Progressive Jackpot Games Strategy
Wheel of Fortune, Megabucks, and Quarter Mania are some of the most popular casino games comprising the earliest waves of progressive jackpots. The amount of jackpots that have been won in these games are legendary, and today they remain as sought after as ever.
By far the most popular progressive jackpot slots game is Wheel of Fortune, which is available in four denominations: quarters, 1/2 dollar, dollars, and five dollars. The dollar machine resets to a base value of $1million, and quarters to $200,000, after every win. Megabucks resets to a base value of a whopping $7,000,000. Other progressive jackpot games are Nickel Deluxe, Quarter Deluxe, Progressive Jeopardy, Addams Family MegaJackpot, Party-Time, Betty Boop, I Dream of Jeannie, and Elvis. Bally's Thrillion Series is also popular and includes three Blondie versions, 777 Millionaire, and Popeye.
How to Play Progressive Jackpot Games
A progressive jackpot refers to a bonus jackpot prize offered on top of the biggest fixed prize in a particular casino game. As the word "progressive" suggests, this jackpot prize gradually grows as more players play the progressive jackpot machine. 
Because the progressive jackpot can grow to a very huge prize, certain conditions are attached to win it. One common condition is that players are required to post the maximum wager, such as to bet the maximum amount of coins in a slot machine, in order to qualify for the progressive jackpot.
In other cases, players are required to bet a fixed amount, like an additional wager of $1 in some slot machines. As soon as a player wins the progressive jackpot, the machine simply resets the amount of this jackpot to a starting value that was already pre-defined, and the pot grows once again from there.
For example, a progressive jackpot slot game might have a top prize of $5,000. This is a fixed prize, which means it does not change or grow no matter how many times you or other players bet on the machine. But the same slot machine might have a progressive jackpot at a starting value of $100,000. Provided you fulfilled the jackpot's conditions, like placing maximum bets, you can win the $5,000 top prize, and on top of it, a jackpot prize that is at least $100,000. While no one is hitting that jackpot, it grows in certain increments the more the machine is played, and can reach as high as millions of dollars. Once the progressive jackpot is finally won, its value is reset to $100,000, from which point it starts to increase again.
Whether in land-based or online casinos, progressive jackpot machines are usually networked to fund a big-prize jackpot that grows with every wager placed by all the gamblers at the participating casinos. This allows casino networks to offer a far bigger progressive jackpot than how much a single machine would. Networking also enables smaller casinos to offer a bigger progressive jackpot than they might have been able to on their own. For example, the biggest progressive jackpot won so far in Jackpot Madness Major Millions has been $1.6 million, nabbed by an American gambler. Because the same progressive jackpot might network several casinos across various locations, it greatly increases the casino jackpot sizes available to be won, and does it in a much shorter time than could be otherwise possible.
Progressive Jackpot Game Tips
Clearly, key to making the most of playing for a progressive jackpot is to find the machine that offers the best jackpot prize. Choices can be overwhelming. An endless number of machines offers progressive jackpots in both land-based and online casinos, practically all of them large amounts and not all that far from each other. The trick is in finding how high a progressive jackpot is, and has grown, based on certain variables that are fixed and unmoving.
Progressive jackpots vis-a-vis bet amounts. It cannot be overemphasized to always place maximum bets. In the first place, this strategy is true for machine games—slots and video poker, for example, and progressive jackpot games are all played on machines. Machine games offer prizes according to a scale of probabilities, and use payout tables that depend upon the number of coins bet on a turn. Betting maximum coins entitles you to the proportionally higher bonus payouts. In addition, most, if not all, progressive jackpots can be won under the condition that you play maximum coins. Should you hit the jackpot without having fulfilled its conditions, you win the top prize but not the progressive jackpot.
Progressive jackpots vis-a-vis fixed payouts. You need to decide whether your expectations as a casino gamer are more suited to flat top machines, which have fixed payouts, or progressive jackpot machines. Because progressive jackpot machines must set aside some of their revenue to be contributed to a huge progressive jackpot, expect them to provide lower and often less frequent payouts in between. If you are playing for the most money, progressive games are right for you. If you prefer smaller wagers on more games, and would be fine making just a few bucks, then your better choice are the straight machines that might offer smaller jackpots but more frequent wins. By playing for a progressive jackpot, realize that you are choosing to forego more frequent small profits for a shot at bigger payouts.
Progressive jackpots vis-a-vis bet denominations. Generally stated, progressive jackpot machines are at least three-coin machines with various graduated jackpots and winning symbol or hand combinations. What you want is to choose a good progressive jackpot relative to a wager that you find reasonable and comfortable. Take the time to find the biggest progressive jackpot in your choice of denomination. Wheel of Fortune, for example, is available in four denominations: quarters, 1/2 dollar, dollars, and five dollars. The dollar machine resets to a base value of $1million, and quarters to $200,000, after every win. Megabucks resets to a base value of a whopping $7,000,000. Don't hesitate to ask for help from machine hosts and the change staff as they would know where to find the best progressive jackpots in specific denominations.
Progressive jackpots vis-a-vis machine networks. Not many casino gamblers are aware that progressive jackpots are two levels: primary, which depends upon a specific winning combination, and secondary, which depends upon an increasing amount of bet. A primary progressive jackpot refers to the top prize offered to a player if he lands a certain combination. Examples include Megabucks, CashSplash, or Lotsaloot symbols lined up correctly along a payline. You can't miss the top prize because it displays the highest dollar value, typically, with the largest sign and numbers above the carousel or bank of progressive jackpot machines. A secondary progressive jackpot refers to the jackpot prize that increases apportionately to the number of coins being played. Secondary jackpots are typically shown on smaller screens mounted below the big screen of primary jackpots. Because they are hit more frequently, they do not pay out as large a sum of money.
Find out the primary and secondary progressive jackpots of a machine to see how high the jackpot has grown from its base value. Then compare it with other progressive jackpot machines at the casino floor to see which progressive jackpot has so far grown the farthest from its starting value. Chances are, machines belonging to the same group were reset to the same base value since they were last won. All other things being equal—same reels, same payline, same game, by choosing to play for the jackpot that has increased the most, you will have maximized your potential revenue.
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