How Plinko works
Plinko is an instant game based on the classic TV-show board. You choose your bet, the number of rows of pins and a risk level, then drop the ball. It bounces left or right at every pin and lands in one of the boxes at the bottom, each with its own multiplier.
Several providers make their own version: Spribe's Plinko is one of the best known, and BGaming and 1win's in-house studio have versions too. Rows, risk levels and payout tables differ between them, so check the info panel of the version you play.
Spribe's Plinko in detail
- 12, 14 or 16 rows of pins.
- Three risk levels shown as ball colours: green (low), yellow (medium) and red (high).
- With 16 rows, red-ball boxes range from 0x up to 555x — the game's maximum.
- RTP 97% and a provably fair result you can verify for every drop.
Why the edges almost never hit
At every pin the ball has the same chance to go left or right. With 16 rows that is 16 coin flips, so the landing spot follows a bell curve: most balls end up near the middle, and reaching an edge means going the same way 16 times in a row — about 1 time in 65,536 for each edge.
Changing rows or risk only reshapes the payout table. Over many drops, the return stays at the game's RTP.
Where the ball lands: the real odds
At every pin the ball goes left or right with equal chance, so the landing spots follow a bell curve. Odds for a 16-row board:
| Box | Chance (both sides) | On average |
|---|---|---|
| Edge | 0.0031% | 1 in 32,768 drops |
| 1 from the edge | 0.049% | 1 in 2,048 drops |
| 2 from the edge | 0.37% | 1 in 273 drops |
| 3 from the edge | 1.71% | 1 in 58.5 drops |
| 4 from the edge | 5.55% | 1 in 18 drops |
| 5 from the edge | 13.3% | 1 in 7.5 drops |
| 6 from the edge | 24.4% | 1 in 4.1 drops |
| 7 from the edge | 34.9% | 1 in 2.9 drops |
| Centre | 19.6% | 1 in 5.1 drops |
The biggest multipliers sit at the edges — exactly where the ball almost never goes. Whatever rows or risk level you choose, the payout table keeps the long-term return at the game's RTP.
Check your own numbers
- Chance per drop
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- On average
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- Drops for a 50% chance
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Key facts
| Reference version | Spribe |
|---|---|
| Type | Instant game |
| Released | 2021 |
| RTP | 97% (Spribe) |
| Rows | 12 / 14 / 16 |
| Risk levels | Green / Yellow / Red |
| Max multiplier | 555x (16 rows, red) |
| Provably fair | Yes |
Casinos can choose between several RTP versions of a game. The exact figure is shown in the game's info panel.
Questions
Can you aim the ball or use a strategy?
No. Every bounce is random, so no row count, risk level or betting pattern changes the long-term return.
Which risk level should I pick?
Low risk gives smaller, steadier results; high risk adds 0x boxes in exchange for rare big edge multipliers. The RTP stays the same.
Do other Plinko versions have the same odds?
For the same number of rows, the landing odds follow the same bell curve. What changes between versions is the payout table and the RTP.