Slot free spins quality: why do some never pay anything

been playing way too many online slots lately, mostly chasing free spins bonuses and gotta say, some of them just feel totally dead. like, you hit free spins after grinding for ages, only to get paid literal pennies. i know variance is wild, but man, sometimes it feels like a setup, especially on those high-volatility ones where you can go a whole session without a single proper hit. almost like some of them are coded to show you the bells and whistles but barely ever deliver.

in poker, at least you can spot bad beats or mistakes, but with slots it’s just “here, hope you enjoy your 0.3x win.” not saying every game is rigged, i know the rtp is published and all that, but why does the distribution on some of these free spins feel so brutal? anyone else notice certain slots almost never pay on free spins, or am i just running bad? which games have actually given you solid bonuses and which ones always flop for you?