When to Max Bet: Quick Hit Machines
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One of the important things to understand about slot payback is when max betting is a crucial part of the decision to play a game. For some games, if you’re choosing to not max bet, you’re making a decision to not accept the full payback opportunity of the game, and you might be accepting a lower payback percentage at your bet level.
One such machine, which has a long and fabled history, is the Quick Hit line of games. In this article we’ll briefly discuss the Quick Hit mechanic, and then why max betting is generally the recommended advice. We’ll also share with you how you can tell if a Quick Hit machine won’t penalize your for not max betting.
An Introduction to Quick Hit
Quick Hit is a classic Bally’s slot machine mechanic that has among the symbols on any given game a Quick Hit symbol. Landing more Quick Hit symbols is better.
Most Quick Hit machines have Quick Hit symbols in a 1-2-3-2-1 configuration, allowing for a maximum of nine Quick Hit symbols, which would trigger the top Quick Hit progressive jackpot.
On most Quick Hit games there’s 5 reels, and the Quick Hit symbols are arranged in a 1-2-3-2-1 configuration so you can land up to nine Quick Hit symbols on a single spin. (While a couple of games deviate from this, generally speaking the Quick Hit Pro machines being the exception, the vast majority follow these rules, whether mechanical reel or video.)
Landing three Quick Hit symbols generally earns your bet back, four symbols is 3-5x your bet and starting at five symbols you qualify for a jackpot. There are jackpots for each level from five to nine Quick Hit symbols, which each jackpot being progressively bigger. Generally the nine Quick Hit symbols jackpot is the biggest (although there are some games, such as Quick Hit Platinum, where there’s a jackpot over the top of that).
Why Quick Hit is Generally a Max Bet Game
The jackpots are generally why Quick Hit is considered a game you should always max bet. The five progressive jackpot increment at every bet level, across one or a bank of machines depending on the configuration, but you can only win the jackpots if you bet the maximum bet, which can vary based on the game type and the casino’s configuration of the game. The starting jackpots are generally proportional to the max bet, so higher max bets mean higher jackpots.
If you bet less than the max bet, the payout is equivalent to a percentage of the starting progressive jackpot amount, but without the extra bonus the progressives provide at max bet. Here’s an example, using the picture above, which was from a $1.50 Quick Hit 5-physical-reel machine:
Youtube Video Casino Slots Winners
- Five Quick Hit symbols pays 10x the bet on any bet below max bet. So a 30 cent bet would pay $3 for five Quick Hit symbols, 60 cents would have $6, etc. However, if betting the max bet of $1.50, the win would be $18.11, which is a $3.11 additional premium over the $15 that would be the normal 10x pay. That’s a 20 percent premium in this example. The progressive jackpot would then reset to $15 and begin incrementing again.
- Six Quick Hit symbols pays 50x the bet on any bet below max bet. So a 30 cent bet would pay $15 for six Quick Hit symbols, 60 cents would pay $30, etc. However, when max betting $1.50, the win here would b3 $88.65 (which was my win, hence the light border around the frame). This is higher than the $75 following the same rules as before, about an 18% premium. It would then reset the progressive jackpot to $75 and count up again.
This pattern repeats for all five jackpots, and so when max betting there’s a premium earned whenever five or more Quick Hit symbols appear.
When Max Betting is Not Required
So now that we know that Quick Hit has max bet jackpots, why would you not max bet and get that premium? Because sometimes casinos turn that premium off. This is most frequently seen in markets where the bigger casino chains operate, such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City, but I did see it at MGM Springfield in Massachusetts too.
In those instances, the top box will show fixed jackpots that don’t progress. So that five Quick Hit jackpot doesn’t budget from its $15 starting point, the six Quick Hits at $75, if we stick with the example game pictured earlier.
At that point, the payouts are identical proportionally to your bet as the other levels – there’s no longer a premium for betting the maximum on this game. So you should no longer feel obligated to play the game at that level should you not want to.
…or Should You Play Them At All?
But what you might want to do is look around to see if the same game, with progressive jackpots, or other Quick Hits with the same bet ranges, are around with progressive jackpots.
While you can’t know what the payback percentages are on a given game, it’s possible that the payback percentages will be lower on the fixed jackpot versions, as they’ve turned off the progressives, which contributed to the payback percentage. It’s possible that they’ve set some machines to higher paybacks with no jackpots vs. lower paybacks with jackpots on the same floor. But that is not a guarantee and so choosing a machine with fixed progressives is rolling the dice that they’re making up for it on the line hits.
In every instance where I saw fixed progressives, not all machines had that setup, even at the same bet level. So it’s always worth doing a bit of machine comparison shopping.
Do you have a favorite Quick Hit game? Have you ever hit one of the bigger Quick Hit progressives? Share your experiences below!
