Tien Len is an exciting and fun Vietnamese card game for four players. While somewhat similar to the game Big Two, Tien Len uses a different grouping of allowable play combinations as well as many other discrepancies from Big Two and some of its popular variations. This game also goes by a number of other names including Thirteen, Vietnamese Cards and Jamel Patel. Although best for four players there are also variations of this game for more or fewer players which will be described in detail in the variations section below.
Players, Deck and the Deal
This game uses the standard deck of 52 cards which rank in the following order, from highest to lowest; 2, Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3. In addition to this ranking by denomination, the suits are also ranked in the following order, also from highest to lowest; Hearts (♥), Diamonds (♦), Clubs (♣) then Spades (♠). This suit ranking usually only comes into play when comparing cards of the same numerical ranking. The ultimate objective of Tien Len is to be the first player to empty his hand of all his cards.
The dealer can be determined using any of the standard methods such as cutting for highest card. The ranking of the cards revealed in this cut is identical to that given above for the standard ranking of cards in the game itself. If multiple players cut cards of the same numeric ranking, the suit ranking is then used to determine the highest of these identically ranked cards. Once the dealer is determined the dealer would shuffle the cards and offer the deck to the player to his immediate left for the cut. If this player declines the cut, the dealer himself should perform the cut. After the cut, the dealer then begins dealing the cards in a counter-clockwise direction, starting with the player to the dealers immediate right. Each player will receive one card face down in front of him. The dealer continues dealing in this manner around the table until each player has 13 cards on the table in front of him. The loser of the previous hand becomes the dealer for the next hand.
Play of the Hand
After the cards are dealt, play begins. On the first hand, the player who holds the three of spades is given the first opportunity to play. After the first hand, the winner of the last hand is given the opportunity to play first and his first play need not contain any particular card or cards. If any player holds all four deuces, he plays them immediately to the center of the table and is declared the winner of the hand.
For the first play of the first hand, the player may play any legal combination (either as a solo card or another combination), but it must contain the three of Spades. After the first player makes his play, the turn rotates around the table in a counter-clockwise direction from player to player. The next player in turn attempts to play cards of a higher combination than that previously played to the table. His combination played must contain the same number of cards and be of the same type as that of the previous play. If he does not have (or does not want to play) such a higher combination, he must pass, and the turn moves to the next player in rotation who attempts to beat the combination. Cards are played face up to the center of the table such that all players can clearly see the card or card combination played. This will create a growing pile of cards in the center of the table as the players continue to make their plays. Play continues around the table from player to player, each attempting to play a higher combination of cards. When attempting to beat a previous card or combination, the higher combination played must consist of the same number of cards as the combination previously played and must be of the same type (such as sequence or triplet). Once three consecutive players pass (not able or not wanting to play a higher combination of the same number of cards), the entire pile of cards in the center of the table is set aside, out of play. The individual who played the last high combination then starts the cycle again by playing any card or legal card combination to the center of the table. Since he is starting a new series of plays, the combination he plays may consist of any legal number of cards and is not required to be the same number of cards or type of combination as he had previously played. As before the players in turn then attempt to play a combination that can beat the last played. When a player passes on his turn, he must continue to pass until a new series of combinations is started after two other players have also passed.
At any time during the game a participant may ask any other participant how many cards they have left in their hand. The player asked must give an accurate answer.
Bombs, Chops and Beating Twos:
Although in general a combination can only be beaten by a combination which contains the same number of cards and of the same type, there are several exceptions to this rule, as follows. These special combinations are also called bombs or chops, for the way they can be dropped on another, seemingly unbeatable combination, often consisting of twos. When used to beat twos a combination consisting of four of a kind is often called a bomb and a combination consisting of sequences of pairs, when used to beat twos is called a chop.
Once a player passes during a series of played combinations they may not make a play (including a bomb) until the next series of plays begins (unless they again pass in the new round).
Winning the Game
When a participant plays his last card to the center of the table in a legal combination he drops out of the hand, with continued play skipping this player as the turn rotates around the table. When all but one player has run out of cards the hand ends, with the last player to hold cards set as the loser of the game.
Variations and Optional Rules
There are a wide variety of variations of Tien Len found at many card tables around the world. The following are some of the more popular and common such variations.
