As a novice player, an online slot game complete with all its features can be a daunting prospect. So if you are new to the world of online slots and want to understand the difference between your scatter symbols, the different wilds available as well as many other features of the most popular slots, then read on.
While many of us are familiar with the very simple 'fruit machine' type of three-reel slot where there is just one pay line and you had to get matching fruit on the aforementioned line in order to win, the digital age heralded a brand new type of slot.
In order to appeal to the burgeoning online gamer, slot machine developers quickly realised that simplistic 3-reel games with one pay line were not the most exciting, nor profitable way for slots to develop. As such, they began to develop something new, online slots that were specifically targeted for the Internet.
The result has been spectacular with a whole host of slots, with new slots added monthly, all coming with a host of features which make the game more exciting and enjoyable (and potentially profitable) for the player.
However, as a novice, it does mean that these slot games are a tad more difficult to understand at first and some of the terms used can be confusing. So to help you out, here's out guide to some of the most common online slot features and terms, what they mean and how they influence your game.
Autoplay - Autoplay is when you select your required coin size, number of paylines and then let the computer take control of playing your game for you. You can define the number of spins you want the computer to play for you. This means you don't have to hit the spin button each time to play, but that after every spin, the computer will automatically respin the reels for the set wager. This feature can be interrupted at any time by the user.
Base Game -The Base Game is the most commonly played section of a modern online slot. It is the game that you begin playing immediately when you make your first wager and spin the reels. You win cash by landing the required combinations in the base game, but it also serves as a way to get into any bonus games or feature the slot has, or the free spins section. This is usually achieved by landing a set combination of symbols on the reels (in the case of bonus games, usually three or more scatter symbols across the reels).
The more complicated and involved a slot is, the more features you can access from within the base game.
Bet Max - Bet Max is simply a way for a player to make the highest wager possible at the click of a button. Clicking on this means you will place the maximum amount of coins across all available paylines for each spin.
Bonus Game/Feature - Many online slots, particularly video slots, include at least one, if not many more, bonus games and features within the game. These are accessed from the base game when a certain combination of symbols are achieved across the reels.
Bonus games or features can take on many different forms and sometimes come with additional bonuses, such as multipliers on any wins, free spins or additional wild symbols across the reels. Usually they are tied in with the theme of the slot you are playing.
Accessing the bonus game or feature on a slot usually gives the player a chance at greater cash rewards per spin for the duration it is active.
Coin Size - Many video slots now accept many different denominations of coin size per spin. For example, if you want to bet on all 25 paylines on a slot, you can opt to wager 1 coin, 2 coins, 5 coins or 10 coins per spin.
All winnings are calculated on the size of your wager per line. So if you land a winning combination on one line that pays out 10x your wager and you bet 1 coin per line (total 25 coins per spin), you will win 10 coins on that line.
However, if you placed the maximum 10 coins on that line (total 250 coins per spin), you would win 10x 10 coins, 100 coins for the same result.
Free Spins - The Free Spins feature is usually triggered from the base game when the user lands three or more 'scatter symbols' across the reels.
Each free spins section in a modern slot is very different and is based on the theme of the game. Essentially, the game gives you a stated number of free spins (or it can be a randomly assigned number) and the money you win in this section is yours to keep.
However, free spins are more than just about free spins of the reels. Often during free spins, a players chances of winning bigger money is increased by the use of different features such as increased numbers of Wilds, re-triggering free spins if you land a scatter symbol in this section and multipliers, which can increase throughout the duration of the free spins.
In many games, the free spins section is the key to winning the bigger jackpot sums on the site and as such, getting into them is the aim of most slot players when playing.
Gamble Feature - Some modern slots now feature a 'Gamble' option when you have won cash. This usually comes in the form of a game where the player has an option to gamble their winnings and double them, or risk losing them.
The wager used depends on the slot but it typically takes the form of a 50/50 bet, such as picking whether the next card shown on screen will be a red (heart or diamond) or black (club or spade). In some games a player can gamble their winnings more than once if they are successful.
