Week 08 of 12
High-Limit Denomination Elasticity
8 min read
Moving up in denomination improves your return and worsens your survival odds at the same time. Both effects are real, and only one of them is obvious at the machine.
Return climbs with denomination
Published state data shows returns rising consistently from penny to high-limit. A few points of return across substantial coin-in is a material difference in expectation.
That is the argument for playing the highest denomination you can properly fund — and only that.
Swings climb faster
Expectation scales linearly with bet size; the size of your swings scales with it too, while your bankroll does not. Doubling your bet roughly doubles the dollar size of a normal downswing.
Risk of ruin is driven by the ratio of bankroll to bet, not by the return figure. A better game you cannot survive is worse than a mediocre game you can.
Moving up correctly
Move up when bankroll supports it, not after a win. Move down when it does not, not after a loss. The trigger is the ratio, decided in advance.
Your recorded results by denomination will eventually tell you where your own results actually live.
This week on the floor
- · Write down the bankroll figure at which you will move up a denomination, and the figure at which you will move down.
- · Check your recorded results by denomination in the app.
- · Stay at your current level for the full week regardless of results.
Bet size is a bankroll decision, never a mood decision.
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