If you’re looking at the term “progressive jackpot” and scratching your head, then the word “rollover” might make more sense. A progressive jackpot can mean several different things, depending on what sort of game you are playing, but at its most simple, it is similar to a rollover.
The idea of a rollover has been used by lotteries for years. If your number isn’t picked, then the next game that is played will win the jackpot from the last game, plus the money from the next. The current world record for a lottery rollover is $1.6 billion, which was won in the US in 2016.Progressive jackpots can be determined in different ways, depending on factors such as the game, the amount of players and the possibility of winning. Just this year, scientists have found a way of creating a random number generators naturally by using crystals, although the majority of random number generators are powered by computers.
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Some progressive jackpots are determined by computers. For instance, in person, slot machines are determined by an encrypted computer. The computer decides on the number of plays at which the jackpot is handed out and how much that jackpot will be. This will depend on the number of plays and how much money is in the machine. By using a random number generator, only the computer knows the point at which the money will be handed out, making it as exciting as possible.
Progressive Jackpots are usually played alongside other games. With slot games, you would usually play for a smaller prize within the game, but there is also an overall jackpot to be won, which is played across all games. For instance, at Paddy Power, when you play jackpot games online, there is not only the chance to win on the individual slot, but also across three different progressive jackpots. Currently, these are a Daily Jackpot (this refreshes daily), a Cash Booster Jackpot (a prize which must be won before it hits £2000) and a Monster Jackpot, which can be won at any time.
However, progressive jackpots are not a new phenomenon and have existed in various forms of poker for decades. Caribbean Stud Poker is a variation of stud poker in which players bet against the house rather than other players. Each game has a fixed payout for different hands. For example, a royal flush would win one hundred percent of a progressive jackpot, whilst a full house would only net £50. This ensures that there is a chance to win something, rather than the winner taking everything.
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Progressive jackpots are also used to play a game within a game. Whilst you might have one overall winner from a game of blackjack, you might use side games to win a progressive jackpot. Similar to Caribbean Stud Poker, this might be a percentage of the overall jackpot or a marked amount of money for the extra side bet.
All head-scratching aside, progressive jackpots are pretty easy to understand once you break them down into rollovers and side bets. They can make a game more exciting, and give players a chance to focus on other goals within a game, making it faster and more exciting. You can add a progressive jackpot to anything. Bet yourself £10 that you won’t eat cake for three days? Give yourself £20 when you last a whole week.
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