a good pokies payout.