Viet Cong: This variation, also called VC, is a variation of Tien Len that is often played in the United States. The game is very similar to the standard game with the following differences:
When a slam is used to beat two's, a higher combination of the same type and same number of cards can then beat the slam combination played.
In all other respects VC is played identically to the parent game it is derived from.
Card Trading: Another rule that is sometimes added to Tien Len is that of card trading. When this rule is used, the loser of the last hand must give his two highest cards to the winner of the previous hand. In return, the winner gives this player any two cards of his choice. A similar trade also occurs between the second and third players from the previous hand, with the second player receiving the highest card held by the third player in exchange for any card of the second winners choice. Obviously, on the first hand of every game no card trading occurs. When the card trading variant is used, instant wins are not usually counted (including holding 4 deuces).
More Instant Wins: In addition to the normal rule of four twos resulting in an instant win for the holder, sometimes the following additional combinations, when held by a player also result in an instant win for that participant:
In the rare instance when more than one player has a combination of cards that could result in an instant win, the ranking of the instant win types is as follows (from low to high): Double run of six pairs, Three consecutive triples, Complete sequence, four Twos. If two players hold the same classification of instant win hand, the normal rules for comparing these types of combinations is used (highest denomination of card in the combination and then suit ranking). Before the hand begins the player holding such a hand should display it and is instantly declared the first winner of that hand.
Additional Playable Combinations
Many of the variations of Tien Len revolve around the addition of playable combinations. Some of the more common such additions found at Tien Len games are as follows:
Suited Runs: Similar to a normal run, however a suited run consists of 3 or more cards in sequence, all of the same suit. This is considered a different combination type than a regular run, so if a player leads with this combination, any other player attempting to beat the combination can only beat it with a higher suited run consisting of the same number of cards. When comparing two suited runs, the combination containing the highest denomination card is considered the higher. When comparing two suited runs consisting of the same denomination of cards, the run in the higher suit is considered higher. A player may play a suited run in response to a regular run, but when played in such a manner, it is considered only a regular run with no special ranking for being a suited run in that case.
Two Card Runs: Some games allow the addition of two card runs. This consists of two cards in sequence. The cards are not required to be in the same suit. As with longer Runs, a two card run can be beat by a higher two card sequence. If comparing two such sequences that contain the same cards, the suit of the higher card in the sequence can be further used to rank the two card run.
Twos used in Runs: Although most versions of Tien Len do not allow 2's to be contained in runs or double runs, some variations allow their inclusion. If this rule is adopted, the 2 is considered the highest allowable card in the run.
Tien Len for Differing Numbers of Players: Although most commonly played as a game for four, there are also variations of this game designed for 2, 3, 5 or more players. Variations for these differing number of players is described below.
In any version of this game where there are extra cards not distributed to the players, the three of Spades may not be in play. In this case, the player with the lowest card in hand would have the first play in the first hand. To determine this, the dealer will sometimes begin calling out the lowest ranking cards in the deck (starting with the three of Spades and continuing to name cards in ascending order from the three of Spades up). The first player (including the dealer) to possess a card the dealer names would state this, and then would be entitled to the first play of the hand.
Tien Len for Two Players: Tien Len is also often played by two players. The rules are identical except that after each player is dealt the normal thirteen cards, there will be cards remaining in the deck. This stack should be set aside and unused in the hand.
Tien Len for Three: This game can also be played by three players, similarly to the standard version. Each player would receive 17 card hands, with the last card in the deck set aside face down and not used in the hand. The game itself is played the same as the four player version of Tien Len.
Tien Len for Five or More: This game is also sometimes played by five or more players (up to eight players). When playing with 5 or more, two standard 52 card decks are shuffled together to be used for the game. This larger deck is then shuffled, cut and each player would receive thirteen cards. Any remaining cards in the deck would be set aside and unused for the remainder of the hand. When using a double deck there will be more potential for identical combinations. A combination can never be beaten by another combination consisting of the exact same cards (rank and suit), but must be higher in some respect.
