Have you ever gotten a full screen or nearly a full screen of a symbol and thought to yourself “I thought that’d be better?” It’s an experience an increasing number of us have had in recent years, and while we can pull examples of this going back a decade or more, it’s certainly increased as the years have gone on.
One player asked more specifically:
I get disappointed in the “wins” on line hits when it isn’t as high as I think it should have been! Example: The 1st Huff n Puff machine: One used to get a pretty decent payback. Current iterations of Huff n Puff, not so much! I mean getting “boss Piggy” as one line, 5 of a kind gets back less than what the bet was! Am I right? lol So, with each “advantage” given to the player (like all line pay; no pay lines, per se) how much is deducted percentage wise for the advantage? I know slots are the most advantageous to the casinos, but….
Carolyn C.
When it comes to game structure, it’s less about whether there’s pay lines or all ways pays structures, but instead more about how the game spreads around its payouts.
When you look at the original Huff N’ Puff, that was an all ways pays game too! But what many players missed (and we analyzed here previously) is that when they added the wheel to Huff N’ More Puff and added a second way to get the bonus, they also watered down the line hits, effectively moving more money into the bonuses.
The biggest challenge for players is it means it can be more expensive to get to a bonus, because you’re not picking up as much with the line hits along the way.
Then you go to Huff N’ Even More Puff, and even more volatility was added by adding the Super Wheel. But they also raised the price of a spin – now you’re paying for the better bonuses with a higher per-spin price, but the line hits didn’t change with the bet size. So now proportionally the line hits are even worse trying to get to those bonuses.
But players play them. They play them a lot. And it’s not just a Huff N’ Puff thing – there’s a lot of progression of money shifting into bonuses. On the more extreme end is a game series like Big Hot Flaming Pots, where the line hits are so anemic that virtually all of the money is in the bonuses. Don’t get a bonus and you’re going to burn through your budget quite efficiently. And those games are doing well too.
For those who miss the days of better line hits and smoother rides, we maintain a Low Volatility slots list here on Flip The Switch, with choices straight from the manufacturers. They include a mix of classic and modern titles to choose from.
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Ironically, the volatility of the games that I play has affected my comp offers several times. I always bring the same amount on a trip for gaming, and usually lose it. I don’t mind that, On a high volatility game, if I run through my money without hitting a bonus twice, I’m usually done and my host politely lets me know,” you didn’t play much.” On a low-volatility game, I can usually run through my money four or five times on a trip and my host comments, “You played a lot on your last trip.” Actually, going home ahead once in a while is nice, but getting a far better set of comps for the same money can be a far more realistic goal. cheers
Really good inside here Scott – lower volatility slots may not allow players to win more if the payback is identical over time, but it can smooth out the ride and reduce the risk of bombing out too quickly, instead allowing you show more play for your host to comp against.