Progressive Pokies
On the surface, classic pokies and progressive pokies look very similar. The main difference lies in the possible payouts that can be achieved, with a large jackpot available in progressive pokies. There are also special tips and strategies that are applicable to progressive pokies that do not apply to classic pokies.
Types of Progressive Games
There are a number of different types of progressive games that are offered by casinos.
Individual progressives – also known as stand alone progressives. As the name implies, individual progressives are not linked to any other machines. This means that the jackpots that they offer are taken from the money that is inserted into that specific machine. They set aside a percentage of the money inserted into the machine to go toward the jackpot prize.
Linked progressives – also known as proprietary or in-house progressives. These machines are linked electronically with other pokie machines within the casino or within a group of casinos owned by the same gaming company. The money for the jackpot prize is collected from money inserted into all of these machines. Due to the
larger pool for contribution to the jackpot, the jackpot prize can become very large. These jackpots are won fairly regularly.
Wide area progressives – also known as multi-location progressives. These progressive machines are linked to other pokie machines that are located in other unrelated casinos. In general the pay-back percentage on these machines is low due to the administrative costs of linking and running the machines, however, due to the fact that the money for the jackpot is being contributed by huge numbers of machines, the jackpots can be enormous. These jackpots have very low odds of being won.
Choosing a Progressive Machine
Before you begin to play you will need to choose the machine that you want to play at. The most important factor to take into consideration is the type of progressive game you want to play. Do you want to win smaller amounts more often or do you want to try to win the huge life-altering multi-location progressive jackpot? You should also check how large the jackpot currently is. Since the payout percentage of progressive machines is generally smaller than for regular pokies games due to the administrative costs of running progressives, progressive games are only worthwhile to play for their jackpot amounts. Primary and secondary jackpots are also available and you can use these amounts to compare machines as well since they vary between different machines. Of secondary importance, but which may increase your enjoyment of the game, are the graphics and themes of the pokies game.
You must make sure to choose a progressive machine to suit your bankroll. When playing at a progressive machine, you must bet with the maximum number of coins in order to be eligible to win the jackpot amount. If you have a small bankroll, you should choose a machine that accepts small denomination coins so that you still bet with the maximum number of coins. It would be extremely disappointing to land on the winning jackpot combination only to find that you are not eligible to win it because you did not play with the correct number of coins.
Beginning a Progressive Game
To begin playing a progressive game, you start in the same way as you would start a classic pokies game. Place your bet into the pokie in the machine making sure to bet with the maximum number of coins. The reels may begin to spin automatically or you may need to press the spin button to begin the reels spinning. Keep the reels spinning by either manually pressing the button or by utilizing the auto spin feature in online pokies. You then sit back and wait to win!
If your reels land on the highest winning combination of symbols, you will win the credits that the machine indicates for that combination, plus you will win the progressive jackpot amount. The winning credits will translate into different amounts depending on the coin denomination of the machine you are playing at. For example, if you win 100 credits while playing on a $5 machine, you will win $500. Once the jackpot on the progressive machine has been hit, the jackpot reverts back to its base amount. In some games, the base amount may be a few million dollars.
