Getting to Know the Slot Machine

It's true that you don't need to know a lot about slots to play them; just pop in the coin and pull the lever (or press the button). But in spite of their appearance, there are several features of these machines that you should be aware of, because it can determine how well and long you can play.

Take reels and paylines for instance. Most think of slots as having three reels and one pay line. That was true in the past, but now casinos offer machines with as many as 5 reels. While this may make it more difficult to win, this is compensated for by having additional paylines. However, most casinos require that you insert a coin per payline to be eligible to win there. Check the rules first.

The coins you can wager are also important. Most slot machines adopt the 3 coin max per spin rule, but in bigger paying slots, you can wager as much as 10 coins per spin. Keep this in mind and how it relates to your bankroll. If you brought plenty of cash, you can opt to play on these machines.

You also need to know something about the unique slot machines available. The most common is the multiplier, where if you win, the payout is usually 5 coins per 1 coin inserted. If you plugged in 2 coins, the payout will be doubled to 10 coins, and so on. The bonus multiplier is similarly structured except if you play the maximum allowed number of coins and win, there is a bonus payout.

Buy a Pay slots are different, and the most important thing to remember about them is that you must play the max number of credits or coins to win the big prize. It doesn't matter if you hit the royal flush; if you didn't play the max, you don't win anything. Playing the minimum number of credits/coins only entitles you to the lowest possible payout. The same rule applies to those machines that offer lottery like jackpots.

Some slots also features several rows. Only one displays the wining result, but the others are placed there to show how close or far you were from hitting the jackpot.

As you can see, the more you know about slots, the less likely you'll end up throwing your money on a machine that you are unfamiliar with. The time you spend studying these machines will eventually be repaid by the money you win at the casinos.