Plinko has been popular since the 1980s, when it was featured on the US TV show "The Price is Right". However, its origins go back further, as it was inspired by the traditional Japanese game pachinko.
With simple gameplay, Plinko consists of dropping a ball from the top of a pyramid made up of pegs and hoping that it lands on the bottom, where there is a multiplier on each square.
New players
Initially, Plinko was adapted to physical casino machines, with great success. With the emergence of online casinos, the game soon became one of the most popular.
But which is the best Plinko strategy?
How does Plinko work? Understanding the basics of the game
A good Plinko strategy starts with knowing how this game works. And the best news here is that it's quite simple, although it does require attention to certain details.
As I said above, Plinko consists of a pyramid of pins in which a sphere is dropped at the top. When it reaches the bottom, the bettor wins a multiplier depending on where it lands.
At the start of a round of Plinko, you have to place a bet. But there's another detail: choosing the number of pins. The bettor must choose how many pins will form the pyramid where the ball will fall, pass through a certain number of pins, diverting its direction, until it reaches one of the multiplier boxes.
As you can imagine, the more pins, the more possibilities. When you increase the number of pins, you also increase the number of spots where the ball can land. Consequently, increasing the number of pins also increases the volatility of the game.
There are some differences in Plinko according to each developer, but in general the game works along these lines.
Finally, before talking about strategy for playing Plinko, it should be said that which square the ball will land on is defined randomly.
Martingale strategy in Plinko: how does it work?
The best-known Plinko strategy is the Martingale. It works in a simple way, consisting of betting using a progressive system, in which you double your bet after each loss.
The aim is to get a win that recovers losses from previous bets in the next one.
At Plinko, the Martingale strategy consists of doubling the bet after each loss until you achieve a win with a multiplier of at least x1.6.
In the game, there are three risk levels and three field variations based on the number of pins and payout directions.
The Plinko Martingale strategy must consider some scenarios related to multipliers, which are:
- If you reach a multiplier lower than x1, you must double your bet
- If you reach a multiplier between x1 and x1.3 the bet must be repeated
- When a multiplier of x1.6 the amount wagered or higher is reached, the strategy has been successful and the player can choose to exit or apply the strategy again, returning to the initial values
It is important to stress that the greater the risks and variations taken, the more difficult it becomes to achieve these multipliers, although the chances of higher premiums are greater.
You have to bear in mind that although this strategy works interestingly, it doesn't guarantee a win. After all, Plinko is a game of random results that depends on luck.
And a strategy that consists of doubling bets with every loss requires attention to bankroll management in order to set limits on losses.
Fibonacci technique applied to Plinko
This strategy is based on the Fibonacci sequence, in which the next number is always the sum of the previous two (1 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 8 and so on). Applied to games of chance, it means progressively increasing the value of bets following the same logic. But there are, of course, a few more details.
Applying Fibonacci in practice as a Plinko strategy, the player must define the value of the next bet taking into account the value of the previous two. An example:The player bets £1 on the first two rounds, then £2 on the third, £3 on the fourth, £5 on the fifth, and so on.
There are two ways to go here: each time you lose, you increase the bet according to the values of the previous two; in the event of a win, and with the option of adopting a more conservative strategy, you go back two.
So, in a Fibonacci strategy round, Plinko started with bets of £10. The second bet will also be £10, and the third will be £20. If you lose, the next bet will be £30, and if you win, you can return to £10.
The Fibonacci strategy has some similarities, but also considerable differences with the Martingale strategy. The main difference is that Martingale requires a larger bankroll, while Fibonacci is more focused on greater control of the bankroll.
Martingale is based on progressively increasing the stakes with each loss, whereas Fibonacci can progress or regress according to luck.
Plinko's strategy to increase the number of lines
In international publications about Plinko, in the Plinko Strategy sections, it is quite common to find the term "progressive increases" or "increasing lines" to define strategies based on adjusting the number of lines.
In Plinko, as I explained above, you first need to adjust the number of lines in the game. More lines mean more risk. Greater risk means greater chances of winning, but also greater chances of losing.
So the Plinko strategy consists of adjusting your risk according to the losses and wins you have in the game.
Increasing the lines and stakes can serve to recover losses from previous rounds, while having fewer lines and fewer stakes can suit more conservative strategies.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Basically, it comes down to the possibility of bigger winnings but more frequent losses, or more frequent winnings but smaller multipliers.
It's up to you to make your own choices.
Emotional control
No Plinko strategy I've analyzed so far works without some emotional control. It's natural for successive losses to generate anxiety about recovering the values in the next round, but this must be properly controlled.
You have to remember that no Plinko strategy guarantees 100% a win. Plinko is a game of chance, with random results that depend on luck. Therefore, losing is natural, and some days it will happen more than others.
Throughout your experience with Plinko, you need to control your losses and gains and manage your bankroll.
This means maintaining a balance, understanding that rushing to quickly recover lost values or taking excessive risks motivated by enthusiasm for winning rounds can be bad decisions.
Finally, it's worth pointing out that lack of emotional control in gaming situations like Plinko can be related to behaviors typical of gaming addiction. And this should be avoided.
Mistakes and pitfalls to avoid when playing Plinko
Talking about Plinko strategy also means talking about what to do in order to have a good experience in the game. But in this part of the article the idea is to go in the opposite direction, which is to tell you what to avoid.
The first pitfall to avoid is playing without knowing the mechanics of the game and its rules. Plinko is very simple, but there are details that need to be understood. The size of the bets, line adjustments and other game mechanisms, such as automatic play and bet control modes, must be understood very well.
One tip to avoid this mistake is to play demo versions before playing for real money in a casino.
Mismanaging your bankroll and the risk you take in Plinko is another common mistake. Spending more than you have or playing without understanding the variations in risk according to choices such as the number of lines can lead to many problems.
To avoid this, it's important to play with more risk only when you have enough bankroll to cope with bigger losses, as well as to divide and control the amounts to be bet.
Losing emotional control in the face of losing and winning bets is also a common mistake.
Conclusion: what is the best Plinko strategy?
To conclude this article, it's important to stress that there is no Plinko strategy that guarantees victory. What is possible is to think of ways to improve the gaming experience, using mechanisms that help manage risks and also the amounts spent on bets, always in a more methodical way.
Likewise, there are some mistakes that can and should be avoided in order to avoid problems with Plinko or any other game of chance.
No less important is the fact that a good strategy for playing Plinko necessarily requires knowledge of its features and mechanics.
Frequently asked questions
How does the Martingale strategy work in Plinko?
This strategy works by doubling your bet with each loss, so that when you win, you can exceed the amount you lost.
Where can you play Plinko online?
Plinko can be played on the websites and apps of the main online casinos.
How volatile is Plinko?
Plinko's volatility varies according to the number of lines used, from the lowest to the highest.