1. Should You Bet The Max On Slot Machines Jackpot
2. Should You Bet The Max On Slot Machines Sold
3. Should You Bet The Max On Slot Machines Play
4. Should You Play Max Bet On Slot Machines
5. Should You Bet Max On Slot Machine

When you are playing video poker games or slot games the general rule of thumb is that you should always bet the maximum amount that the machine will allow you to make. There are a few exceptions to this rule but we will explore those later in this article. For video poker games, the maximum bet is usually anywhere between 5 and 20 coins. For slot machines, the maximum bet can sometimes reach over 100 coins.

Read the rules and paytables on any slot machine you're considering playing. Some do not have a special jackpot, extra spin feature, bonus, etc that require a max bet, but most machines do. Quick Hits is a perfect example - the ONLY way to win one of the 5 jackpots is with max bet - you're totally wasting money if you don't bet max.

The main reason why wagering the maximum amount is smart is that most slot games and video poker games tend to offer bonus payouts or jackpots to those who do so. If you do not bet the maximum amount and you hit one of the jackpot hands or spins, you will not be rewarded with the jackpot prize. This is one of the worst feelings in the world and it is totally avoidable.

This bonus money adds a little bit of value to each spin and you will be missing out on this value if you fail to bet the maximum amount. Your goal as a gambler should be to scoop up as much value as you can so that you can gamble for longer and ultimately have more fun.

Common Excuses

There are a lot of common excuses that people have for why they are not betting the maximum bet each spin or hand. Most of these excuses are based on a misunderstanding or a superstition that can easily be debunked.

We will now take a look at some of these excuses and explain why they are flawed so that you can consciously avoid having these types of thoughts. The best way to maximize the amount of fun that you have per every dollar that you spend is to make the maximum bet and get the highest returns possible.

Excuse #1: “I Can’t Afford It!”

The most important thing that you need to do is make sure that you have a big enough bankroll to cover the maximum bet for a large number of spins or hands. If you do not have enough money to play the maximum bets then you should not be playing on that machine.

One of the best ways around this dilemma is to simply play at lower stakes so that you can comfortably make the maximum bet. If you are already playing on the lowest stakes that your machine has to offer and you still cannot afford the maximum bet, then you should try looking on different machines.

If the casino that you are playing in does not have any lower stakes machines then you are likely to find some at a different casino. There are many casinos that let you play stakes as low as 1 cent per coin, and if this is too much money for you then you probably shouldn’t be gambling at all until you get some more money.

Excuse #2: “I Just Hit a Big Score!”

Some people think that just because they recently hit a huge score that they should avoid making the max bets in anticipation of a cold streak. This way of thinking is based on the “gambler’s fallacy” which incorrectly assumes that if an outcome occurs more frequently than expected over a certain period of time that it will occur less frequently in the near future.

The truth is that the random number generator which controls the outcome of each hand or spin has no idea whether you have won recently or not. Even if you are on the exact same machine where you hit a jackpot, the odds that you will hit it again on the very next spin remain the same as they were before you hit it the first time. Therefore, you should continue betting the maximum amount on every spin no matter what has happened to you in recent hands so that you can scoop up that sweet value.

Excuse #3: “I Want My Money to Last Longer!”

Some players have more than enough money in their bankroll to comfortably bet the maximum amount of coins every hand or spin but they avoid it because they want their money to last longer. In their eyes, this is the safe way to play but in reality, it is the wrong thing to do.

The funny part about this misunderstanding is that betting the maximum WILL make your money last longer in the long run. However, if we are talking about a timeframe of just one day then anything can happen so you should keep in mind that we are talking about a very large sample size of hands or spins.

The reason why your money will last longer if you bet the maximum amount per spin is that you will be losing less money per spin. The extra bonus money which you receive on your jackpot wins will give you more money per spin over the course of millions of spins which means that you will be losing slower.

Excuse #4: “I’m Not Lucky Enough!”

