ShareIf you just play slots casually then you probably don’t put too much thought into strategies and bankroll management but if you are someone who takes your casino playing as seriously as your personal finances, then you will no doubt be a strong believer in applying strategies.
Managing your bankroll effectively can have a significant impact on your long-term gambling performance and you will have lots of decisions to make to ensure that your gambling activities align with how you want to manage your bankroll.
One such decision is whether to focus more on high volatility or high stakes. It is possible to combine the two but the problem with that is it can quickly deplete your funds without having anything to show for your efforts.
Therefore, choosing between the two is the strategic approach that most gamblers will opt for. There is also the option to choose medium volatility slots and medium sized stakes, to provide a balance.
We explore the pros and cons of the different options and how each combination might better suit your bankroll:
What is High Volatility?
Volatility refers to the frequency that a slot pays out and the size of the payouts. High volatility slots are ones that tend to have larger payouts but they are considerably less frequent than low volatility slots. You can check on the online casino site to view the volatility for the different slots on offer or you can read online review sites, which will give you an overview of details including the volatility.
When you play high volatility slots, you have to be patient as it is unlikely that you will hit a decent win early on. You might even go long times without picking up any wins, which can be frustrating. If you are placing high stakes on high volatility games, there is a large risk and you might stake a significant amount of money and not see any winnings for some time.
What are High Stakes?
High stakes are bet amounts that are usually a lot larger than the minimum stakes accepted for the slot. What you define as high stakes will be different to what other people consider to be high stakes, as it depends on availability of funds and what you personally perceive to be a maximum amount that you are prepared to bet on a single spin.
If you like to keep your gambling spending low then high stakes gambling is probably too risky for you to enjoy but many players choose high stakes because of the huge dopamine hit that is achieved when they receive a large win.
However, if you play with larger stakes and choose a low volatility game, you should see that you get some regular decent sized wins to boost your funds.
Which is Better: High Volatility or High Stakes?
This depends on what your priorities are. If you want to extend your playing time, you should stick with lower stakes to stretch your money out for longer. If you combine this with low volatility, you should experience small but frequent wins, which for many bettors keeps the game more interesting and engaging. You’ll get a small dose of dopamine every time you win, and this type of bankroll management suits people with a low risk appetite and a smaller bankroll to play with.
Combining low volatility with high stakes takes the excitement of wins up a few notches, but your session length will be shorter because you will play through your money faster.
For people with larger bankrolls, placing low stakes on high volatility slots is often the preferred style of bankroll management. You might go long periods without a win but your playing time will be much longer.
Choosing your combination of stake amount and volatility preference won’t affect odds but it does impact your session length and the amount of risk you are taking when playing slot games. Players who are risk takers and are searching for a more intense casino playing experience will usually get more enjoyment by upping their stakes. But if you quickly get disheartened by suffering dry periods, you are probably more suited to playing low volatility slots with either small or medium stakes.
Another factor to consider when you are choosing your slots is the RTP (Return to Player) rate. The games with higher RTP of around 96% to 98% should, in theory, provide you with better returns, particularly over the long-term.
Which strategy you choose will be determined by factors such as how much money you are happy to spend on your gambling, as well as which level of risk suits your personality and comfortability the most.