Introduction
Tien Len can be considered the national card game of Vietnam; the name of the game, which should properly be spelled Tiến Lên, means Go Forward. The main description on this page is based on information from Jona Baily; Kenneth Lu and Justus Pang have contributed slightly different versions. Probably as a result of the Vietnam war, Tien Len has spread to some parts of the USA, where it is sometimes called Viet Cong or just VC; Kelly Aman has contributed one version of this. Chris Hovanic learned another version from Chris Molinaro (also in the USA) and they call it Thirteen.
Tien Len is a climbing game (a bit like Zheng Shangyou or President), in which the aim is to get rid of your cards as soon as possible by beating combinations of cards played by the other players.
Players and Cards
The game is for four players. A standard 52 card deck is used; there are no Jokers and no wild cards. It is possible for two or three to play. It can also be played by more than four players, using two 52 card packs shuffled together.
The game is normally dealt and played clockwise, but can be played anticlockwise instead if the players agree in advance to do so.
The ranking of the cards is: Two (highest), Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three (lowest).
Within each rank there is also an order of suits: Hearts (highest), Diamonds, Clubs, Spades (lowest).
So the 3 of Spades is the lowest card in the pack, and the 2 of Hearts is the highest. Rank is more important than suit, so for example the spade8 beats the heart7.
The Deal
For the first game, the dealer is chosen at random; subsequently the loser of each game has to deal the next. When there are four players, 13 cards are dealt to each player.
If there are fewer than four players, 13 cards are still dealt to each player, and there will be some cards left undealt - these are not used in the game. An alternative with three players is, by prior agreement, to deal 17 cards each. When there are only two players, only 13 cards each should be dealt - if all the cards were dealt the players would be able to work out each other's hands, which would spoil the game. When there are more than four players, you can agree in advance either to deal 13 cards each from the double deck, or deal as many cards as possible equally to the players.
The Play
In the first game only, the player with the 3 of Spades begins play. If no one has the spade3 (in the three or two player game) whoever holds the lowest card begins. The player must begin by playing this lowest card, either on its own or as part of a combination.
In subsequent games, the winner of the previous game plays first, and can start with any combination.
Each player in turn must now either beat the previously played card or combination, by playing a card or combination that beats it, or pass and not play any cards. The played card(s) are placed in a heap face up in the centre of the table. The play goes around the table as many times as necessary until someone plays a card or combination that no one else beats. When this happens, all the played cards are set aside, and the person whose play was unbeaten starts again by playing any legal card or combination face up to the centre of the table.
If you pass you are locked out of the play until someone makes a play that no one beats. Only when the cards are set aside and a new card or combination is led are you entitled to play again.
Example (with three players): the player to your right plays a single three, you hold an ace but decide to pass, the player to your left plays a nine and the player to right plays a king. You cannot now beat the king with your ace, because you have already passed. If the third player passes too, and your right hand opponent now leads a queen, you can now play your ace if you want to.
The legal plays in the game are as follows:
Single card
The lowest single card is the spade3 and the highest is the heart2.
Pair
Two cards of the same rank - such as club7-diamond7 or diamondQ-spadeQ.
Triple
Three cards of the same rank - such as diamond5-heart5-club5
Four of a kind
Four cards of the same rank - such as heart9-diamond9-club9-spade9.
Sequence
Three or more cards of consecutive rank (the suits can be mixed) - such as diamond4-spade5-heart6 or diamondJ-heartQ-heartK-clubA-diamond2. Sequences cannot "turn the corner" between two and three - A-2-3 is not a valid sequence because 2 is high and 3 is low.
Double Sequence
Three or more pairs of consecutive rank - such as 3-3-4-4-5-5 or 6-6-7-7-8-8-9-9.
In general, a combination can only be beaten by a higher combination of the same type and same number of cards. So if a single card is led, only single cards can be played; if a pair is led only pairs can be played; a three card sequence can only be beaten by a higher three card sequence; and so on. You cannot for example beat a pair with a triple, or a four card sequence with a five card sequence.
To decide which of two combinations of the same type is higher you just look at the highest card in the combination. For example heart7-spade7 beats diamond7-club7 because the heart beats the diamond. In the same way spade8-spade9-diamond10 beats heart8-heart9-club10 because it is the highest cards (the tens) that are compared.
