Beginners Guide To Slots
So you fancy dabbling in slots do you? Well you’re certainly not alone! The popularity of slots has grown prolifically over the decades and with the arrival and subsequent explosion of the internet, playing slots online has opened up a whole new dimension to what was once as simple as pulling a handle on a slots machine in a pub in the hope of having three random symbols line up.
However, whilst the landscape of slots has considerably changed in recent years, all those enthusiasts of the classic ‘La Liberty Bell’ style machines, will be pleased to know this option of slot game is still available, not just online but in mobile version as well.
Whether you opt to play on a traditional offline slot machine in a casino in Las Vegas or down your local pub, choose to play on a casino site from your PC on your lunch hour at work, or fill up time on a bus journey by playing the game from your smartphone, one thing will also remain consistent whenever and wherever you play – your aim is to get winning symbols.
So here’s the million dollar question – how to you achieve winning symbols in a game of slots?
The first rule to remember that unless stated otherwise, most online and mobile slots machines are dedicated to paying from left to right. The symbols therefore need to line up and be in order on a payline that is active. This is by far the most frequent way to get the highly sought-after winning symbols, whether you are playing mobile and online slots.
Consider the reel
Slot machines comprise of a number of reels – ‘3 paylines classic slot’, ‘3 reels’, ’25 paylines video slot’ or ‘5 reels’. Okay, so you might be asking yourself, ‘what on earth is a reel?’ Well let us explain.
A reel is the amount of symbols you can fit next to each other horizontally. It therefore defines the amount of symbols you will require in order to beat the machine and be a winner. It also determines the amount of payline the software provider can realistically add to the reel. Theoretically, the higher the number of reels a player has, the bigger the amount of paylines they will be able to create.
Most machines, in classic slots at least, give players three reels. In video slots it is typical to get five reels, and very occasionally in classic slots.
With three reels, in order to win, players will require to get three matching symbols on a payline that is active. With a game that has five reels, players can receive three, four or even five matching symbols in order to secure a win. Simply speaking, the greater the amount of symbols a players gets, the bigger their win will be.
An active slot payline
You may also be asking yourself, “what is an active slot payline?”. A payline is essentially a row with three symbols lined up. Players can add more paylines to the top and bottom and will consequently make them active.
It is the amount of paylines that is the main distinguishing feature between a video slot and a classic slot and although this ‘rule’ isn’t ‘set in stone’, it is a good guidance point to refer to.
If the game comprises of between one and five paylines, the chances are it is a classic slot style game. If it has a much higher amount of paylines, for example, nine to 50, it is likely to be a video slot style game. Or if it has 99 paylines or more, the game is probably a more contemporary, mobile video slots game.
So why are paylines so important?
Paylines are important because they directly influence how much a player can bet on a particular slot, which in turn affects the amount the put on the game and how much they can ultimately win.
Progressive jackpot
Which brings us on to the jackpot, as, after all, isn’t the jackpot what we’re all aspiring to win? With a progressive mobile slot machine, the jackpot continues growing every time a bet is made on it. This therefore means that each time somebody somewhere in the world places a bet on the game, the jackpot grows, giving you the chance to win a huge jackpot.
This means, the more popular the slot is, the more money will be placed on it and the bigger the jackpot will grow.
It can be easy to get carried away with the prospect of a jackpot win but you should remember, the chances of winning large amounts of money are one in a million!