Jack Hammer 2 Slot Overview
Jack Hammer 2, subtitled Fishy Business, is the sequel to NetEnt's popular comic-strip detective slot. Released back in November 2013, it runs on a 5x3 grid with 99 paylines and keeps the same cartoon noir style as the original. Private eye Jack Hammer is back in Grand City, this time rescuing the singer Pearl from the villainous Don Crabby.
I quite like the vibe of this one. Low volatility, a cracking RTP of 97.07%, and the Sticky Win feature on every spin make it a proper session slot. Max win sits at 1,980x your stake, which is decent for a low-variance game. Not going to retire you, but it keeps the balance ticking over without massive dry spells.
Symbols and Paytable
Every symbol fits the crime-caper storyline. Jack Hammer himself is the top payer at 10x for five on a payline, followed by Lady Pearl at 5x, Don Crabby at 3x, and the Goons at 2x. Lower down you have dock-themed bits like the harbour, speedboat, barrels, weapons case, and Pearl's microphone, ranging from 0.7x down to 0.3x for five of a kind.
Wild symbols substitute for everything except the Electric Eel Scatter. During Free Spins, extra Random Wilds appear on the middle reels too. Honestly, the paytable values per line are quite small, but with 99 paylines and the Sticky Win mechanic locking symbols in place, individual spins can stack up to something pretty tasty.
Symbol Payouts
| 5 | x10 |
| 4 | x1.5 |
| 3 | x0.5 |
| 5 | x5 |
| 4 | x0.8 |
| 3 | x0.3 |
| 5 | x3 |
| 4 | x0.5 |
| 3 | x0.2 |
| 5 | x2 |
| 4 | x0.4 |
| 3 | x0.16 |
| 5 | x0.7 |
| 4 | x0.2 |
| 3 | x0.08 |
| 5 | x0.5 |
| 4 | x0.14 |
| 3 | x0.06 |
| 5 | x0.4 |
| 4 | x0.1 |
| 3 | x0.06 |
| 5 | x0.4 |
| 4 | x0.08 |
| 3 | x0.04 |
| 5 | x0.3 |
| 4 | x0.08 |
| 3 | x0.04 |
Bonus Features
Here is where the fun lives. Every winning spin triggers the Sticky Win feature. Winning symbols freeze in place, the remaining reels respin, and if new matching symbols or wilds land they lock too. Respins keep going until nothing new appears, then everything pays out at once. Simple mechanic, but it can build wins nicely.
Land 5 or more Electric Eel Scatters and you trigger Free Spins. Five scatters give you 10 spins, six give 13, seven give 16, and eight or more give 20. All wins during the round get a 2x multiplier, and Random Wilds pop up on the middle reels to help form combinations. You can retrigger up to 40 free spins total.
Fair warning though; the bonus features are basically the same as the original Jack Hammer. NetEnt played it safe with the sequel. The 2x multiplier is actually lower than the 3x in the first game, and the max win dropped from 3,000x to 1,980x. So if you loved the original, this might feel a touch underwhelming in terms of potential.
Bonus Buy Options
Volatility and RTP
RTP clocks in at 97.07%, which is brilliant compared to most slots out there. Volatility is low, so you get frequent smaller wins rather than long droughts followed by big hits. Hit frequency is around 24%, meaning roughly one in four spins pays something. Perfect if you just want a relaxed session without your balance doing a rollercoaster.
Max win is 1,980x your stake. Playing at the top bet of 250 quid, that is a theoretical 495,000. Realistic? Probably not on a Tuesday evening, but the maths is there. For a low-volatility slot, that ceiling is proper decent. Just keep in mind this is a grinder, not a moonshot.
