You hear a lot of talk about RTP (return to player), volatility and huge bonus wins when it comes to slots... but it's all theoretical.
So I decided to put it to the test.
I took one of the most popular online slot games - Fishin' Frenzy - and played through 100 spins. But did my returns match the theoretical RTP of the game? How many times did I hit the bonus? What was my biggest win and did I end up in profit or at a loss?
I'll break down the entire session below, and compare the actual results with the theoretical metrics of the slot to see how far away the figures were from what they were 'supposed' to be.
Session was played on demo mode, meaning all spins were free and no real money was wagered. The amounts represented correspond to the amount staked in play money, but everything else (including the game's real RTP, volatility and gameplay) was a realistic representation of the real version.
Where this article refers to 'Paid Spins,' it relates to standard base game spins as a way to differentiate between standard spins and spins that occurred during the bonus feature rounds.
Results Breakdown from 100 Fishin' Frenzy Spins
Slot
Fishin' Frenzy
Game Provider
Real Time Gaming
Total Base Game Spins
100
Stake Per Spin
$0.20
Theoretical RTP
96.12%
Goal
End in Profit
Fishin' Frenzy - Why This Slot?
Fishin' Frenzy is just one of many fishing-themed slot games. It has simple rules, a bonus feature and no unique dynamic like cluster pays or Megaways. This made it an ideal slot to use as it was modern enough to be relevant, yet simple enough that I could focus purely on results. It also has medium volatility and a gamble feature - which I opted to never use.
Fishin' Frenzy Bonus Feature
Three scatter symbols trigger the bonus feature - which is 10 free spins. Four or five scatter symbols landing award 15 and 20 free spins respectively. For the sake of this experiment, any free spins won were included in the total profit/loss calculation.
BEGINNING OF SESSION
Spins 1-7: A Losing Start
The early spins proved unfruitful, with zero winning combinations landing during the first seven. The only real action came from landing two (out of three) scatter symbols needed to trigger the bonus. This happened on two occasions - spin #3 and spin #7. It was not the start I was looking for.
The very next spin turned my fortunes around. Those elusive scatter symbols landed across three separate reels and I was awarded 10 free spins. With no win and a loss of $1.60, I was hopeful the bonus round would see me in profit for the first time. Here's how it went.
Bonus Free Spin
Outcome
Money Won
Total Money Won (Aggregated)
#1
Win
$1.00
$1.00
#2
No Win
-
$1.00
#3
Win
$11.20
$12.20
#4
No Win
-
$12.20
#5
Win
$0.10
$12.30
#6
Win
$2.00
$14.20
#7
No Win
-
$14.20
#8
Win
$1.50
$15.80
#9
No Win
-
$15.80
#10
No Win
-
$15.80
After these 10 free bonus spins I was well in profit, making a total of $15.80 from just that initial $0.20 spin. The largest individual win from the bonus was on spin #3, where I locked in $11.20 - 56x my stake.
The next 23 spins weren't so rewarding. Just four of them produced wins, the largest of which was $2.40. The other three totaled just $0.40 altogether, meaning the profit earned from the earlier bonus was dwindling. This period included a run of eight spins without a win. One other thing of note is that from spins 25-31, I hit two scatter symbols on three separate occasions. Although the outcome of each spin is entirely random and not based on previous results, I felt like another bonus was imminent...
My hunch was correct. The very next spin, three scatter symbols landed and another 10 free bonus spins were triggered. But would this bonus be as rewarding as the last?
Bonus Free Spin
Outcome
Money Won
Total Money Won (Aggregated)
#1
No Win
-
$0.00
#2
Win
$1.00
$1.00
#3
Win
$0.50
$1.50
#4
No Win
-
$1.50
#5
Win
$2.00
$3.50
#6
Win
$0.10
$3.60
#7
No Win
-
$3.60
#8
No Win
-
$3.60
#9
No Win
-
$3.60
#10
No Win
-
$3.60
Short answer: No. This bonus round wasn't as rewarding. Four of the ten spins were wins, one fewer than the previous bonus. The single largest win was $2.00. However, this still returned 18x my stake, leaving me in good standing overall.
