- How To Read Bingo Cards On Slot Machines
- How To Read Slot Machine Bingo
- How To Read Slot Machine Pay Tables
- How To Read Slot Machine Stats
Slot machines are the loudest and most colorful attractions in a casino. With their fun themes and large jackpot values, they're designed to pull you in and drain you of your money in small increments. Though slot machines always favor the house, you can use a few tricks to help you beat the odds. On such machines, small to medium payouts happen more frequently, because most of the money does not have to go towards a giant jackpot. You have an excellent chance of catching several of these medium payouts and become a winner. Avoid slots where nearly half of all possible payouts on the slots pay table are in the two-coin to 20-coin range. The payout table of a slot machine lists the various combinations that the machine will pay out when they are hit. These payout tables are displayed in some form, usually graphically, on the face of the machine, either at the side of the display screen or on another section of the machine.
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.
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.
Read also:Before playing a slot machine game for the first time, we highly recommend checking out the machine's pay table and familiarizing yourself with the paylines. Depending on the machine, the pay table can be confusing, especially if you are new to playing on slots. The table can be jam-packed with info, and it isn't always presented in a way that is clear for newbies. So, to simplify the matter, we are going to show the most important things to look for on a slot machine's pay table.
Read more about slot machines:
What Is a Pay Table?
A pay table gives slot machine players helpful information regarding the game. You can access it by pressing a button marked with a question mark or an information symbol.
Typically, a pay table will contain the following pieces of information:
- Game rules
- Symbols and their corresponding values
- Bonus features
- Conditions for winning free spins
- Jackpot details
- Payline Information
In many cases, the pay table will be multiple pages long, so be sure to look for the Next or Forward button.
Game Rules
The game rules portion of the pay table will tell players the basic rules, such as what buttons to push, what actions to take, and what conditions are needed to win. You can see an example of the Lion's Pride 'Gamble Rules' section at the bottom of the pay table.
Symbols and Their Corresponding Values
On the same Lion's Pride pay table, you can see each symbol in the game and how much their base pay is when they appear on the reels. The table shows the payout when 3, 4, and 5 symbols appear. Furthermore, the screen gives the information that the wins are multiplied by the number of coins bet per line. However, it also states that scatter wins are instead multiplied by the total bet.
Symbols and Their Corresponding Values
On the same Lion's Pride pay table, you can see each symbol in the game and how much their base pay is when they appear on the reels. The table shows the payout when 3, 4, and 5 symbols appear. Furthermore, the screen gives the information that the wins are multiplied by the number of coins bet per line. However, it also states that scatter wins are instead multiplied by the total bet.
This information will vary highly from game to game, so be sure to read the given information carefully.
Bonus Features
One beloved component of modern slot machines are their engaging bonus features. Bonus games are different from the regular slot machine game and give players an opportunity to rake in more winnings. Some bonus games are simple, while others can be more complicated and utilize advanced mechanics. To be fully prepared, be sure to read the bonus section of your slot machine's pay table.
For example, in Wild North, you could unlock the Northern Lights bonus game. According to Wild North's pay table, 20 tiles will appear on the screen, and you reveal one tile. Depending on the tile you reveal, you will either end the bonus game or get to continue on and reveal additional tiles. With each round of the game, you will get to spin the bonus wheel or either win cash prizes or another bonus feature.
Conditions for Winning Free Spins
One fun part of playing a slot game is the opportunity to rack up free spins, which increase your chances of winning. Games have different conditions for winning free spins, so be sure to check the pay table. For instance, in Lion's Pride, players need to receive 3+ mask symbols in order to trigger free spins. They could win up to 25 free spins, and each winning spin would have a randomly awarded multiplier. In addition to this, free spins have the ability to be retriggered in this particular slot game.
Jackpot Details
The pay table will also give the player relevant information about the game's jackpot, namely what symbol triggers the jackpot payout and how many of that symbol needs to be on an active payline.
In the picture below, the King Cashalot pay table shows that you need to get 5 king symbols on the 9th reel in order to win the progressive jackpot. You also need to place the maximum bet in order to qualify to receive the jackpot prize.
Paylines
How To Read Bingo Cards On Slot Machines
Finally, the pay table will include information about the game's paylines. A payline is a line on which reel symbols need to fall in order for you to receive winnings. In most cases, you will have to place a specified wager in order to activate all paylines. It would be in your best interest to place the maximum bet because this guarantees that all paylines would be activated. Think of how devastating it would be for you to land a fantastic winning combination on an inactive payline!
Here is an example of a diagram you might see on a multi-payline slot machine's pay table.
Types of Pay Lines
How To Read Slot Machine Bingo
On the pay table, you will see in which direction the paylines are oriented. To briefly touch on the terminology, here is what you might see:
Left to Right: This is the most common direction that you will find on a slot machine. When wins begin left to right, this means that symbols need to start matching from the reel furthest to the left. Any subsequent symbols will need to match from left to right.
Right to Left: This is the opposite of a left to right payline. The first symbol needs to be all the way to the right, and the succession continues leftward.
Pay Both Ways: Interestingly enough, there are very few slot machines that solely pay right to left. If you see that it pays right to left, it is likely that it also pays left to right. If this is the case, then we would say that the payline pays both ways.
All Ways: In this type of payline alignment, you just need to have a matching symbol on every reel. This is much easier to hit than in a single-direction payline game. All Ways paylines give you access to a large number of ways to win. The most common scenario will be 243 paylines across the reels.
Cluster Pays: This type of payline is very different from the others. With this kind, symbol need to appear on the reels in clusters. Usually the clusters must be groups of either 3 or 5 symbols. Here is an example of a cluster payline:
How To Read Slot Machine Pay Tables
Now that you know how to read a pay table, come check out our vast library of slot games! Our games have fun symbols, catchy music, and engaging bonus features, so you are sure to find a game that you will love.
How To Read Slot Machine Stats
