High Variance Pokies - What Is The Best Way To Play?

Pokies variance — What is the best way to play high-variance pokies?

As someone who enjoys pokies, I’ve learned that understanding variance is key to making smarter choices. In New Zealand, pokies account for over 40% of gambling revenue, and with more than 16,000 machines across the country, there are plenty of opportunities to play—but also plenty of risks.

High-variance pokies like Buffalo or Queen of the Nile II can offer massive payouts but come with greater risks. For example, Buffalo has an RTP of around 94.85%, so you might need patience and a solid bankroll to see significant returns.

Low-variance games like 5 Dragons or Big Red provide frequent smaller wins.

Whether you’re playing Dragon Link or Where’s the Gold, In my experience, it’s best to start with low-variance games if you’re new to pokies or want longer playtime with less risk.

Pokies Variance: High, Medium, and Low

There are three main types of variance when playing pokies in any playing environment.

High Variance Pokies
Low Variance Pokies
Medium Variance Pokies

1. High Variance Pokies

The most volatile and the very highest risk pokies machines you can play, however, have been designed as high variance pokies. However, there are going to be several pros and cons of playing those types of pokies.

At online casinos, you will always find plenty of high-variance pokies to get stuck into playing, either for free or for real money. A high variance pokies have the potential to pay out far more significant amounts than low or medium-variance pokies.

A low or medium variance slot might offer players a top award of 250x – 500x the total bet. High variance pokies will allow players to win 3,000x, 5,000x, or even 10,000x their initial stake.

Best Way To Play High Variance Pokies

The most important aspect of playing high-variance pokies is to pay careful attention to the stake levels you are playing for, as the number of dead spins you will play off can often be huge.

Also, the high variance pokies machines that come with some form of the bonus game, much more so a free spins type of bonus game, tend to award their highest valued winning payouts via those bonus games.

As such, you should first choose your bankroll to play any high-variance pokies machine and then divide it up so that you can comfortably afford to play off many base game spins with your available bankroll.

The more base game spins you get to play off, the more chance you will have on any single slot playing session of triggering what may just be one of those much higher or even mega-paying bonus games.

Most players with experience playing high-risk and high-variance games will also claim deposit match bonuses.

In that way, they can boost the value of their bankroll, which in turn means they will get more base game spins out of their bankroll with the additional bonus credits they have claimed via those bonuses.

High-variance pokies include Book of Dead from Play n Go, Dead or Alive from NetEnt, and Immortal Romance from Microgaming.

2. Low Variance Pokies

Low variance pokies offer players much longer pokies playing sessions. They can often be achieved when playing them, as players can often recycle their bankroll and those winning many times when playing.

It would be best if you were well-tuned to play pokies machines that have been designed with the highest possible payout percentages, as over your longer-term play, those types of pokies will return to you as winning payouts more of your stake money.

Low variance pokies, provide smaller but more frequent payouts, include Cash Splash (96.09% RTP) from Apricot/Microgaming, Wolf Gold (96% RTP) from Pragmatic Play, and Lucky Leprechaun (96.33% RTP) from Apricot/Microgaming.

Play Pokies With Low Variance as a Beginner

If you are a beginner player or new to pokies, a pokies expert will best advise you to play low-variance pokies. There is a mixture of machines at online casinos.

This means you will find both high-variance and low-variance pokies to play.

If you want to reduce your chance of losing quickly to the absolute minimum, then you should track down and start playing any low-variance pokies.

Those pokies have been designed so that you will have plenty of base-game winning combinations spinning and could also trigger many bonus games.

However, unlike high-variance pokies, the winning combinations you will form will tend to be very low-valued ones.

3. Medium Variance Pokies

The vast majority of online pokies are medium-variance games. Unfortunately, defining medium variance can be pretty hard.

When it is difficult to determine a pokie’s exact performance, it usually falls into the medium-variance category. Many games are closer to low or high volatility but are classed as medium.

This makes pokies with medium volatility both unpredictable and low-risk. There is usually a balance between your wins and their frequency.

However, unlike low-wage pokies, medium ones can give you an occasional big win, so you have something to play for – but remember that they are not the most suitable for stretching your bankroll.

Some of the best examples of pokies with medium variance include NetEnt’s Koi Princess and Captain’s Treasure from Playtech.

Our Conclusion

Here’s what I’ve learned from playing pokies and from discussions on Reddit: understanding pokies variance can shape your gaming experience.

High-variance pokies, like Book of Dead or Immortal Romance, can deliver massive payouts, but they’re risky. Wins are rare, so you’ll need patience (and a solid budget) if you’re aiming for big rewards.
Low-variance pokies, such as Sunny Shores, are perfect if you’re looking for steady, smaller wins. Great for longer play sessions without risking too much of your bankroll.
Medium-variance pokies sit somewhere in between, offering a mix of risk and reward—ideal if you want a bit of both worlds.

From Reddit threads, a takeaway is that high-variance pokies are popular among experienced players chasing wins, while new or casual players often lean toward low-variance games for more frequent payouts and less stressful.

If you’re starting out, I’d recommend trying low-variance games to keep things fun and manageable. Pokies are games of chance, so set limits, play within your budget, and focus on enjoying rather than chasing wins.

FAQs

What is pokies variance?

Pokies variance, often called volatility, indicates the risk and reward associated with playing a specific slot machine.

It tells you how often and how much you can expect to win when playing a particular pokie.

What are high-variance pokies?

High-variance pokies are slot machines that offer substantial payouts but with lower frequency. These games are known for their potential to deliver large jackpots but may involve longer losing streaks.

Can you provide examples of high-variance pokies?

Some high-variance pokies commonly found in New Zealand casinos include Book of Dead, Dead or Alive, and Immortal Romance.

What are low-variance pokies?

Low-variance pokies are slots that provide frequent but smaller wins. These games allow players to enjoy longer playing sessions and typically have a higher return rate.

Can you recommend low-variance pokies for beginners?

Certainly, low-variance pokies like Sunny Shores, Well of Wonders, and Thunderstruck II are excellent choices for beginners in New Zealand. They offer a balance of entertainment and safer gameplay.

Are medium-variance pokies suitable for extending your bankroll?

Medium-variance pokies can offer occasional substantial wins, appealing to players who want a mix of entertainment and winning potential. However, they may not be the best choice for significantly extending your bankroll.