Hit frequency is the share of spins that return any win at all. A hit frequency of 25% means that, over a very long run, about 1 spin in 4 pays something. It is not the same as RTP. A game can pay often and still return the same or less, because many of those wins are smaller than the bet.
Some studios list hit frequency, sometimes called hit rate, in the game's info or rules screen. Many do not publish it at all. When it is shown, it is a long-run figure worked out over millions of spins, so a short session can look very different.
RTP is the share of all money bet that a game pays back over the long run. A simple way to link the three ideas: RTP is roughly hit frequency multiplied by the average win, measured in bets. Two games with the same 96% RTP can share it out in very different ways:
Game A feels busier and its balance moves more slowly. Game B goes quiet for longer and pays bigger when it does. That difference is what volatility describes. Our RTP and volatility guide covers it in more detail.
On ways and cluster games in particular, many hits pay less than the stake. If you bet $1 and the screen celebrates a $0.40 win, you are still $0.60 down on that spin. A game with a high hit frequency can show a win on almost every other spin while the balance slowly falls. Look at the amount, not the animation. Our paylines and ways guide explains why ways games pay this way.
Hit frequency tells you how likely a run of empty spins is. Each spin is independent, so the chance of a run is the miss rate multiplied by itself:
A dry run does not make a win more likely on the next spin. The game has no memory of earlier results, which is covered in our pokies myths guide.
Not by itself. It does not change the long-run return, which is set by the RTP. A higher hit frequency usually means a steadier balance and a longer session on the same budget, with smaller typical wins. A lower hit frequency usually means more dry spells and a better chance of a large single result. Pick the style you enjoy and set your bet so the budget lasts.
It is the share of spins that return any win. A 25% hit frequency means about 1 spin in 4 pays something over a long run.
No. RTP is how much of all money bet is paid back over the long run. Hit frequency is how often a win of any size lands. Roughly, RTP equals hit frequency multiplied by the average win in bets.
No. Many of those wins can be smaller than your bet. The long-run return is still set by the RTP.
At 25% hit frequency, about 5.6%. At 15% hit frequency, about 20%.
Some studios list it in the game's info or rules screen, sometimes as hit rate. Many games do not publish it.
18+ only. Gamble responsibly.