How To Read Casino Slot Machines
Most people look at the vast array of casino slot machines and assume they are all alike. They see a handle, a coin slot, flashing lights and figure one is as good as another. However, in making this assumption, they fail to see a lot of valuable information to help determine if they should play a particular slot machine.
Surprisingly perhaps, machines aren't all the same. The best way to separate one from another is to learn how to “read” a machine by looking at the payout schedule on the front. Let’s see what information can be found on a typical slot machine.
Casinos here in the U.S. and abroad keep several types of slot machines in play at any given time. A few you'll most often see:
Multiplier: This machine has a payout for a certain symbol and the number of coins played multiplies it. If the machine pays 5 coins for three lemons when you play one coin, it would pay 10 for the second coin and 15 for three coins played. This machine does not penalize you for not playing maximum coins. If you plan to play only one coin at a time, this is the type of machine you should look for.
The first aspect of reading a slot machine is to notice how many lines can be played on one spin. Some slots will have a single line, but most of the slots available these days can have up to 50. There will be a detailed description of how each of these lines is calculated to pay out. They don’t always go straight across or up and down. Casino Knights, Inc. Provide authentic slot machines, professional poker tables, casino games and the chips. Your guests get to experience all the fun of the Vegas Strip without spending a dime! Give us a call today to learn about casino party packages, corporate events and fundraising parties.
Bonus Multiplier: This machine operates like the multiplier but offers a bonus when you play maximum coins and hit the jackpot. Three 7’s may pay 1,000 for one coin, 2,000 for two coins and 10,000 for maximum coins. The central question is whether the bonus is worth playing the extra coin.
Multiple Payline: These machines have more than one line of play. Each coin activates a particular line. If you hit a winner on a line that is not activated, you will not receive anything. The older machines used to have three lines but the newer video slots can have up to nine lines.
Read more about how slot machines work in our win at slots article. Slot Machine Question - Do slot machines have a pattern or sequence they follow which can be figured out by intensely analyzing the outcomes? How to Read Slots Paytables? Since slots first became prominent midway through the 20 th century, they have always been incredibly easy to understand. As one of the most popular games in every casino, slot games must be easy to understand seeing as so many people play them.
Buy-a-Pay: These are the most misunderstood machines in the casino. Each coin activates a different payout. You need the maximum coins to receive the largest jackpot.
One example is the Sizzlin' 7s machines. This machine will pay on cherries, bars, and sevens. The sevens pay 1,000 coins. If you play one coin you collect only on the cherries. If you play two coins you collect on cherries and bars.
Three coins are required to collect on the Sizzlin' 7s. If you hit the jackpot with one coin in you will not win anything -- do not play this machine under any circumstances unless you are playing the maximum coins.
Progressive Slots: The progressive slots take a certain percentage of the money played and add it to a pool for the top jackpot.
First and foremost, It is never wise to play a progressive machine with less than the maximum coins -- stories abound of people losing out on lesser progressive jackpots because of short coin play.
Some casinos link machines together within their own facility to offer mini-progressive jackpots.
How To Read Casino Slot Machines Without
Megabucks and Quarter Mania are examples of machines from several casinos linked together to offer 'life-changing jackpots'. It's important to keep in mind that payback percentage on lesser wins is lowered to allow for these jackpots.
All of the information you need is posted on the front of each slot machine. Before sitting down to play, taking a minute to “read” the machine will help make you more knowledgeable in determining which machines may be best suited for you.
Until next time, remember:
'Luck comes and goes...Knowledge Stays Forever.'
Since slots first became prominent midway through the 20th century, they have always been incredibly easy to understand. As one of the most popular games in every casino, slot games must be easy to understand seeing as so many people play them. Slot games, though they differ slightly, are all based on the same simple concept. Reels equipped with symbols are spun, and if they are stopped in certain sequences, players are paid out based on what symbols are showing, and where.
With the advent of more advanced technology, slot games have changed dramatically and play host to different symbols, bonus games, and many other items. Still, slot paytables have existed through it all and still exist to this day. The key to slot tables is and always has been simplicity. People fear slot paytables because they often look a bit confusing at first, but the fact of the matter is that they are quite easy to understand. There is a fear that, as slot games become increasingly complicated and layered, that paytables will also be difficult to understand, but there is no way this will happen as slots depend on paytables being easy to understand.
Paytables Explained
Now that you know paytables have always existed, you might be wondering a bit more about what exactly they are and how they work. In most cases nowadays, paytables can be accessed towards the bottom of the gamescreen by simply clicking the icons. The icons and what they mean will be more or less your keys to understanding every aspect of the slot game in front of you.
In so many cases you will find players sitting down at a slot game without knowing anything about the symbols spinning in front of them. This is astounding simply because it is impossible to tell what symbols you should be cheering for if you have no idea what they are going to pay out.
How To Read Casino Slot Machines Jackpots
Basically, the paytable will show you what symbols exist and what you win when they show up in certain quantities. The paytable will also elaborate more on wild and scatter symbols and how they work through the course of the game. For all intents and purposes, paytables are your roadmap for understanding how these games work and how you are paid if and when you win.
Understanding the Contents of Paytables
Now that you may understand what the symbols on the paytable mean, you might do well to understand the digits beside them. In most cases, the first page of the paytable will show the winning combinations of a certain symbol as well as the coinage that will be paid out if said combination lands.
The explanation of wild symbols can also be found on the paytables page. On more advanced slots, there may be multiple pages to the paytable. These additional pages are usually utilized to explain bonus games and any other extra functions that the game might feature.
With how advanced slot game are becoming both at online casinos and in brick and mortar establishments, paytables are likely to continue expanding and being elaborated upon. As is the case with anything else in the casino world, it is important that you thoroughly read through every aspect of the paytable as it will give you a better understanding of how the game works, and thus, your level of enjoyment. At the end of the day, you would do best to understand every aspect of every online casino game you play.
Casino Paytables FAQ
Why do paytables matter to me?
This is a question that could not possibly be more difficult to answer. First and foremost, paytables are important because they are your instruction manual for a slot game. They explain to you how you win, how much you win, and how your winnings can be maximized. What’s more, paytables let you know what symbols and combinations you should be rooting for so that you are not aimlessly spinning without any idea of what’s really going on.
Are they always easy to understand, or are they confusing?
Though at first glance it may seem confusing, paytables are often quite easy to read and comprehend. The only reason paytables are confusing at all is because slot symbols are no longer as standard as they once were. With a little effort, no paytable is confusing at all. This is a truth because, if paytables were confusing, slots would not be as popular as they are.
Are slot paytables online similar to slot paytables at brick and mortar casinos?
Yes. Nowadays, sitting in front of the computer and sitting in front of a slot game at a brick and mortar casino are really not that different. As such, paytables on both are more or less the same and understanding one is no more difficult than understanding another.