One of the most popular topics on the site is our list of low volatility slots – as slots get harder, some players want games that are a smoother ride, at least a portion of the time! But it’s not always clear what slot is a low or high volatility option without exploring it a bit, and sometimes even playing it a little bit.
The same goes for hit frequency, a term which means how often (as a percentage) line hits will occur on a slot. This leads to today’s question, which strikes at one potential trait of a lower volatility slot:
Are there slots that use LESS characters than others? I would imagine the less amount of characters the more chance of line hits? Or does it not matter?
Sac J.
The number of pay table symbols on the reels can certainly have an impact on the frequency of line hits.
Older slot machines tended to have less symbols overall than current ones do, and that doesn’t factor in the prevalence of multiple bonus symbol types, cash on reels symbols that require a certain number or a special symbol to even engage them, and so on.
Less symbols don’t automatically mean lower volatility – other design decisions such as whether symbols are clumped or stacked can yield other complications, like stacks of one symbol blocking stacks of another from generating a win. We share elsewhere ways to tell if a slot is lower volatility.
Another aspect that can help is the concept of mixed symbols – multiple, similar symbols that pay together, even if not an exact match. The classic slots example is bars and 7s, and the ability for multiple colored 7s symbols or multiple types of bars paying something for lining up, albeit a smaller win than if three of a kind showed up.
A great example of this sort of format is Double Top Dollar – there are three different bar symbols, but three of any bar symbol on a pay line pays something, with three of the same bar symbols paying more.
The other thing to consider is less symbols could mean more line hits, but the potential for smaller wins because of that higher hit frequency. More line hits itself doesn’t mean you’re going to win more over time – the payback percentage under the hood could be identical to a slot with more symbols, and that money is simply distributed in a different way.
All that said it’s still helpful information and certainly is a positive indicator that line hits are more plentiful. And if that’s an element that gets you excited about playing a slot, it’s worth a check of the rules to see if it’s structured that way!
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