Out of all of the excuses on our list, this one is by far the silliest. Every player has an equal chance at winning in slot machines, and every player who knows the correct strategies for video poker has an equal chance of winning as well.

The only way to actually prove that you are somehow less lucky than everyone else would be to complete millions of spins and compile the data so that you can analyze it. Most people have not come close to playing millions of spins and are basing their luck off of a very small and meaningless sample size.

Whether you consider yourself a lucky person or not you should still make the max bet on every spin or hand. Even if you were less lucky than everyone else is, it makes sense to bet a little bit extra so that your average return per coin will increase.

Exceptions to the Rule

1. The Max Bet Is Higher Than the Bet Amount Where the Bonus Payout Becomes Available

Anyone who is a frequent video poker player will know exactly what we are talking about here. Most slot machines do not normally have any options that are higher than the bet amount where the jackpot becomes available to the player.

For example, if you are playing in a Deuces Wild game you might notice that the Royal Flush payout increases dramatically from 1000 coins to 4000 coins when you up your bet from 4 coins to 5 coins. However, some machines will allow up to 20 coins per spin and there are no more dramatic increases to be found between 5 and 20 coins.

If you happen to be playing on a machine like this, then you do not have to bet the full 20 coins every time. In fact, you don’t need to bet more than 5 coins per hand. There is no extra incentive to do so unless you simply feel like betting more money per spin.

2. Games With No Extra Bonuses

Another exception to the rule occurs when you are playing in a game where there are no extra bonus payouts for betting the maximum amount. These games are actually pretty scarce these days compared to games that offer extra bonus payouts for a max bet.

Due to the lack of a payout bonus for max bets, you can bet whatever amount you want to since the whole point of betting the max amount is to take advantage of the bonus payouts. There is no mathematical difference between betting one coin or betting the maximum amount of coins in these games.

We recommend avoiding these types of games if you are the type of player who likes to bet the maximum amount every hand. Your willingness to make these large bets will serve you better in games where there are bonus payouts rewarded to any max bets.

3. You Don’t Care About Winning

This might seem like a joke, but there are definitely some people who are so rich they don’t care if they win or lose. Some of them even enjoy the act of losing because it barely makes a dent in their bankroll and it makes them feel invincible. There are a plethora of alternative reasons why people don’t care about winning or losing slower, but we don’t want to turn this into a psychology paper.

If you are one of these particular human beings then be our guest and do not make the maximum bet on every spin or hand. This will ensure that you lose more money per spin in the long run, which is exactly what you were hoping for!

What to Remember

You should always make the maximum bet in a video poker game or a slot game as long as you have enough money in your bankroll. The only logical exceptions to this rule are when the specific game that you are playing does not offer bonus payouts on a max bet or if the bonus payout is achievable by paying less than the maximum bet.

Ignoring this rule is going to ensure that you do not get the maximum value out of every coin that you bet. Anyone who hates money will be happy to hear this, but everyone else should be excited about taking advantage of some extra value by making the maximum bet.

Even though the jackpots are rare, claiming this extra money from time to time will allow you to lose less money per spin over the long run. This contributes to the ultimate goal of having as much fun as possible while gambling by allowing you to play for more time per deposit, on average.

It does not matter if you think that you are an unlucky person, or if you think you already used up your luck by hitting a jackpot on a previous spin. The random number generator that decides the outcomes of each spin or hand in slot games and video poker games does not care about who you are or the results of your previous rounds.

The only control that you have over your fate, other than learning a proper strategy for the games that require one, is to make sure that you make the maximum bet for each round. By doing this you will give yourself a chance at hitting a jackpot while simultaneously knowing that it is the logical and mathematically correct play in the long run.

Ever since the first slot machine was made back in 1894, and the subsequent rise to its current popularity, the question, “Should you max bet on a slot machine?”, has been floating around people’s consciousness as players endeavour to find a way to beat the slots.

The recent trend of online gambling has also made this quite the popular question because of the developments of technology, allowing people easy access to play online slots through their personal computers and mobile devices making is available to the masses.

