Sometimes you have to bet a lot in order to win a lot. This is the basic premise behind high roller pokies at least. It’s not, of course, the only way you can win big. Think of all those fantastic stories we’ve all read in which a player translates a few pennies into thousands of dollars. There are even people who have managed to turn free spins into a massive dollar payday. These are indeed the lucky few. And these types of fairy tales certainly do come true. But even in these cases, it’s usually through persistent play. The more likely scenario, as such, is high stakes games. And for this, you need a high roller pokies machine, a.k.a. those with a serious betting max.
What is a high roller? A short explanation of the term
As someone interested in online gaming, you’ve likely played casino games in the past and undoubtedly heard the term high roller as you did. But like many terms we hear tossed around, it’s possible you’re not 100% sure as to its exact meaning. As such, to clarify any uncertainty let’s explain. A high roller is an individual who gambles large sums of money. Generally, in addition to buying a lot of chips, the person will also put high stakes on each round of a game. Technically the expression can also be used for a big spender, but usually, it’s implied to be speaking in gambling terms.
Another expression you may have heard in reference to a high roller is a whale. This is especially true in land-based casinos, where the staff get to know the clientele and pick up on patrons who regularly spend large amounts of cash on the premises. This person, once spotted may be referred to as a whale, though likely not to his face.
As to why anyone would want to be considered a high roller, the answer is two-fold. First of all, the more you bet per hand or round, the more you can win with each wager. The other advantage is the VIP treatment you often get as a result. After all, casinos the world over want you staking more. So when you do, they reward you accordingly with all sorts of comps from free drinks up to the illustrious room, food and beverage deal (a.k.a. RFB).
Different casinos have different criteria for what constitutes a high roller. In one casino it may be someone who brings $50,000 to the table, while in another it could be as high as $75K or even $100K. To this end, if you’re looking to be a high roller yourself, you should always check what this means at the establishment you’re frequenting. By the way, if those numbers give you a scare, it’s nice to note that in online casinos, the sums are far less. Usually, a smaller deposit of even $1000 at a time can get you moving into the high roller ranks.
High roller limits you will likely encounter at casinos
One thing to note however is that while there’s a minimum stake to be considered a high roller, there’s also a max. Casinos can only go so far in the risk they are willing to endure. Hence, at the table games in Australia, you can usually bet no more than $300K in one go and the numbers in Las Vegas are similar, usually ranging from around $150K up to $300K.
These types of wagers are generally put on table games, that is card games like blackjack, the roulette wheel, or even craps. For pokies games, there are no such sums available to bet. The max for any such machine is far lower than that. In fact, that’s just the argument used by those who want increased gambling regulation in the US. These folks say that in Nevada (home to the Las Vegas Strip) 50% of the state’s gambling income derives from pokies games, as opposed to table games. Since pokies are relatively low stake games it seems to prove that high rollers are just a fraction of the casinos’ income and that the real gamblers are the smaller stakes generated from frequent pokies play, who usually, to put it bluntly, aren’t rich. And while it may seem like casinos love high rollers from all the comps they give them, it’s similarly not necessarily true. High rollers as we’ve just mentioned don’t really generate the level of income one might assume, and they’re not always considered worth the risk. Therefore, you might say, it’s in the casino’s best interest to always maintain a mix in terms of the types of wagers it accepts – making a place for high rollers amongst its ranks, but showing plenty of respect for lower roller types as well.
On to the main event – High roller pokies defined
Now that we’ve defined a high roller and have a better understanding of what being a high roller player involves, it’s time to move on to the task at hand. And that is the high roller pokies games themselves. Well, actually, there is one small bit of business still at hand before we get to that – and that is defining what a high roller pokies game is per se. So… a high roller pokies machine can be one that has a higher starting point for wagers. For example, if it’s an online pokies machine, it won’t accept a bet of $0.01 per line (which some games do). Instead, it will have a higher minimum of maybe $0.50 or even $1 per line or round. This is one way you can look at it. The other is that a high roller pokies machine is a game with a higher bet limit. That is the maximum bet allowed per line or as a whole is higher than in other games.
Putting it in even simpler terms, some might say there are actually only two types of pokies machines out there – the penny slots or the high roller pokies. We’re not sure we subscribe to this theory as there is plenty on offer in between. But one thing is pretty fair to conclude, while there are indeed high roller pokies available online, the options are far greater (and higher) at a land-based casino. In fact, some land-based casinos actually have a separate area on premises to accommodate these games. The benefit of online high roller pokies over their land-based counterparts, however, is that the RTP for online pokies is generally higher, which gives you better odds at a payout (which is your end goal after all at the end of the day). Plus, truth be told, online pokies afford us more privacy as there are no other nosey patrons peaking at us as we play. So there’s that advantage as well if you’re going for the big bets.
