Volatility Breakdown: Classic 3-Reelers vs. Feature-Packed Video Slots

Low volatility means you're more likely to win more frequently, but the payout will be low. That means that even if you are winning, if you aren't careful, you will end up losing more than you staked because you want to keep playing in the hope of more small wins.

When it comes to classic 3-reelers or the crazy world of online video slots, volatility can look completely different. It's not necessarily the reel setup, but it is worth knowing what makes a game volatile before you play. Read on to find out.

Volatility Level From Classic 3-Reeler Slot Games

Classic 3-reel slot games look simple. They're the traditional format most of us think of when we think of slots. Three reels, a handful of symbols (maybe cherries and bells, maybe something else), maybe one or five paylines, and that’s it. The game itself does a lot of the heavy lifting.

You'd be wrong to think that automatically makes them low volatility.

Volatility depends on how the prizes and probabilities are distributed. A basic 3-reeler can still be highly volatile if most wins are small. Or, one extremely rare symbol combination can pay something massive.

That said, classic 3-reelers usually don't have the massive collection of features you'll find on the best online slots.

You probably won't have:

• 10,000x bonus rounds
• Progressive multipliers
• Expanding grids
• Cascading wins
• Multiple free-spin modes
• Huge jackpots

The gameplay is generally more straightforward.

Volatility of Feature-Packed Video Slots

Feature-packed video slots can take volatility in the complete opposite direction.

Developers have so many places to put potential payouts. You could have a relatively simple base game, and then a free-spin round suddenly gives you expanding wilds or a 20,000x maximum win. Still, you can't judge when this is going to happen or what will happen when it does happen. And, it's always important to remember that it's rare to keep having bonus features.

Progressive jackpots are also relatively rare, naturally pushing the game towards higher volatility.

But again, don't assume every video slot is high volatility. Developers can create low or medium-volatility video slots with loads of features.

Should You Play High or Low Volatility Slot Games?

Low-volatility slots might suit you more if you are a casual gamer and prefer smaller and more regular payouts or if you don't necessarily care about chasing one maximum win.

High-volatility games are almost the opposite. You might have long periods where less happens before winning something bigger, which can make you change how you think about your stake.

Smaller stakes can give your bankroll more room to deal with swings. That said, it doesn't mean low-volatility slots will make your money last longer. For that, you should also look at RTP and hit frequency.

Whether it is a classic 3-reel or a massive feature-packed video slot, don't judge the volatility by what you see on the screen. We'd always recommend that you check the game information first.