When to Max Bet: Quick Hit Machines One of the important things to understand about slot payback is when max betting is a crucial part of the decision to play a game. For some games, if you’re
Introduction to Oregon Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Oregon slot machine casino gambling consists of nine tribal casinos and many bars, taverns and pari-mutuel wagering sites with video lottery terminal (VLT) style slot machines.
There is a theoretical payout limit for non-tribal VLTs but none for video slot machines at the tribal casinos. No return statistics are publicly available.
This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Oregon*
The minimum legal gambling age in Oregon depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: 21
- Poker Rooms: 18
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
Oregon state law says bars and taverns can have up to six VLT-style slot machines, along with a restriction on how close together these businesses may be relative to one another.
Pari-mutuel wagering sites may have up to ten VLT-style slot machines.
At non-tribal locations, the maximum bet is $2.50 while the maximum jackpot is $600.
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in Oregon
It is legal to own a slot machine privately in the state of Oregon if it is 25 years old or older.
Gaming Control Board in Oregon
The Oregon Lottery regulates VLT-style gaming machines at non-tribal retailers. The Lottery’s 1992 video poker lottery terminal network was the first centrally controlled gaming system in the U.S. In 2005, the VLT network added Class III Vegas-style line games for slots.
Eight out of Oregon’s nine federally-recognized American Indian tribes have negotiated tribal-state gaming compacts. Regulation of tribal gaming in Oregon is by the Oregon State Police and the Tribal Gaming Commissions of each individual tribe.
The Oregon Tribal Gaming Alliance (OTGA) is a coalition of these tribes which own and operate casinos in Oregon. In 2015, tribal gaming accounted for less than 32% of all gaming conducted in Oregon. Nearly two-thirds of gaming takes place at 2,550 commercial sites.
Casinos in Oregon
New Oregon Lottery Slot Machines
There are nine American Indian tribal casinos in Oregon.
The largest casino in Oregon is Spirit Mountain Casino with 2,000 gaming machines.
The second-largest casino is Wildhorse Resort & Casino with 1,200 gaming machines.
Commercial Casinos in Oregon
Statewide, Oregon has 2,550 retailers operated by the Oregon Lottery.
Tribal Casinos in Oregon
The nine tribal casinos in Oregon are:
- Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City, 89 miles southwest of Portland on Route 101 along the Pacific Coast.
- Indian Head Casino in Warm Springs, 104 miles southeast of Portland.
- Kla-Mo-Ya Casino in Chiloquin, 105 miles southeast of Portland.
- Seven Feathers Casino Resort in Canyonville, 202 miles south of Portland.
- Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde, 64 miles southwest of Portland.
- The Mill Casino Hotel & RV Park in North Bend, 220 miles south-southwest of Portland on Route 101 near the Pacific Coast.
- Three Rivers Casino Resort Florence, 170 miles southwest of Portland near Route 101 on the Pacific Coast.
- Three Rivers Casino Resort Coos Bay, 223 miles southwest of Portland near Route 101 on the Pacific Coast.
- Wildhorse Resort & Casino in Pendleton, 215 miles east of Portland.
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying Oregon slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Oregon is:
- North: Washington Slots
- East: Idaho Slots
- South: California Slots and Nevada Slots
- West: The Pacific Ocean
Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Oregon.
Our Oregon Slots Facebook Group
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Oregon? If so, join our new Oregon slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.
There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Oregon. Join us!
Payout Returns in Oregon
For Oregon’s tribal casinos, no payout limits have been set nor are actual return statistics publicly available.
For non-tribal sites controlled by the Oregon Lottery, theoretical payout limits are available within the game’s menu for each individual VLT-style gaming machine.
A payout range is due to potential bonus rounds or other game features. The maximum theoretical payout is 96%. Extended play games may exceed this maximum.
These payout percentages by game theme are also online at the Oregon Lottery. For example:
- Five Times Pay Line Game has a payout percentage of 91.99%
- Dragon Fire Keno has a payout percentage range of 91.84% to 92.42%
Summary of Oregon Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Oregon slot machine casino gambling consists of nine tribal casinos and 2,550 commercial sites including pari-mutuel wagering facilities. Retailers can have six gaming machines while racetrack betting sites can have ten machines.
There is no theoretical payout limit for video slot machines at Oregon’s tribal casinos, nor are return statistics publicly available. However, non-tribal VLTs each show their theoretical payout limit within the game theme menu as well as online at the Oregon Lottery. The maximum theoretical limit for these non-tribal VLTs is 96%.
Annual Progress in Oregon Slot Machine Casino Gambling
In the last year, there has been little to no change in the Oregon slots gaming industry.
Related Articles from Professor Slots
Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
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- Next: Pennsylvania Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC