Blackjack, as most are aware, is one of the world’s most popular casino games, and it has been that way for several decades. But the game’s nature, in terms of strategy, is one of attrition. We say “attrition” in the sense that the goal is not to win one game, but to accumulate small wins over a session. The main ambition of a blackjack player is to win more games than the dealer. If they win six out of ten, then that session has been succession.

Because of this, and due to its low house edge, blackjack could be considered a game of low volatility. This concept has become increasingly important in the modern online casino industry, and it is arguably changing the way players play today. It is a certainty, however, that is changing the way software developers create and market games.

If you look at one of the sites featuring a selection of the world’s top casino software developers, Mr Green. A visit to its Irish casino platform at https://www.mrgreen.com/ie/ will show you games from, among many others, NetEnt, Pragmatic Play and High 5 Games. These are three of the developers who have put a strong emphasis on volatility over the last couple of years.

Games now come in “Extreme” versions

To explain what we mean, we can look at two games from High 5 Games currently appearing at Mr Green – Secrets of the Forest and Secrets of the Forest Extreme. Both games are hugely popular and they are almost identical. The main difference is that Secrets of the Forest Extreme is, as you might guess by the title, more volatile than the standard game.

A volatile game – they sometimes call it high variance – is a game that delivers higher rewards, but it comes with the caveat of higher rewards. We used the example of blackjack earlier, but if you want to look at a real-world example: Predicting a coin toss is a low variance/involatile game, whereas playing the lottery is high variance/volatile.

While NetEnt and High 5 Games have leaned towards branding some games as “Extreme” to convey their volatility, Pragmatic Play has gone down a different tour. The creators of the hugely popular Dog House slot decided to give games a rating out of five, with five being the highest level of volatility.

Table and card games are also changing

So, why is this important? Well, for a start, it gives players a choice. To play games with lower risk and lower potential rewards and vice versa. And, it’s not just limited to slots either – games like Quantum Blackjack and Lightning Roulette also provide high variance options for players should they wish to play. The emergence of new technology means that some of these games can even be played on live casino platforms.

As we keep stressing, this is about giving players choice. But it is also important that players work out their own parameters, i.e., budget accordingly. Volatile games are exactly what the name suggests – wild, unpredictable, risky. But remember that you do not have to – should not – spend any more than you would usually budget.

We mentioned the lottery earlier, and that’s a good way to think about it. People (at least most rational people) don’t go out and buy 100s of lottery tickets; they buy one, or maybe a couple. All casino games carry some risk, but appreciating that the outcome of volatile games is a little more unpredictable should stand you in good stead. If you play, treat it like a lottery ticket and convince yourself that you are unlikely to win big, and always stick to your budget.