A few high roller online pokies to try
Pretty much all of the online pokies developers create games with different bet ranges, to appeal to different budgets and personal styles. As such, if high roller pokies are your thing, and you’re only now making your foray into the virtual world, then fear not. You will always be able to find something that matches your tastes in terms of high limit online slots.
Note, since a high roller needs to bet a lot, these are going to be games with a higher bet max. And this usually happens in two types of games. The first type is those games with a progressive jackpot on offers like Microgaming’s very popular Mega Moolah pokies, Mega Fortune from NetEnt, or the Hall of Gods series from Playtech. The other common type of high roller online pokies are those games that feature a lot of paylines that you can opt to activate. Think the 40, 50, or even 100 pay line games like Oink Country Love or Lucky Leprechauns Loot and you know what we mean. Activate a $5 bet per line and that quickly adds up on your bet per round ($200, $250, and $500 a piece). There are tonnes of such options on the market, so just keep your eyes peeled and you’ll find relatively high stakes games everywhere you look.
To make things easier for high roller pokies players, many of these games have a ‘Bet Max’ button already worked in. So you can just tap on that to get the reels rolling for the maximum wager allowed. Just remember, while the payout of a max bet is enticing, you need to be prepared for the losses as well. If you’re not backed by a super strong payroll, then this is a sure way to run out of money quickly. And since it’s been estimated that you can play as many as 600 rounds of pokies in an hour, that is an astronomical amount of money to risk for the vast majority of us. In other words, go ahead and go for that adrenaline thrill, but always do so cautiously and with a sense of what you’re doing in mind.
High roller pokies bonuses
Besides the chance at big payouts, being a high roller pokies player has other benefits. And that is what online casino call high roller status. This is generally something that is rewarded through the casino’s loyalty program, also known as the VIP club. Here you will rise the ranks – usually, a system that goes from bronze through platinum, or something similar – and get increasingly good rewards along the way. Your rank in the club, as implied is based on how much you’ve invested in the casino. The more you deposit, the more you’re rewarded. This includes things like a higher comp point to cash ratio, exclusive VIP bonuses and tournaments, birthday gifts, unique promotions, and even a personal account manager to help you out.
Some casinos also offer higher bonus totals to players who deposit more in a single go. So for example, a regular player may be offered a 50% up $100 bonus, while a high roller will get a 100% up to $1000 bonus. The numbers vary of course, but the point is, the more one is willing to deposit in one go the more bonus money they’ll get. Even if it’s the same percent, it will result in significantly more money in the high rollers account, which is exactly what such a person wants to fund their high stakes ways.
Some of the best bets for land-based high roller pokies play
Like we mentioned, the biggest pokies bets are reserved for the land-based casinos. These are the games you’ll encounter along the Vegas Strip, in the casinos of Macau, or right here in Australia.
For example, if you visit the Venetian in Las Vegas and venture into the High Rollers Lounge you’ll encounter slots with limits as high as $5000 per spin. That’s a big difference to what you’ll get in online play. The Bellagio, Aria, Paris Resort Casino, Luxor and many others offer similar such rooms with high stakes games like the Megabucks machines, Quickpay games, Top Dollar, 88 Fortunes, and more – all offering potential wins up to the millions. Macau which is known for its big spenders has similar setups, and you can also find high roller rooms in other gambling hot spots such as Monaco or even Atlantic City in New Jersey.
Here in Australia, the high roller rooms for pokies are less of a thing, but there are indeed plenty of high stakes games. Some of the more popular ones include Lightning Cash and Big Red. However, with problem gambling spreading in Australia, some casinos have been opting to actually lower limits on games, so the massive bets per spin are gradually becoming less of a thing.
Bottom line on high roller pokies
If you have the money, it’s fun to play pokies for high stakes. The thrill is increased by the risk and the payout can be huge. That being said, if you’re amongst us regular folks, you need to be more careful here. That means if you want to go ahead and indulge, and taste the high roller life every now and then, you need to do so cautiously. In other words, budget accordingly and keep your personal limits in sight. That way you can get the best of both worlds – high stakes games with less of a hazard.