Slot machines are the most popular games offered in land-based and online casinos. Though they offer the lowest odds of all gaming machines, about 95-97% return to player (RTP), these are often allotted the most floor space in any casino venue may it be land-based or online, bringing billions of revenue to casino operators worldwide. To put things in perspective, casino operators online gain about 69% of their revenue from slots while land based operators gain about 83% of their revenue from physical gaming machines (source: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/survey-data/Gambling-industry-statistics.pdf).

Players put millions in slot machines every day in an attempt to hit the jackpot but why is this so? Slots have garnered a following because of their ease of use and player practicality. Slots machines have been easier than ever to play because all the players need to do is to insert currency, spin, and then hope for the best outcome. The same can be said with online casinos as players are able to play by just placing a bet and with a simple push of a button or touch of a screen. Another reason why slots are so popular is that there is no skill required to play slots as a new player has the same chance of winning jackpots as someone who has played slots for many years.

Now back to “Should you max bet on a slot machine?”. The answer: It depends on the game. I’ll explain why this is so and hopefully, I can shed some light on the topic and make you a smarter and more profitable bettor.

Slots – A game of numbers and odds

Slot games mainly deal with odds and random number generators (RNG). RNG ties in with odds in a way because slots are designed to be algorithmically random, dictating the odds of a machine. The RNG makes sure that the symbols required to line up stay completely random but this ties in with odds because odds can be calculated to help you see winning percentages.

Let’s say you have a machine that requires 5 symbols to match in order to get the jackpot. Hypothetically, if you have 5 symbols on each reel of the slot and you need 5 to match up you have a ⅕ chance of showing that symbol, making each reel a ⅕ chance. To hit the same symbol, like a bell, there is a ⅕ x ⅕ x ⅕ x ⅕ x ⅕ = 1/3125 chance or a 0.032% chance.

But it doesn’t look so grim because on this slot there are 5 sets of symbols raising the percentage to .016% meaning that in every £1 played over 625 bets there will be only 1 payout. Return to Player (RTP) now plays a role here. Usually, slots have a 95% RTP, meaning that your 1 out £625 payout just pays about £593, netting a loss. Of course, you also stand to win the jackpot in a couple of spins and walk out very profitable.

Mathematics and max bets

Should You Bet The Max On Slot Machines Jackpot

Many so-called experts have tried to find the solution to the question of max bets and the most common advice they give out is to max out your bets in order to increase your chances of winning and your earnings from a game. Mathematically, max bets mean higher earnings but it isn’t as simple as that because bankroll and odds must be taken into consideration.

A true max bet is placed on the highest bet denomination as possible and these can go as high as a few £100’s per spin. These slots often offer a higher RTP, about 95-97% compared to lower denomination slots which range in the 85-88%. This is where the advice from experts stems from as they are talking about RTP without taking bankroll into consideration.

To put this into perspective, for high denomination slots, in a perfect situation where bankroll isn’t a factor, a player stands to lose 3% of the value of their bets over time. On the other hand, lower denomination slots lower these numbers up to 15%, making players lose a larger amount over time.

Should You Bet The Max On Slot Machines Sold

To take advantage of the RTP and the odds, mathematically, a player can average out winnings by playing longer. But in reality, players must work with budget constraints. If you have a £50 budget to spend and the max bet is £5 per spin, the value of your bet vs time isn’t worth it as you will blow through your budget quickly.

Have a pre-game strategy for max betting

The gun ho ideology has stuck with the majority of players these days, but a smart bettor must think critically. In order to optimise your odds and profits, your bets must be in line with the slot game that you are playing. A winning player must know the game intimately. You should read its menus, study its pay tables, read its terms and conditions for bonuses, and ultimately, acquaint yourself with the slot’s features.

It is far too common to see people place minimum bets all for naught, eventually losing money while increasing the prize pool for other people. The most important thing to bear in mind is to keep track of the slot game’s bet requirements in order to maximise your returns.

Once you’ve picked a specific slot game and read the details behind the fancy graphics which you can see in all our slot reviews, you can then set your budget for that session in order to work out if you can even afford to max bet on every spin.

