Visit any casino site and you’ll see that slots are the primary type of game that’s offered. One of the reasons that explain their success is that anyone even with zero experience can enjoy them. The games are fun and every casino offers a large, versatile collection of titles. If you are ready to join the fans of the game and learn how to play slots, just keep reading.
What Is a Slot Machine
The main components of the game are reels, symbols, and paylines. Reels spin and stop, ensuring a different set of icons. To form winning combinations, similar icons must land on an active payline left to right. In addition to regular, most titles have special symbols such as wilds (substitute for other symbols) and scatters (pay regardless of their position).
This is a traditional variation of a slot and there are many more less conventional choices. For instance, some of them don’t even have a traditional reel setup or even reels and only slightly resemble slot machines you expect to see. Developers experiment with shapes and engines to give slots a fresh look and feel. But apart from some wildest concepts, slot machines usually remain easily recognizable.
One of the popular types of games is grid slots that do resemble traditional variations but are built on a completely different engine. Instead of reels that spin, there are grids filled with icons that fall from above. Grid types of titles usually feature cascades after every payback. It’s when a winning combination disappears and new elements fill in the spaces.
Today all slots offer just an illusion of reels spinning. The truth is, a random number generator (RNG) determines what will show up on the screen and if there will be a win. The outcomes are generated instantly but watching the reels spin and the anticipation that builds as they slow down adds much more excitement.
Key Slot Elements
Let’s take a closer look at the key slot elements, and we’ll start with the reels. These are vertical lines that spin to produce a random set of icons. The minimum number of reels is 3, and while most titles have 5-6 of them, the number can grow without limits when it comes to slot engines such as InfinityReels.
Paylines. There are usually multiple paylines on the reels. A single line is a characteristic of a classic title when you need to have similar symbols lined horizontally right in the middle of the reels. Non classic games usually have 10 and more lines and they can be a straight line, zigzag, have a V shape, etc.
Most games pay only one way – for combinations from left to right. But there are also titles that pay both ways.
Bet size buttons are used to set a desired amount of a bet. It’s a bet per spin that you can change after every round or leave it unchanged.
Spin button activates the reels. Push it after you’ve set your bet amount and read the game rules.
Paytable explains all the details of a title. How to win at a slot and what are payouts.
Symbols
Regular symbols. All icons have different values. If you open the paytable, you’ll find the payouts for every combination of symbols. Classic icons are: 7s, bars, bells, fruits, stars, etc. Many games use playing card values 10-A and multiple themed images.
Scatters are special in the way they pay even when scattered across the screen. If regular combination starts from leftmost/rightmost reel and is uninterrupted, scatters can land anywhere and still award wins. Moreover, three of them usually trigger bonus rounds.
Bonus Symbols trigger slot features that give players better chances of landing payouts. Free spins are the common option when players get to play for free a number of rounds.
Wilds often present in slots. Their job is to substitute for any regular icon to increase the payout rate. So, essentially, instead of being just one symbol, the wild is all regular symbols, whichever player needs at that time.
Expanding Wilds mean a single symbol will turn into multiple to cover the entire reel. This helps land more wins.
Stacked Wilds are two or more icons tied together vertically.
Walking Wilds remain on the reels during multiple spins. They move in the same direction with every spin until they disappear from the screen.
Colossal Symbols are bigger than regular. Starting from 2×2, they can grow up to the size of the entire reel setup. This is a popular option and some engines, such as GigaBlox, are built on the concept of the colossal symbols.
How to Play Slots
Playing slots is extremely easy. A Spin button is pushed to activate the reels and when they stop the payouts, if any, are credited to a player balance. Then the same button must be pushed again to start a new round. For every spin, players pay the amount they set.
You can start with free slots and then switch to real money mode, which gives you the freedom of playing without having absolutely no experience or sufficient knowledge of the game. But before it’s time to transition to cash bets, it’s recommended you know the basics and you are aware of the dangers of problem gambling. A more serious approach is required to enjoy real money mode.