After landing the bonus twice in the first 32 spins, I went the next 51 spins without triggering one. The closest I came was landing two scatter symbols on two separate spins. I also almost exclusively encountered small wins. Spin #44 won me $3.00 and #46 won me $1.10, but that was it for the $1+ payouts. There were nine other winning spins during this period, all of which awarded me a measly $0.10 or $0.20. The longest barren period was 12 spins without a win between spin #57 and #69. The total amount won from these spins was $5.40.
Spin #84 saw me hit my third bonus. After losing some of the early profit I made on the 50 spins prior, this was an important bonus round. Winning big could guarantee me a profitable session, while a more modest win might have seen me end in the red. I knew I was unlikely to secure another bonus round after this one, with just 16 spins left of the challenge. Would I win big like the first bonus round, or brick out like the second one?
Bonus Free Spin
Outcome
Money Won
Total Money Won (Aggregated)
#1
Win
$1.40
$1.40
#2
No Win
-
$1.40
#3
No Win
-
$1.40
#4
Win
$0.20
$1.60
#5
No Win
-
$1.60
#6
Win
$4.10
$5.70
#7
No Win
-
$5.70
#8
No Win
-
$5.70
#9
No Win
-
$5.70
#10
No Win
-
$5.70
In the end, it was somewhere between the two. I had fewer winning spins during this bonus - with just three of the ten awarding a payout. However, thanks to spin #6 awarding $4.10, I ended this round with $5.70 in total winnings.
As predicted, I didn't trigger another bonus round in the final 16 spins of the challenge. Agonizingly, the final spin landed two scatter symbols, but the all-important third one evaded me. Three base game wins occurred, but with two of them being just $0.20 and the third $0.40, they did little to increase my profit further.
Results: How Much Did I Win from 100 Spins on Fishin' Frenzy?
So, what were the final results?
Total Paid Spins
100
Total Spins (Inc. Bonus)
130
Total Staked
$20
Winning Spins
18/100
Winning Spins (Inc. Bonus)
30/130
Total Winnings
$34.10
Total Profit/Loss: +$14.10
Session Summary
How Many Bonuses Did I Hit?
I hit the bonus 3 times, an average of once every 33.33 spins. This means I spent on average $6.67 for every bonus I triggered. Total winnings from just the 30 bonus spins alone were $25.10, meaning I received an average of $8.37 from each bonus round. In terms of what I call 'near misses' (where two scatters landed on the first four slot reels - giving me an opportunity to hit the bonus by the fifth reel), eight spins were recorded.
Largest Single-Spin Win
The biggest single-spin win from the bonus or any base game spin was a $11.20 payout during my first bonus round. This was nearly 4x higher than any single win from the base game, and it's undeniable that the majority of my total winnings came as a result of the bonus free spins. In fact, 73.61% of my total winnings came from the bonuses.
Theoretical RTP vs Session RTP
The theoretical return to player on the version of Fishin' Frenzy I played was 96.12% - a decent payout percentage. This meant that playing through 100 $0.20 spins, I could expect to end with $19.22 if short-term results directly aligned with RTP.
The actual amount I ended the session with was $34.10. This gives a session RTP of 170.50%, meaning I experienced a significantly prosperous session compared to the average. However, we know that RTP is just theoretical, and you can expect to win or lose more than the 96.12% suggests in the short term.
Overall, this was a fun experiment. The results at the end of the session are interesting to dissect and analyze, but not much can ultimately be taken from this for one simple reason: It was a short-term session.
Playing through just 100 spins is not nearly enough to draw any real conclusions about the Fishin' Frenzy slot. Ending $14.10 in profit is not a representation of how future spins would turn out. I could win more, but most realistically I'd lose money.
So, the final takeaway: I got lucky. My session outperformed what was expected.
Disclaimer: any promotions presented on this page were correct and available at the time of writing. Promotions can change regularly. We encourage all users to check the promotion displayed matches the most current promotion available by clicking through to the operator welcome page. Please read the terms and conditions carefully before you accept any promotional welcome offer.
Ben Weiss is an SEO specialist with a content-writing background. He joined PokerNews in August 2022 and has been a big fan of poker since 2016. His biggest poker achievement is turning winning $3,500 from a $2.50 PokerStars SCOOP event.
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