Holds - Holds are still used in some modern slots and they simply hold the selected reel at its current face value while the remaining reels left unselected, spin as per usual.
Multipliers - Multipliers are accessed in the base game and bonus games of most modern slots and they are a way to increase the amount of money you win in a section of the game. For example, if you enter a free spins bonus round and receive 20 free spins, with a 10x multiplier, all the money you win in the free spins round will be multiplied by ten when it is paid to you.
So for example, in the round above, if you win 1000 coins with your 20 free spins, with a 10x multiplier, you would actually receive 10,000 coins. With a 5x multiplier, you would receive 5,000 and so on.
Multipliers are a fantastic way to increase your winnings and slots with big multiplier bonuses are very popular with players for this reason.
Nudges - Nudges are still used on some modern slots and they are simply a way for a player to move a selected reel up or down one symbol per nudge awarded, with the aim of making a winning combination.
Some games offer 'auto-nudge' buttons, which will automatically nudge the reels to the best possible winning combination, if one is available.
The number of nudges you receive is variable and there is no guarantee that if your game offers you nudges, you will be able to make a winning line.
Paylines - Before you start playing on a slot you will be asked to select the number of paylines you wish to bet on. In some slots, the number of paylines is set and cannot be changed, however in others you can choose to bet on as many, or as few paylines as you wish.
Most modern slots offer anywhere from 20 to 243 paylines per spin. For each payline you select you will wager one of your selected denomination of coins on each spin of the reels.
So if you are betting 5 coins per payline on 20 paylines, each spin of the reels will cost you 100 coins. However, if you only opt to bet on 10 paylines per spin, it will cost you 50 coins per spin (however, you only have half of the potential winning lines available to you each spin).
Most slot strategists suggest playing smaller coin denominations and more paylines, rather than higher coin size and fewer paylines as a better slot strategy.
Payout Percentage - Each online slot you pay brings in the parent casino money, however not all of that money goes to the casino, a significant percentage is paid out to players in the form of winnings and in the case of progressive slots, a small amount is also added to the progressive jackpot for that game.
The amount of money the slot pays out to users in prize money is known as the payout percentage and for slot machines this percentage can vary, but it can be anywhere up to 98% on some games.
Pay Table - The pay table is simply the list of winning combinations available on your chosen slot. There is often a link to the pay table which the user can click on at any point to review the winning lines.
There is no need to familiarise yourself with this option if you do not want to as the software will always recognise any winning combinations automatically and ensure you are paid out.
Reels - Traditionally, slot machines have operated using reels, harking back to the days when the machines were mechanically operated. Most online slot games still use animated reels to display the symbols.
It is important to note here however that the online slot does not operate like a mechanical reel. Instead, modern online slots use a random number generator to come up with the reel combinations. The reels simply display the result of the random number generator in this way due to tradition and the fact it is what most slot players are comfortable with.
Scatter Symbol - A scatter symbol is one of the most popular symbols included on the modern online slot. Singly or if seen in pairs across the reels, a scatter symbol may award a player a small cash prize when it appears, however, when you land three, four or five scatter symbols across the reels in the base game, then you trigger the bonus game, or a free spins section.
As we have already seen, bonus games and free spins are the way in which players can maximise their winnings from a machine, so landing three scatter symbols or more is always the aim of most slot players.
The scatter symbol varies on each game depending on its theme but it is usually obviously connected with the overall theme of the slot.
Wilds -Wild symbols are symbols which when they appear on a payline, can take on the form of any other symbol in the slot, to give the player a chance of a payline.
A wild symbol therefore substitutes for any other symbol (bar the scatter symbol usually) in order to help the player form a winning combination.
There are many different types of wild symbol bonuses and we'll look at these in more detail in a future article. Suffice to say for now that the more wilds on your reels, the more chances you have of hitting a winning combination of higher value.
Next Post: What are the best no deposit bonuses available for mobiles & tablets?
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