There are no dealers, no bystanders, or other players waiting for you to make up your mind. So, it’s a stress-free environment that is great for inexperienced players. Games are available at any time on mobile devices or PCs.
Start with a Game Plan
When gambling, players experience an entire spectrum of emotions and can easily lose track of time. It’s essential to know when to stop, and this moment should be determined before placing the first bet. Think of what games will be played, and how much money and time will be spent.
Betting strategy is also important. Will you place the same bet size all the time or change it depending on the circumstances? The safest way is to never increase the bet size, but this might seem challenging as many gamblers tend to wager more when they lose to compensate for the losses. Remember to play responsibly and know that there are a variety of tools to use if gambling spins out of your control.
You might set a goal that makes it difficult to define some boundaries. If, for instance, the goal of your session is to trigger a bonus feature when playing a particular slot machine, how can you know when the mission will be achieved? The number of spins you’ll need will vary depending on how lucky you are. But even in this case, any mission must be abandoned when the limits have been reached.
Set a Budget in Advance and Stick to It
Never underestimate the power of slots. They can make you lose track of money and time. So, always plan how much you’ll spend during a single session and do not divert from the plan. You can even place different bet sizes as long as you stick to your budget.
Players can control the pace of their gambling when playing slot machines to manage the costs and stay within budget. You can take it slow and wait for the reels to stop themselves, or stop them manually by clicking a button. To speed things up, there are options such as Turbo Mode and Autoplay.
Know That Every Win Is Totally Random
Part of being an educated slot player is to know that the outcome of every spin is random. That’s what a random number generator (RNG) is responsible for. It draws a set of numbers that can’t be predicted. Moreover, each round is an independent event and doesn’t depend on the outcomes of the previous rounds.
That’s why strategies that are suggested to optimize the winnings fail. But if you want to know how to play slots and win more frequently, there’s one metric that can help you, and it’s called volatility. Low volatility is about smaller but more frequent payouts that are spread quite evenly. High volatility is about the uneven distribution of wins so that you can have a massive winning streak as well as a complete disaster.
Know What You’re Playing For
The purpose of gambling is always to have fun, and it’s never about earning money. Yes, you will occasionally win but in the long run, casinos always have an upper hand as games are programmed to take more than they give.
Load Up Your Machine
After a little bit of preparation, it’s time to play slot machines, and by that time you should already know how to do that. Set a bet size and push a Spin button, which is usually at the right bottom side of the screen. The autoplay option is usually available for those who don’t want to manually push the button every time.
Types of Slot Machines
These games can take all sorts of shapes and forms, but two main categories can be highlighted: classic type and video slots. Classic games are best when learning how to play slot machines because they are simple. Whereas video slots can be so much more complicated with lots of features and options available that overwhelm novice gamblers.
Video slots offer plenty of choices and a lot of different gameplays. There are anywhere from uncomplicated and close to classic fruit machines to the most innovative and feature-rich titles that promise a lot of thrilling action. Jackpots, Megaways, and feature buy are some of the most recognizable types of modern slots and there are many more.
Bonus Rounds
Unless it’s a classic slot, bonus games are an integral part of almost every title. Once the bonus round is activated, it’s expected to land more payouts than during the base game because players get features that increase the odds of landing more and bigger wins.
But it usually takes time to trigger a feature. You have to get a number of symbols that don’t appear frequently on the screen. Wonder how to play slot bonus rounds without waiting for too long? There’s a solution. For an average price of 50-100x, bonus buy types of games offer a shortcut to the most appealing part of the game. Here are the common bonus features:
- Pick and click bonus type is when players are offered a few objects with prizes hidden behind them.
- Free spins are the most popular bonus game. Players will have on average 10-25 spins they don’t pay for. Usually, during free spins, there are other features such as multipliers and extra wilds.
- Respins are when certain symbols remain while the rest of the reels spin. These are typically used in addition to other bonus features, but can as well be a highlight of a game.
How to Set Your Bet in Slots
At the bottom of the slot screen, there are usually a few buttons to set your bet size. Click – or + buttons to decrease or increase the number of credits. There’s often a Max Bet option available that you can use to bet a maximum allowed amount.
