If you pay attention to online gambling news, you probably hear when a big progressive slot is hot. Casinos and their affiliates love to point that out as a reminder that you can win big money on the slots. Some people then think that it is the best time to play that slot since it is hot. Actually, the opposite is true.

The worst time to play a particular progressive slot is right after it was hit. If the jackpot is hit, it pays out a large amount of money and then resets at a lower amount. That means the jackpot is smaller and there is less money to win. Since the only reason to play progressive slots is to go after the huge jackpots, one that has recently paid out is not worth your time. Instead, you should only play progressive slots that haven’t been hit in a while, resulting in a large jackpot. While the slot is no more likely to pay out than if it was hit recently, you will win more money if you do hit it.

Progressive slots pay out less often than traditional slots, so they have a higher house edge. They are really only a good deal if you are trying to win the big jackpots, similar to playing the lottery, where you know that you probably won’t win but are willing to spend money for the chance. For that reason, you should not play progressive slots if the jackpot has been hit recently. Stick to the slots with the high jackpots or else play the traditional slots instead.