There are just four exceptions to the rule that a combination can only be beaten by a combination of the same type:
These combinations that can beat single twos or sets of twos are sometimes known as bombs or two-bombs, and can be played even by a player who has previously passed.
Note that these exceptions only apply to beating twos, not other cards. For example, if someone plays an ace you cannot beat it with your four of a kind, but if the ace has been beaten by a two, then your four of a kind can be used to beat the two.
End of the Play and Payments
As players run out of cards they drop out of the play. If the player whose turn it is to play has no cards left, the turn passes to the next player in rotation. The play ends when only one player has cards left. That player is the loser, and must pay a fixed stake to each of the other players.
This game is often played for money, and sometimes for high stakes. Among serious players, typically the loser of a game would have to pay $2000 to each of the others. In a session of play, a person might easily lose (or win) a total of $50000 or more.
Customs and Ethics
Some types of behaviour which in many other card games would be regarded as cheating are generally considered acceptable in Tien Len. For example among some players it OK to peek at other players' cards, or to play out of turn if you can get away with it.
Variations
In the version contributed by Justus Pang:
As in other versions, a slam can be beaten by a higher slam of the same type.
Surrender is the option which gives the player the opportunity to give up their hand to forfeit half of their original bet after the dealer checks to see if they have blackjack. When one opts for this option, the dealer collects half the original bet and the round is over.
There is another option known as early surrender. This option allows you to give up your hand prior to the dealer checking if he has a blackjack. This, in turn, helps reduce the house edge even farther. Be warned though that few UK online casinos offer this option.
The rules of surrender and when to surrender
You must only surrender provided the right opportunity has presented itself. Using the Surrender option properly helps reduce the house edge by 0.07%.
Since the game of blackjack is a game of percentages and edges, the only way you can win consistently would be to use any means at your disposal to reduce the house advantage. It is for this very reason, that you need to know when to use surrender wisely.
There is a strategy for using surrender and which is easy to apply. But first, let’s first discuss the riles of surrender.
In most casinos, the following rules apply to surrendering:
The following is the strategy you can apply when it comes to surrendering:
Those are the only two scenarios when playing multiple-deck blackjack when you should surrender your hand. Every other hand should be played by following basic blackjack strategy.
Without a doubt, most casino players play at a casino with the aim of winning. Maybe you’re in it for the experience or perhaps because you prefer a specific table game, but the majority agree that one plays at a casino to win.
If you have a bad strategy, act greedy and perhaps are careless with your decisions, it can end up costing you big in the long run. Work hard to avoid the below deadly blackjack mistakes so you can win more games.
Betting the same amount for each hand is a smart decision, especially if you are new to the game. However, once you start to comprehend how to deal with various hands, you might want to change your betting patterns.
What you must keep in mind when you size your bet in blackjack, is the outcome of your previous hand. Alter your bet size to get the most out of your winning steaks as well as to deduct your losses when you’re on a losing streak.
It is up to you to decide whether you want to be a more conservative player or else a more aggressive one.
Cautious approach
If you want to take the cautious approach, then your betting pattern is built to boost your wins. Every time you snatch a win, you must raise your bet and play again. This is so you never bet money you can’t afford to lose and to always survive even if you experience a losing streak.
Martingale system
If on the other hand, you’re a bit of a daredevil, then you can opt for the Martingale system, which invites you to double the size of your bet each time you lose. The risk of losing some big money here is quite high but you only need to win one hand to secure yourself a nice profit.
Personally, we prefer taking the conservative approach since the Martingale system is a tad too risqué.
Surrender
Out of the many options available to blackjack tables, surrender is probably the least used. The surrender option has vanished from various UK casinos since many players barely used it.
Many players think that surrendering should not even be an option in blackjack. Truth is that surrendering is potentially one of the best weapons you have at the table. When used appropriately, surrendering is one of a few options that help reduce the house edge.
With most online casino games, a player at a blackjack table is fighting the house edge. Unless you are an expert, you might end up losing your bankroll in the long run. There are, however, a number of ways which can help you secure the best chance of winning and increasing your bankroll. If the right cards roll your way, you can also expect to make a neat profit. Here are our top 9 ways to boost your bankroll at blackjack.
