Slot machines have become popular at many online casinos and I bet if you once visited the casino you have played any one slot game. In this guide, I will outline the basics of all slot machines.
Playing Slots – Understanding how slots are played is something that you can learn in just a few minutes. All slot machines are based on one similar concept – inserting coins, spinning the reels and checking your payout schedule whether the combination was a win or lose but with all slots, they will flash and make a sound when you hit / trigger a winning combination. Once you have understood, the next step would be for you to read the payout schedule so as to see the winning combinations that you will be aiming to trigger and this includes the jackpot. The payout schedule is shown on top of all slot machines and reading it is a mandatory before you commence game play because it shows the top jackpot that the slot offers and to include the winning symbols that trigger the jackpots as well as the bonus features.
Random Number Generator (RNG) – The RNG is the computer system embedded in all slot machines that is responsible for the outcome of combinations at random. The RNG is programmed with a payout rate between (75 – 95)%. The more the game is played, it is a mandatory that it should give back up to 95% of the total amount wagered. This does not mean that for each $1 wagered, it should give back 95c. The payout rate is given after a certain period when it has been played most often and at times a slot machine can become loose due to the fact that it would have reached its point of giving back what was wagered.
Slot Game Features
The gaming features delivered by most slot machines are what make the slots interesting. Slot machines come in two categories – Classic slots and Exclusive slots.
Classic Slots – These make use of three reels and have a single or a max of three paylines. They make use of common symbols such as the bars, Sevens, Double Bars, King, Jack, and many others. Classic slots do not offer bonus features as well as free spins as compared to exclusive slots.
Exclusive Slots – These are multi-line, multi-coin, and multi-denomination video slots that offer several gaming features such as bonus rounds, free spins, multiplier, wild symbols and scatters symbol. For the bonus rounds, the bonus symbol is used to trigger the bonus round and the scatter symbol is usually used as a multiplier as well as activating the free spin bonus round. The symbols used in these slots vary from one another depending on the theme of the game but most of the features such as triggering the free spins or bonus rounds are similar.
Progressive Jackpots – Progressive jackpots (not available in all slots) are triggered by hitting a particular winning combination on maximum bet. The jackpot is networked with many other slots and it gradually increases its value as people play the slot game. The value of the progressive jackpot is shown on top of the screen and it increase gradually due to the fact that it is networked with other slots and each time a player wagers, a certain amount is added to the jackpot. The progressive jackpot can reach up to millions of dollars at some online casinos.
Random Progressive Jackpot – Other slot games offer a random progressive jackpot that is triggered anytime during game play. Random progressive jackpots are similar to progressive jackpot but this time there is no need of you hitting a certain combination on maximum bet to trigger the jackpot. The progressive jackpot is triggered anytime at random on any winning combination.