The common minimum bet size per spin is 0.10-0.20 USD/EUR. But when playing progressive jackpot games, pay attention to the minimum bet requirements to be eligible for the jackpot as it can differ from the minimum allowed amount.
In some slots, there are other betting opportunities other than regular bets. For instance, Ante bet in some Pragmatic Play slots, such as Madame Destiny Megaways, doubles the chances of triggering a bonus round.
RTP: 96.56%, Max Win: x5000, Volatility: High
Do’s & Don’ts Slot Tips You Must Know
What you definitely should do is pick the games you enjoy. Forget about RTP, volatility, popularity, big brands. The only thing that matters is, how much you like the slot machine you are going to play. There are plenty of games to choose from and that’s when the second recommendation comes in handy – test games. Free mode is available without any limits and it’s useful because to find your favorite titles you’ll sometimes have to test dozens of slots.
- Stay within budget. This entertainment seems fun and harmless, but everyone willing to make a few spins may end up developing a problem gambling. So, it’s always better to prevent things from going out of control. You need to decide how much it’s ok for you to spend on playing slots. Think of the amount of money you can spend on gambling and how much time you want to buy for that money. It’s possible to slow down the play or make it faster. Use responsible gambling tools if self-control doesn’t work.
- Bonuses are good if wagering requirements are acceptable. So, before uploading any funds, check out available promos. The extra credits will extend the playtime, but wagering requirements are the biggest drawback.
When it comes to don’ts, some of them have already been mentioned above. Don’t spend too much, don’t play games that don’t seem thrilling to you. Another important recommendation is don’t bet real money on slots you are unfamiliar with. Look through the paytable to know the rules and the payouts. Be also aware of scams and fake games as they are tweaked to pay less. Make sure casinos have a license and offer certified gaming content.
How to Play Slots and Win: Main Strategies
The key to success is in enjoying the games you play because if you don’t, that by itself is a failure. Winning does add to the pleasure that comes from spinning the reels, but that shouldn’t be the purpose. There are no winning strategies that work because of the random nature of the slots. So, don’t pay too much attention to them.
If you want to do something to really affect your success rate, pick the titles with the highest RTP. Today this recommendation is especially important since more and more developers create multiple versions of the same slot machine that have different RTPs. So, you definitely don’t want to play the version with the lowest payback. The difference can be huge and sometimes as big as 10%.
In the case of any casino game, to win is sometimes not to lose, and by playing in the free mode it’s possible to save money. So, whether you play completely free or mix a little bit of practice into your real money gambling, it’s a win every time demo credits get spent instead of real ones.
Volatility is one of the key slot characteristics and it helps answer the question of how to win playing slots. The thing is, winning means different things to different gamblers. Some want frequent payouts regardless of the amount won. Others want massive wins and are ready to weather long losing streaks. By matching the volatility level to the desired payouts patterns, players will get higher quality time. There are a few things to pay attention to as they add more value to slots:
- Many titles have this extra feature to increase the win potential. Multipliers can be growing, wild, and have other properties. But every time they show up and stay on the reels, it’s a chance to land a big win.
- Buy-A-Pay. Bonus buy is an exciting option that offers a shortcut to the bonus rounds. If your budget allows buying features, that can be a good decision as buying your way into a bonus feature often gives a slightly higher RTP.
- Progressive Jackpots. Being a lucky winner of a progressive jackpot can be a life-changing event. The chances are slim, but the amount that builds up in the pot can be worth taking the risk.
FAQs
It’s a simple process and players don’t have to do much. Load a game, set a bet size, and push a Spin button. Symbols should land on an active payline or form a cluster to collect payouts.
You can jump right into the action by playing free slots. This way you benefit by learning the basics without the risk of losing any money. It’s easy to learn how to play by practicing playing slots.
The standard minimum bet is around 0.10-0.20 USD/EUR or equivalent amount in other currencies. Depending on the speed with which you spin the reels and a bet size you choose, it will be more or less expensive.
