How to Advantage Play “Jackpot Explosion” by WMS

Jackpot Explosion is a concept that is attached to several popular WMS slot machines. It is a community based idea where several machines are linked to four separate progressives with a volcano that could erupt at anytime & would award a player one of the four progressives. Like with all slot machines on this website there is an advantage to be had on Jackpot Explosion.

How do I advantage play & “beat” Jackpot Explosion?

First of all you’re looking for how high the lava in the volcano is. Yes, it could trigger at any point but you want it to be near the very top to consider playing this machine. Other things to take into account is how many machines are linked together? Are there other players gambling as well? How likely is it that other people are going to join in the chase & what is everyone betting?

In person, I’ve seen Jackpot Explosion in banks as large as eight machines & as few as two. In this Casino Journal article from 2010, Barona Resort & Casino in Southern California had a whopping 30 machines linked to Jackpot Explosion. This is one of those games that even non-advantage players are aware of when it’s due to hit so you may have to pass on chasing on a large bank if it’s full or it’s a busy night in the casino & it’s likely that more players will get on any open machines. Just about all of the times I’ve triggered on larger banks was late at night & no one else joined. Of course if it’s just two machines you could just commandeer both machines & play until you trigger the explosion.

As far as what others are betting is concerned, the machine states in the rules that “The chance of winning a progressive increases with bet.” This is definitely the case on Jackpot Explosion. Say there’s a bank of four machines with one open seat. Observe what the players are betting. Pass if everyone is betting max or close to it. The opposite can be said if everyone is betting small. If that’s the case it would be worth the chance to hop on, bet high & hope that it triggers for me.

I wouldn’t make Jackpot Explosion the focal point of my slot hustling endeavors but if it’s available at a casino near you,  I’d keep an eye on it. It’s something to possibly play when all of the Golden Egypt, Ocean Magic or Scarab plays are cleaned out & waiting for them to reload.