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How to Play Video Slots

About eighty percent of casino players go straight for the slots when they get into a casino. And why not, they are easy to play, you don’t have to have any special skills, just decide on your wager, spin the reels and wait for a payoff. Read this slots guide to learn something more about these great casino games.

Components of a Slot Machine

A slot machine consists of several components that make up the entire gaming experience. It helps when you understand how it’s put together and what its main components that make it work are, so read carefully.

How to Play Video Slots1. Lever – mechanical slot machines have lever, or handles, to the right side for setting the reels in motion. Today, the lever is not used and it is put there mainly as a decorative detail.

2. Pay Table – a slot machine makes a payout according to the payout table. A pay table details important info about the symbols, rules, payouts, bonuses and the jackpot. You will normally find this table at the top of the machine or on the screen itself by pressing a button.

3. Reels – in the old days, reels used to be drums with painted symbols spinning vertically. Today, when slots are mainly electronic and online, the reels are just columns that simulate spinning drums.

4. Cash Tray – land-based slot games make their payouts in real coins. When a payline is triggered, the coins drop in the cash tray in the lower part of the slot.

5. Spin Button – today instead of the handle, video slots have a spin button with which you have to set the reels spinning. Some machines also have an “Auto-Spin” button that will keep on spinning the reels automatically every round until you make it stop.

6. Bet Button – the bet button is used to adjust your wager amount in a game where credits are used instead of coins.

Reading the Payout Tables and Understanding Scatter Symbols and Bonus Rounds

When you open a payout table, you may find 3 to 4 pages with descriptions of the possible symbol combinations, which make the paylines. The first two pages often show the combinations, how many symbols you need to trigger a payline and how much you will be paid out. The rules may be detailed too.

The third page often tells about which are the scatter symbols and wilds and how many you need to activate some feature. Scatter symbols usually portray the main theme of the slot. A scatter symbol doesn’t need to appear on an active payline to trigger a payoff, which is why they are called “scatter”. Usually if three or more scatters appear anywhere on the reels, a bonus feature is activated.

A bonus feature may be consisted of second screen bonus round where usually you’ll need to choose something in order to win some extra cash, or a bonus feature may simply mean a certain number of free spins.

Step-By-Step Instructions

First step: Head to the payout table and read about the payouts, symbols and bonuses

Second step: Decide on your wager and insert your coins or set the credits

Third step: Choose with how many paylines you want to play and how many coins per line

Fourth Step: Press the spin button and wait for the reels to stop

Fifth Step: If a payline has been triggered, you can collect your winnings

Sixth Step: Press the spin button again and wait to be paid out

Playing slots is the simplest way of spending some fun time in a casino. You don’t have to be an expert in gambling to play slots, which is why they are loved by the casual casino players. You can make both very small and very big wagers, depending on the slot, and with little luck, you can hit the jackpot or at least struck a larger win. Never forget to read the pay table before playing.

Top tips
  • Always try to play the maximum bet for the best payouts, even if that means lowering the coin denominations.
  • Choosing slot machines that have more than one bonus round for better chances at winning and collecting payouts.
  • Make sure to compare the pay tables with progressive slots as these games often pay less for the base game than standard video slot machines. In some cases, it is better to play a progressive with a lower jackpot and better base game payouts.
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