1. Find tables where the stakes suit your bankroll needs
This is a bit of a difficult situation, especially for players with smaller bankrolls, but if you carry out the necessary research regarding the casino you are playing at, you should be able to determine where the minimum stakes are.
Some casinos go as far as to give away free games during off-peak hours. Do some research and find the right casino with the right blackjack game for you.
2. Split Aces and Eights
If you have seen our blackjack cheat sheet, then you know that we always recommend splitting aces and eights. While it may appear a bad move to break up eights, it is still the most likely way to win and ultimately make a neat profit.
3. Dealer stands on Soft 17
You should always seek tables where the dealer stands on a Soft 17, as it can have a significant impact on your bankroll. When you have a dealer that stands on a Soft 17, it cuts the house edge significantly and thus making it slightly easier for you to win.
4. Stand when you have a hand that could bust against a dealer’s card
If the dealer has a face-up card of four, five or six, it would be best to stand especially if you have a weak hand.
So for example, if you have a hand made up of a 10 and a 2, there is circa a 70% probability that you could improve your hand but there is always a 30% chance of busting. Give the dealer the chance to bust and try again.
5. Pick a table that offers the double down option
There is also another rule that can help you reduce the house edge. While some casinos will allow you to double down with a 10 or 11, other casinos will let you double down on any two cards you like.
If you play this correctly, the double downs will swell your bankroll. Make sure you have a good strategy in place to reduce the house edge as much as possible.
6. Double down with any ace against the dealer’s six
One of the best times to take advantage of double downs is when you have an ace in hand and the dealer’s upcard is a six. You should whenever possible double down in this situation unless you have a soft 20.
If possible, also double down against the dealer’s 5 except when you have a soft 19 or 20.
7. Have a strategy in place
We have mentioned this time and time again. It’s always wise to have a basic strategy in place that you can refer to when you are playing blackjack. Having a strategy in place can help save your bankroll and can reinforce you into playing more correctly and to save you making costly mistakes.
8. Set your limits and stick to them
Once you are ready to play, try to set the amount of money you are willing to play and part with. Stick to this decision throughout the game.
If you are on a losing streak, don’t go chasing after your money. Once you have made this choice, be thankful as it will help you not fall into the trap of betting more than you can afford to.
9. Have a betting strategy in place
As with most casino games, you should always have a betting strategy in place so as to make sure that you increase the chances of leaving the table with more money. Betting systems such as the Martingale and Paroli are used by many players. These betting systems are based on mathematical progressions that help you recover most of your losses whilst also making sure you make a tight profit.
They tend to offer a bit of assistance to blackjack players, but they have also been created with specific bankrolls in mind. So if you have a rather smaller bankroll, these betting strategies won’t work for you and you will have to find a better system.
The basic blackjack playing strategy combines a set of rules that inform you of the best way to play every hand dealt to you when the only information available to you is your hand and the dealer’s upcard. This strategy is mathematically correct and maximises the chance of you bagging a lot of money whilst minimising the amount you lose. The reason we are saying that it’s mathematically correct is that blackjack is ultimately a mathematical game with a fixed set of rules.
Here’s a recap of the terminology used in blackjack:
In a wide spectrum of different players, those who belong under the heading of “calling stations” are probably the best opponents you can have at the table.
It’s not just the fact that these players will part with their money way too easily, but they’ll rarely give you any problems as long as you have the right strategy against them.
So this article will provide you with direct and very useful tips on how to exploit the hell out of calling stations and make a lot of money against them. There’s no reason to be shy about taking their chips – it’s the whole reason you play poker!
CALLING STATIONS – IDENTIFYING & PROFILING THESE PLAYERS
One of the first things you’ll want to figure out when you sit down in a game is to identify calling stations since you’ll be making a bulk of your profit from them if you play your cards right.
In online games, poker software will do the bulk part of the job, and you can quickly identify calling stations based on their stats:
High VPIP
Low Fold to 3bet
Extremely high WTSD stat
While the first two numbers can vary as some calling stations are quite tight before the flop, all of these players will have a high percentage of hands that they take to a showdown.
It’s what they’re all about – taking a hand and sticking with it all the way no matter what. They just hate folding, and they have no other weapons in their arsenal, so they just keep calling all the way.
