Progressive Jackpots

Progressive Jackpot Meters
The total dollar value for each progressive jackpot is displayed on a meter and the whole amount can usually only be won by winning the combination required in order to win the highest payoff. In video poker, for instance, this may be a royal flush, or lining up the five slot machine symbols (lemons, cherries etc.) having the most value. After a player wins a progressive jackpot, the pot is returned to a preset minimum amount and begins increasing again with every wager.

Jackpot Sizes
A progressive jackpot's value grows with each subsequent play on a linked machine. The casino ­- or ‘the house' - programs the rate at which the jackpot will advance. For instance, for machines where the house advantage is five percent, the contribution to the jackpot may be one percent, a fifth of the casino's expected take. Casinos make these contributions to progressive jackpots for the simple reason that players are highly motivated by the chance to win humongous amounts of cash.

Qualifying
Every new bet contributes to a progressive jackpot's growth. However, it's often only the players wagering the maximum number of credits per play who will qualify to win a progressive pot. Also, a game requiring a ten-credit bet in order to qualify will feature a larger jackpot than say a qualifying minimum of five credits.

Break-Even Points
In games such as video poker for example, it is possible to figure out a favorable strategy for winning based on every payoff's frequency against the odds of hitting that payoff. Because the jackpot in a progressive video poker game is always escalating, it can eventually achieve a break-even point whereby the machine offers a positive expectation wager for the player. A progressive jackpot valued at less than the break-even point suggests a negative expected value - or house advantage - for all players. A video poker player can make a profit over the long run with a successful strategy. However, a long run could potentially require many tens of thousands of plays.

Advantage Play
Due to the fact that other gamblers are constantly contributing to a progressive jackpot, even "advantage" players who only wager when the progressive pot provides a positive expectation scenario still generate revenue for the casino. The player actually enjoys an advantage over the casino in this instance, though the casino is still generating a profit because most of the jackpot has been bought and paid for by the other bettors.

Team Playing
Some players in land casinos have been known to arrange teams of gamers to wager at machines where the progressive jackpots feature positive expectations. Unfortunately these teams typically dislodge regular players from the games, causing the machines to be unavailable during their most exciting periods. These team gamblers characteristically function in shifts, using mobile phones to contact teammates to replace each other during breaks. Some casinos maintain "no team play" policies and even banish gamblers suspected of team playing. Team playing is not an issue concerning online casinos (yet).

Additional Progressive Jackpot Games
Besides slots and video poker, some online casinos offer progressive jackpots with a number of games including Caribbean Stud Poker, Roulette and even Blackjack.