Jackpot Duke Crashes on Crash Games

Slots with flaming wolves, blackjack hands that could pay off my mortgage, and roulette wheels that smoked as they spun, I have stared Lady Luck in the eyes and avoided many crashes. But that does not mean that I understand crash games. These wonders of 21st-century gambling are an invention that continues to baffle me and a game that somehow always manages to crash my bank balance.

Where The Crashes Started

I remember when I saw the very first crash game on Stake. It was Aviator (by Spribe), and it pulled me in because I have always wanted to get a pilot’s license. As luck would have it, I have piloted many a successful casino flight, but not any actual planes, so Aviator was the perfect place to start with the latter.

I deposited a bit of crypto that I had just won from a nice roulette win streak and went at it. Of course, I watched the action for a little bit, read the general chat, and tried to find a pattern. When there was no pattern to be seen, I placed the smallest possible wager and held my breath. The multiplier started climbing, from 1.05x to 1.67x, and it was a breeze, but then it got intense. At 2.13x, I was already thinking that I should have wagered more, at 3.42x I saw the Gates of Olympus, which I would play right after withdrawing my winnings, and at 4.67x, I lost it all. I did not withdraw my winnings in time, and the entire thing crashed in a giant ball of digital fire.

It was at this point that I had an epiphany. Why do people even play this game? Yeah, it is fun to see the multiplier rise, but you have to leave the action instead of sticking through to the end, since sticking through to the end makes you lose any potential winning.

Understanding Crashes

Now you could say that I am being a bit harsh. Crash games are, after all, a modern take on slots. They up the ante with faster rounds and have the potential for big rewards. But I have always found the most rewarding part to be the gameplay loop, which, in the case of Crash games, is a bit limited.

The gameplay always starts in the same place, which gets stale after a while. In slots, you always have a different combination of symbols, and in poker, you always have at least a slightly different hand. Then the action starts, and the plane, astronaut, or other flying object rises at a steady pace. No sudden increases in speed or random events that bump up the multiplier. Well, there are a few crash titles that have played with this, but most avoid such added features. And then, when you are already counting your chickens, you get hit with a loss. Sure, you chase a win, but it can get very frustrating very soon since there is very limited gameplay going on.

Let me give you a direct comparison, and yes, it is going to be based on slots. Reels always have different elements on them; there are plenty of bonus features, there are scatters, there are cascading reels, there are expanding symbols, and a million other gameplay gimmicks. If these are combined correctly, you essentially never run out of something new to look at.

How to Master Crash Games Nonetheless

Even though I clearly prefer slots over crash games, I have dedicated a lot of my iGaming studies to this new genre. I am not the youngest punter, but I want to stay up on the trends. Oddly enough, the most conventional casino tips have helped me out the most when dealing with crashes in crash games.

Since the whole concept of a crash game is to run away from losses and chase wins, I make sure to only ever deposit what I can afford to lose. Just because AviatorX crashes my wager does not mean that it should crash my bank account.

Another great rule that I like to follow is not to believe in patterns. As Grandpa Duke always said:

The only pattern in a casino game is the casino winning when you refuse to give up.

And the last one that I often practice is to take breaks. But here is the catch: not all breaks are equal! A break means stepping away from all devices, going for a walk, or taking a quick 15-minute nap. Switching context is crucial to clearing your head. But when you are ready for another round of gaming, check out one of the great reviews or insights waiting for you here at OCR!