Identifying calling stations in live games shouldn’t be much harder, either.
While you don’t have access to stats, you should already be able to figure out who the sticky players are after a couple of orbits. Even if you do not play any poker hands yourself, you can observe the action and see which players always want to see the flop and then tend to stick around.
UNDERSTAND THE WAY A CALLING STATION THINKS
Before talking about specific strategies and adjustments you can make when playing against the calling station, you first need to understand how these players think about the game. That knowledge will help you build a very effective game-plan.
A calling station usually doesn’t see beyond their hand. For the most part, their thought process is:
If you want to be able to compete with players even on lower stakes, you should get some help. I am not talking about advanced programs that can help you learn GTO poker strategy, but a simple one that every player should have. Tracking software is essential because you can see stats on your opponents and know how they are playing.
It lets you quickly spot the different types of opponents that you will be facing and to change your poker strategy and decisions based on that. In my opinion, by far the best program for this is Holdem Manager 2 and you can get a FREE trial of HM2 here!
You need to take this poker tip into serious consideration. When your passive opponents who are just calling all the time start raising out of nowhere you should be folding a lot and even some of your strong hands. Most of the time one pair hands even as good as a top pair or an overpair should go into a muck.
When just starting playing you will have some problems letting go of these hands, but it is one thing that you need to learn if you want to be successful. Players in the lowest games are not bluffing so much and in the long run, you will be doing yourself a huge favor by folding one pair hands to aggression in these spots.
Not all opponents are passive ones and if you are playing against a maniac or someone who is very aggressive and raising constantly you should not be folding these hands. You need to understand that there are different types of players and you really need to play differently against them. The last part of my poker tips list will help you to deal with this.
A long time ago, I was explaining how to play poker to my friend who never played before and after discussing for a while, he said: “So basically I need to play when I have a hand and fold when I don’t”. I think this is one of the best advice you can get when just starting playing and learning.
Of course, when you move up stakes and start playing bigger games this will not be an option because many players tend to play much more aggressive there and bluff more, so you need to learn how to play against them. But in the beginning, sticking to this strategy is your best bet.
When you move up and start playing a bit more reasonable opponents I highly recommend you checking out Poker Training Videos! You can take your game to the next level by crushing your opponents in the way you did not think was possible!
Do not fall into a habit of making decisions automatically. It is a huge mistake that even advanced players are making a lot of the time and killing all their chances to win money. Take your time and think about all the stuff we already discussed.
Especially at the beginning, it could be overwhelming thinking about everything at once, like your positions, poker hand ranking, opponent’s cards and much more. That is why you should stick to that poker tip of playing just one table and take all the time you need to make your decisions.
When you know how likely, you are to improve your poker hand when you have a draw you have to learn to put your opponent on a range. This will let you understand how many outs you actually have and then make a more educated decision. Many factors can suggest what hands your opponent could be playing. It is quite tough and advanced topic, but you can start with a simple version of it.
Think about his position, what hands he could be opening and playing from there;
His post-flop action can suggest what he could have. Betting or checking can indicate his strength or weakness and you should be looking for that information;
Board texture is an important factor to take into consideration as well. People are less likely to have many strong hands on dry boards compared to connected ones;
A time he takes to make a decision and sizing he is using can give us additional information as well.
There are many things to consider and you need a lot of practice to be able to think about that. Do not blame yourself if you struggle with it at the beginning. As we said this is a complex topic, that has books written just about it so do not expect to master it in a day or a week. Keep playing and learn poker strategy in the right way!
You need to know poker odds you have to hit the winning hand and what pot odds you are getting. All you have to do then is make your decisions based on it and not your emotions.
What are the pot odds? It is a concept that lets you understand are you getting the right price to continue with your hand and help you to make the right decision. This is a big concept and one that we will not be addressing deeply, but I am going to give you a quick list most common Texas Holdem hands and how many outs you have to improve a specific hand until next street:
Jackpot slots are not ordinary online slots. Slots with jackpots have prize pots that can go well into the millions! Jackpot hunters get their kicks out of spinning the reels for the chance to win the 6 or 7 figure prize money. The possibility of winning a jackpot, on top of matching symbol payouts, adds an extra element of entertainment and excitement to slots. Read on to discover more about the different types of jackpot slots, along with all the player favourites.
