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How to Choose Progressive Jackpot Games
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.
On the Internet, casino software developer Microgaming pioneered the first online progressive jackpot machine in 1998. Jackpot Mania, the second largest player in online progressive jackpot games, quickly followed suit. 
In May 2001, a cross-casino portal was launched, powered by Cryptologic, that connects popular brand names and land-based casinos. The world’s largest online progressive jackpot network today, at 65 casinos, is Jackpot Madness, powered by Microgaming. More recent additions include Treasure Nile, Fruit Fiesta, Major Millions, Roulette Royale, Jackpot Deuces, Triple Sevens, Lotsaloot, WowPot, Cyberstud Poker, SupaJax, and CashSplash.
Get to know some of the more recent, popular online progressive jackpot games:
CashSplash. It is the world's first ever online slot machine game with a progressive jackpot. CashSplash features a three-coin slot machine that has 3 reels and a single payline. The CashSplash symbol is wild, and three wild symbols along the payline wins the progressive jackpot. The progressive jackpot in a typical CashSplash game reaches $100,000, and has been won so many times due to how long CashSplash has been around.
Treasure Nile. This is the world's first 9-payline progressive slots online, reputed as well for producing some of the biggest progressive jackpot winners in Internet casino gambling history. From a starting value of $40,000, higher progressive jackpots from $375,000 to $550,000 have been won in this Egyptian-themed slot machine game, and several other smaller jackpots.
SupaJax. This is the world's first online video poker game with a progressive jackpot, thereby innovating from progressive slots to other casino games. To win the progressive jackpot, you must make a five-card hand comprising four Jacks plus a special symbol, known as the SupaJax.
Triple Sevens. It is the world's first online blackjack game with a progressive jackpot. The game of blackjack is played as usual, player blackjack competing against dealer blackjack, except that a $1 side bet entitles you to winning the progressive jackpot in Triple Sevens. As the name suggests, getting three sevens in a row wins the progressive jackpot.
Fruit Fiesta. Borne out of the endlessly fascinating fruit machines that remain to be familiar sights on the casino floor, it is the frugal gambler's online progressive jackpot game. While the progressive jackpot prize often amounts to $50,000 at most, the wager is practically a bargain, at merely 75¢ per spin, so that it can be played for more times at a lesser cost. Fruit Fiesta features a three-coin slot machine having 3 reels and 3 paylines.
Lotsaloot. It is among the online slot machine games known for bigger progressive jackpots than most, often going higher than $100,000. Lotsaloot features a $1 slot machine with 3 reels and 5 paylines. Other than the progressive jackpot, various smaller jackpot prizes can be won for landing three Lotsaloot symbols along other paylines.
WowPot. One of the most recognizable online progressive slots, it is hard to miss, featuring a 50¢ slot machine with 3 reels and a single payline. The WowPot symbol is wild, and three wild symbols along the payline wins the progressive jackpot, which usually falls between $30,000 and $50,000.
Jackpot Deuces. It is an online progressive video poker game played a lot like a typical game of Deuces Wild. A $5 max bet is needed to qualify for winning the progressive jackpot, which has a starting value of $5,000. Hit the progressive jackpot by having a Diamond Royal Flush as your final poker hand.
Cyberstud Poker. It is a progressive jackpot online poker game known for its awesomely big jackpots, like the recently won $353,000. Cyberstud Poker plays out like a typical game of stud poker, except that a $1 side bet per round is needed to be eligible to winning the progressive jackpot. Not surprisingly, getting a Royal Flush as your final poker hand wins the progressive jackpot.
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.
