We get a lot of hypothetical questions about slots, particularly about whether certain events would happen on different bets. Here’s a typical example:
Last year I was at a casino. I put $20 in the Sweet Tweet slot machine and did 2 cent denom…. I hit the Grand Jackpot for $11,000+. My question is do you think I would have hit it with a 1 cent denomination or higher bet? Or was it programmed to go off at the 2 cent denom?
Paul
It’s a lot harder to answer this question than it used to be, in part because there’s all sorts of variables that are introduced into modern slots that didn’t exist in an earlier era. Nowadays, it might, or it might not. Here’s what we do know.
Jackpots Aren’t Programmed to Go Off On a Certain Denom
Nowadays, the top prize is generally available on any bet. As your total bet increases, regardless of denomination, so do your chances of winning them. The way these chances are factored in is in the outcomes available at any given bet level and denomination. But those outcomes are in existence on any bet level.
So if you did a different bet on 1 cent vs. 2 cent, that could be one variable that could change which outcome would come out. But even if you did the same bet, the outcomes could differ.
The Game Can Vary Slightly Per Denomination
When you see things like a change in total lines when you switch denominations, there can be other tweaks going on that change the range of outcomes available. This doesn’t often happen changing between 1 cent and 2 cent denominations – oftentimes they’re similar – but there are examples where it does change, like Dollar Storm, where you go from 100 lines to 50.
As a result, that can introduce changes that may lead to a different outcome.
The Payback Percentage Can Vary Per Denomination
Casinos have the option of having different payback levels on different denominations. And some manufacturers purposely build a stepladder of payback options as the denominations grow. When payback percentages differ, so can the range of outcomes, and that can change what outcome would have come out at that time.
Takeaway
We can’t really know if the same outcome would have happened under any other scenario, because games are sufficiently complex now that it’s not a guarantee. We also as players sometimes obsess about the what ifs without much to gain (except some fun times chewing on the idea), but fortunately in your case you got the top payout, and you can literally take that one to the bank!
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I’ve hit “Mini”, “Minor” and even “Major” progressives on $1 (or lower) bets before, but it seems the only times I’ve ever hit a “Super” or “Maxi” jackpot, I was betting $30-$40 per spin. I did hit a “Grand” once on a $2.50 bet (playing “The Vault), and it paid just under $6,000. I’ve also gotten lucky on Buffalo series games betting $3.75 or so and then winning $1,000 – $3,000.
Good to see you HT! It’s of course easier to hit the big progressives on higher bets, but that’s a good grand you managed on just $2.50 – we’ve got our one Grand at a $1 bet and that’s probably a once in a lifetime scenario. But we have a friend in the community who’s hit three Megas on Fire Link all at $6 bets and all in a six month or so period – we think there’s some sorcery going on :)