Many slots players know that painful, yet hopeful feeling of almost landing a big jackpot. They miss the top prize by one symbol and want to chase after it for hours afterward. The reason why is simple psychology: they almost got the coveted jackpot, so if they continue playing, they're bound to hit it soon.

Unfortunately, this is one of the biggest fallacies of the online slots world. It's the idea that the closer you get to the top prize, the more likely you are to land it in the near future. Many players have lost their wits chasing after this dream, so it's definitely worth discussing one of the biggest disasters in slots bankroll management.

Too Many Close Calls

If you think that you're one of the few people who've come close to the jackpot, only to barely miss, then drop this feeling! Near-misses are very common in online slots because the games are programmed this way. You have a much better chance of getting 4 out of 5 jackpot symbols than you do of landing all 5 of them. So you are going to experience a lot more close calls than you will top prizes.

Of course, most players don't think this way. Instead, they believe that they're special in almost winning the jackpot. But the reality is that these players are one in many who've won a big payout, but not the top prize.

Remain Focused

Seeing as how you'll narrowly miss jackpots more than you collect them, it's important to remain level-headed. Assuming you had a loss limit in mind before starting your slots session, don't suddenly buck this figure just because you got close to the top payout.

The key is to stick to your guns and don't let the size of payouts you're receiving affect your decision-making process. Now, if you're on a roll and picking up lots of mid-range and big payouts, then by all means continue playing. But if you've been steadily losing all day, then win some of the losses back, don't use this money to go crazy in pursuit of the jackpot.

By remaining disciplined, you'll hang on to your slots money longer and have a better overall experience with the game.