Slots

Slot machine tips and guides

In the XXI century, casino visits are becoming an archaism, a tribute to traditions or the fate of those regions characterized by insignificant technological advancement. A present-day trend is online slots. It is a handy and easy way to have a good time and get the required amount of money as quick as possible.

 

The aim of gambling on online slot machines is to get a winning combination of symbols. The higher the combination odds, the more money you will raise. A gambler should do his best in order not to end a game with a loss. The exception to this rule applies to progressive slot machines where a jackpot is drawn after the peak deductions from all active club members’ bets.

 

Online slots owe their popularity to full availability. Each person having a gadget with an Internet connection can spin the reel of a slot machine any time he wants. It is possible to launch your favorite game using a mobile phone or a tablet.

 

 

Types of online slots

Different types of online slots

Online slots are conditionally divided into the classical and modern ones. Characteristic features of a traditional slot machine include from 1 to 5 lines, usual Fruit and Seven icons. New one-armed bandits have from 9 to 20+ lines, may have a thematic style and different types of risk and bonus levels.

 

However, the most significant difference is a cumulative system. Slots which use it are called progressive ones. They add a percent of each loss into the jackpot bank. If a slot is not progressive, a jackpot is provided by the casino rather than gamblers, so its amount and drawing probability is multiply lower.

 

Modern «single-armed gangsters» distinguish not only by their design but also by the number of lines. The most common variant is characterized by 3 straight, 3 diagonal and 3 angular lines. At the same time, there are machines with 50 verticals which form a complex chain of crossover connections. Such machines bear no resemblance to each other because of various designs but have the same work mechanics. As for the design, you may find such themes as sports, cards, Oriental style, fantasy, jewelry etc.

 

In the short video, which is presented below, discusses three main types of slot machines:

 

How to play online slots

The interface of the slot machines

Firstly, you need to choose a slot machine. Online casinos offer classical and thematic one-armed bandits with different designs, sound effects, RTP and other criteria. Choose the most appropriate one and refill your balance. If you use a demo mode, this item is omitted.

 

Before pressing the «Spin» button, you need to know a little more about the interface:

  • «Spin», «Start» or «Play» button bring the gambling reel into play;
  • Betх2/x3/x5 is a bet multiplied by 2, 3 or 5;
  • Max Bet adds the maximum amount of coins to each «chain». Generally, it equals $0.01-$0,5 or 10-200 national currency units;
  • Line bet or Select Bet allows selecting the number of lines (from 5-9 to 20+);
  • Coins or Bet per Line adjusts the amount of coins/credits/money for one line;
  • Gamble or Double launches a risk level;
  • Denomination establishes a coin rate towards real money;
  • Paytable is a table with a description of multipliers and bonuses.

 

Jack and the beanstalk interface

Jack and the beanstalk winning line

 

After refilling your balance and launching a demo game, you need to set the ratio of slot currency to money. For example, a 1:1 rate equals 1 cent to 1 credit. Some machines exclude a possibility of selecting the ratio.

 

When changing a rate, adjust the «lines» column and set the required amount of coins for each one of them. If you are a newbie, it is reasonable to gamble per one line for the minimum amounts. Having understood how to cope with multipliers and combinations, it is possible to start raising your bets. The more active vertical lines, the higher your chances to win a jackpot.

 

After placing a bet, press the «spin/start/play» button. You will see the reel spinning. If after it stops a winning combination is formed, the bank is multiplied by the correspondent ratio. You may check the payout table in the «Paytable» tab. After a successful spin, you may launch a risk game or take your money.

 

In this short video you can see a video instruction on how to play online slots:

 

Bonus and risk games

Bonus and risk games

A «Chance level» becomes available after a successful spin, when one or several combinations appear on the screen. If a playmaker has luck, the bank will be increased by 2-5 times. Remember that you gamble with 50/50 odds.

 

The mechanics of a risk level may vary but these two variants are considered to be the most frequent ones:

  1. Guessing the color of a card;
  2. Identifying a card with the large nominal value.

 

In the first case, it is necessary to choose the black or red color, the second one requires which one of 4 down cards will turn out to have the higher nominal value than the one showed by a dealer. You can make from 2 to 5 tries in total.

 

Jurassic Park great design

Jurassic Park free spins in bonus game

 

Bonus levels make it possible to distract a playmaker from routine bets. Bonuses exist in the form of freespins – it means that a gambler gets 5-20 free spins for a particular combination. Besides, there are also games of reaction and games of chance. They are widely spread at thematic slot machines and uncommon at classical ones. The type of the bonus arcade game depends on a theme.

 

Popular manufacturers

Playtech manufacturer

Playtech – a collection of more than 500 games, online slots with a progressive jackpot (Top Gun, Blade, Vikingmania, Sunset Beach);
NetEnt manufacturer

NETENT – the high RTP (Return to Player), lots of games having 3D design (South Park, dead or Alive, Jack and the Beanstalk, Space Wars);
Novomatic logo

Novomatic – the given company’s soft is widely spread in the CIS but has low uniqueness relative to each other (Ramses Deluxe, Orca, Lucky Rose, Mystic Secrets);
Microgaming logo

Microgaming – high returns, unique and various slots, a great many of additional levels (Game of Thrones, Terminator 2, Hellboy, Ariana, Jurassic Park);
Megajack logotip

Megajack – classical slots with fruit pentagrams but the old-style interface. Licenses are not available (Slot-o-Pool, Aztec Gold, Crazy Fruits).

 

Along with the above-mentioned slots, online casinos also offer the machines from Belatra, Cryptologic, Igrosoft, Evoplay, 1x2gaming, GamesOS, Playson and other developers.

 

Symbols and their meaning

Wild symbol in     slot machine

Specific types include the scatter and wild symbols. The first one launches a bonus game. When it comes to the second one, it is actually a lot more complicated. Each developer can do anything he wants with the wild symbol. The name essence allows being creative changing the meaning of this particular symbol at every one-armed gangster.

 

At mechanical «one-armed» bandits, the wild symbol is like the Joker in a deck of cards – it completes a lacking combination or becomes a part of the full winning one. At the same time, it is important to remember that there is a variety of online slots, so the wild symbol can also have the following functions:

  • Respin activation (when all the stacked wilds remain in places while other symbols change – for example, Mega Fortune Dreams);
  • Expand lines, replacing all icons it has with the wild symbol (Attraction and Mega Gems);
  • Random appearance of a random pentagram instead of the wild symbol (Lights).

 

Scatter symbol in this game

As for common symbols, they include fruits, numbers and bells. When it comes to the classical version, Sevens provide the maximum multiplier and Cherries the minimum one. It should be mentioned that modern thematic slot machines have not this feature. You may find such symbols as Cards, Gold, Cartoon Characters, Eastern Princesses, Ships etc. It depends on a theme, you know.

 

In this short video, detailing the wild and scatter symbols:

 

 

Top casinos with this game