Does a Big Win Pay More than the Odds?

One of the most important elements in placing a bet at the online casino is knowing what odds you are facing. It's crucial to smart betting because you want to give yourself the best chance to win, or at least the best chance relative to how you feel your luck is going. And it's also essential to building that internal tension that builds throughout the game and explodes in the moment before the result is revealed.

Without knowing the odds, it's hard to know if you had a big win or a little one. Maybe the payout could help shed some light on the question, as small odds of victory tend to pay off better than big ones. But the all-important sense of knowing before the game ends, not after the money is dispersed, cannot happen without a deep sense of the probability you are facing.

But beyond knowing the odds, there is a bigger question. What level of betting brings the most excitement. Low odds means fewer wins, sometimes a lot fewer. Do you start to expect to lose and tone down the excitement in every spin as you wait for the big breakthrough? Or do high odds, that provide a bigger win probability and ostensibly more wins offer more benefits because each spin is more likely to be a winner, even if the win is relatively minor?

Different people, of course, would answer these questions differently. But without searching for a consensus, it may prove enlightening to look at the case for each option.

The Case for Taking Bigger Risks

The bigger the risk the bigger the payout. But those who love to take the heavy risks at high volume tend to see it as more than a chance for more money. Hitting a jackpot or something closer to the top of the spectrum rather than a single pay line is highly rewarding. It gives people a sense of power and reinforces their confidence that anything is possible.

Even those who never win one of the big ones, which is probably most people since the big win is, by definition, a rare event, feel a shot of adrenaline from going up against the giant. It has the thrill of "going for it" not letting the fact that something is hard deter you from experiencing the thrill of trying and allowing yourself to feel the bigger thrill of hoping for a massive victory.

It could be why people play slots with progressive jackpots. Or why people go for particularly difficult hands in poker even if the odds are much more favorable with a more achievable hand.

For people who love the biggest challenge and seek the reap the greatest result, the win certainly pays much more than the odds. It brings satisfaction and reinforces a certain type of courage against the odds.

The Case for Smaller Risks and More Wins

An argument can also be made that most people, at least on the surface, say the reason they come  to the online casino is to try to earn a little extra money. With that in mind, it would be reasonable for them to play the games that bring them the biggest chance to win. At least over time, odds have a way of justifying themselves. So if the odds of winning are greater, the number of wins, over time, is likely to be greater as well.

And that means more payouts. And that's the goal.

With more wins, there is an increased expectation of wins. That means every spin becomes it's own universe. It may be another one to add to the win total. That keeps the tension high, especially through the highs and lows of a typical playing sessions. Wins come in bunches and so do losses. But the higher percentage of wins keeps expectations high.

The only qualification, of course, is that the better the odds of winning, the smaller the win. You need more payouts to keep up with the costs of the losses, and in the long run, you may end up no better than the one who is playing for higher stakes.

In the end, it comes down to how one likes to feel at the online casino. And that should be the main focus.