We hope you now have a better understanding of how RTP slots work – the next step is to find the one that you like to play.
Many factors can contribute to an enjoyable gaming experience, and the RTP is just a small part of a slot’s make-up. Other elements include game mechanics, big-win potential, bonus features and graphics. Check our table below for a more succinct breakdown:
Slot Theme
If you’re just starting out, the world of slots can seem infinitely huge! One of the things people tend to stick to when choosing a slot to play is their favourite themes. Slots can have similar features but an Egyptian slot will be very different from a Sports slot. Test different themes of slots for free before parting with real money to see what suits you best.
Volatility/Variance
Whether you appreciate volatility depends on the type of gamer you are. The higher the volatility, the greater the risk – as you tend to win less often, but the bigger wins tend to be explosive.
Slot Features
The video slot has evolved ever since they first came to our computer and mobile screens. Where once, a basic free spins round was all you could expect – you can now trigger random features, unlimited multipliers, reel modifiers, and much more.
Slot Developer
Each gaming provider has their own specific style, employing different mechanics, notable designs, and an identifiable soundtrack.
Reels and Paylines
The style of a slot can dictate the experience of a player. For example, if you appreciate the classic 3×3 reelers of years gone by, then you may not enjoy the innovative technologies that some of the newer slots employ. 3 reel slots normally have between 1 and 10 paylines. 5 reel slots can have up to 243 paylines and Megaways slots pay up to 117,649 ways! The more paylines there are, the more likely you are to win. However, the payouts tend to be less than those games with fewer paylines. Some games allow you to modify your paylines.
The RTP is subject to stringent testing procedures to meet licensing guidelines. It is calculated over millions of spins and is a theoretical average, which means accurately predicting the return to player percentage you will actually experience over a set amount of spins is difficult.
For example, you could stake $100 across 100 spins on a 95% RTP slot – but walk away with much more than that. Similarly, a player could also walk away with less than the projected RTP, which is purely there to display the house edge that’s quantified over time.
So what happens to the small percentage of money that doesn’t get returned to players? It depends on the slot – as we have explained below:
Progressive Jackpot Slots
If you’re a big-win hunter and you’re taking a chance on the higher volatility progressive jackpot games, you may wonder where all that windfall money comes from. A small percentage of every bet you, and all other customers, make is sent to the progressive jackpot prize pool.
Standard Slots
The small leftover RTP percentage is split between the gaming provider and the casino on which you are playing.
All RTP slots rely on the same payout calculator (based on Random Number Generators or RNGs) but their in-game mechanics can differ. It’s essential to get a full understanding of how a game works before you begin playing. Especially when you’re playing slots for real money!
This is our step-by-step guide on navigating RTP slots:
Open the game – this will either be hosted on a web page or a pop-out window.
Click the paytable to get a full overview of the game rules and how much a symbol on a payline is worth.
Find out more about its unique features – some games have random bonuses.
If the RTP is not in the paytable, click the help or information icon within the game client to find the payout percentage.
Choose your bet value per spin and kickstart your gaming journey by pressing the spin button, usually on the right-hand side of the reels. If you’re feeling lazy – check out the autoplay feature. It spins for you and you can set a loss limit, to help you control your gaming.
The Return To Player rate can change according to certain factors. For example, the higher your stake per spin, the higher the Return To Player percentage on some slots. You can also get better odds when you trigger certain volatile game features or free spins.
RTP gives players a general idea of what their investment will return in the long run, but how can you understand it?
The RTP often presents itself as a percentage. For example, if a slot has an RTP rate of 96%, you can expect to get back 96% of what you bet on the slot back in wins. This is not dissimilar to land-based casino table games and other betting forms where you play the odds.
Clearly, though, the RTP is just a guide – no slot enthusiast would play a game to lose 4% of what they put in. The RTP is an average and does not account for volatility and the possibility of big wins in your first few spins.
You can find a slot’s RTP percentage within the game itself. Simply open the slot and click the help or paytable icon – this is where you will usually find information on the slot’s payouts as well as the RTP.
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