Hit frequency is one of the lesser-known terms that is relevant if you are playing slot machines. It refers to the frequency of a game returning a winning spin of any kind. You might see this expressed as a percentage. Looking for this percentage prior to playing any slot game means you will know roughly what to expect if you decide to play that game.
For example, let’s suppose you see two slot games. One has a hit frequency of 12%, while the other has a hit frequency of 20%. This means the first game will likely produce a win in every 12 spins, while the second will produce a win only in every 20 spins. Of course, this is not exact. You cannot play 12 spins of the first game and expect to get a win on the 12th spin. Instead, the hit frequency is calculated according to how often a winning combination will appear over a period of time. So, that percentage should be viewed as an idea of how frequent prizes are over time rather than in a half-hour session. This takes a while to get used to, but as a rule of thumb, low-volatility games will have prizes hitting more often, but normally of smaller size, than a high-volatility game, which drops prizes less often. However, in the latter case, there is a higher chance of those prizes being bigger than in the other game. As such, volatility is also a key feature that can tie into hit frequency percentages.