Max bet on progressive jackpots

Should You Bet The Max On Slot Machines Play

Slot games such as progressive slots are machines that have a jackpot that is not a set amount. There is a display that shows a jackpot that is constantly growing. In this game, you will want to max out your bet in order to meet the requirements to be eligible for the jackpot prize because if you don’t, you will only be growing the jackpot for others to win.

This is especially true for mystery jackpots which must be won when a specific jackpot limit is reached. So keep an eye on the jackpot size and the limit, but don’t bother max betting to qualify if it’s not close to paying out, that’s just a waste!

There are two types of progressive jackpot slots, the stand-alone and the wide-area jackpot slots. A stand-alone slot machine is basically a single machine with a dedicated jackpot. A tip for playing this game is to choose the highest prize jackpot machine. Though its probability of giving out the max prize is similar to the same machines, the jackpot is higher, meaning a higher RTP.

On the other hand, wide-area jackpot slots are slots with networked jackpots connected between slots in different casinos. This is also the case with online casino slots as millions of players are competing to win the jackpot, further increasing the jackpot prize. In these games, it’s always good to remember to place the max bet in order to qualify for the jackpot to get your money’s worth.

Bonuses increase RTP – Place bets accordingly

In terms of playing with the minimum bet, there are machines out there that do not require a max bet in order to qualify for the jackpot prize. In some slots, a certain bet amount must be met in order to qualify for bonus rounds as these rounds will allow players to increase their RTP. These machines are generally called multi-line multi-coin slots.

With these machines, you can choose how many lines you want to play and you can choose how much you want to bet on each line. Though playing these types of slots is entirely possible through minimum bets, the RTP would be very low. In order to boost winnings, players must bet enough in order to take advantage of bonus rounds, which will include additional free spins and mini-games that dramatically increase winnings.

Don’t waste time on straight multiplier slots

Finally, there are slots called Multipliers. There are 2 types of multiplier slots, straight multiplier and modified multiplier. In straight multiplier slots, the payout is raised proportionally. Even if the player is risking money by placing two bets, there is absolutely no benefit from it.

Like for example, a £1 bet is multiplied by 1000 leading to a total prize of £1000 while the max bet of £2 has a prize of £2000. There is no point in placing a max bet as the winnings are the same, you will only deplete your budget quicker. On the other hand, a modified multiplier machine increases the multiplier as you place a max bet but only for the top jackpot.

Let’s say when you bet £1 and the multiplier is 1000, you can get £1000. When you bet £2 the multiplier is raised to 1250 the amount leading to £2500. In essence, the machine is adding an additional £500 incentive for the jackpot prize.

Another example of a common modified multiplier machine is the 3 coin machine where the 1st bet is £1 x 1000 = £1000, the 2nd bet is £2 x 1000 = £2000 while the third bet is £3 x 1000 + £3000 netting you £6000, meaning that the machine is incentivising you an additional £3000 on your 3rd bet. This sounds enticing but it’s only for the top jackpot. So although the jackpots give you a multiplier, you should not place the maximum bet here because the machine will only give out the max prize if you win the top jackpot and let’s be honest, the chances are very slim.

Conclusion – Should you max bet?

Should You Play Max Bet On Slot Machines

Given the randomness of slots, a max bet every 10 spins will allow you to be in with a chance to win the higher prizes but also afford you the chance to play for longer. Always max betting in not affordable on most slots and you will likely blow your budget before a sizeable win.

Max bets do increase your RTP via bonuses and jackpot participation. But in general, balance is at the core of deciding on bets and it can be as simple as looking at the slots, and then identifying if there is a benefit in placing the maximum bet.

Should You Bet Max On Slot Machine

Max betting on slot machines largely depends on the game and the incentives of placing it. If the max bet is out of your budget, there are slots with lower max bets to enjoy. Ultimately, you are the one in control and you should balance your playtime according to your set budget and risk management should be practised as much as possible.