The operation of the slot machines is very simple: you will find a grid made up of reels with different symbols and one or more pay lines. When the reels stop, the symbols will stop in their final position, and you will discover the results of your play based on the combinations present! Let’s see in more detail this mechanism and the elements that participate in it.
Fundamental elements: reels, symbols, scatter, and wild, multiplier.
Each slot has common elements: this guide will explain exactly how reels work and what terms like scatter or wild correspond to.
There are two basic elements that make up a slot: reels and symbols.
- Rollers: the symbols are arranged on vertical spinners, called rollers, which you can decide when to stop. At their stop, the symbols will stop in a random combination, and based on the available pay lines, and you can calculate how much you have won!
- Symbols: each slot has 10 – 12 standard symbols. According to the style of the game, they present themselves in a different way: if it is a traditional slot, you can find the classic cherries; if instead, you are playing with a themed slot, it will always be different symbols to characterize your adventure.
In addition to the symbols of traditional slot machines, there are three additional categories with special functions:
Scatter: when one or more scatters appear, even if they are not present directly on the pay lines, you will have a winning spin. In many slots, they also qualify for special prizes.- Wild: the wild symbol is different from the other regular symbols, it can replace anyone as a joker and complete a winning combination
- Multiplier: it will soon become your favorite symbol! When it appears, it can literally multiply the payout based on the value it reports, 2x, 3x, or 4x!
Winning lines: what they are and how they work
You can find out the outcome of the bet and how much you won thanks to the pay lines. These are the sequence of positions on the reels valid for the victory to be set before the game: at the stop, the symbols that appear must be compared with the paytable to determine the value of the win. The slots of the past had only one; the current ones instead can have more than 100: today’s average, however, it is 20/30 lines per slot. Obviously, the greater the pay lines selected, the greater the chances of winning online, even if there are different theories: some players prefer to divide their bets into multiple lines, lowering the amount of each; others choose to bet higher digits, but on fewer lines.