Types of slots games
There are many different types of slots in 2019, with players faced by more choice than ever before when gambling online and offline. The terminology and different types of slots games can be overwhelming, but with a little bit of guidance it is actually simple. Read on to learn the differences between the five main slots games.
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Three reel slots games
Three reel slot machines are probably the most popular type of slots found in casinos. The term “reel” refers to the individual components within the slot machine. Each reel features a variety of symbols. When the arm is pulled, the reels each spin separately. Because three-reel machines have an arm to activate them, they are sometimes referred to as “one-arm bandit” machines.
The “one-armed bandit” was first introduced in 1887. It featured five symbols on each reel, including a diamond, heart, horseshoe, Liberty Bell and spade. These symbols can still be seen in modern machines, with the addition of fruits such as cherries and oranges.
Three reel slots range from one cent per pull to $100 per pull in some casinos. With a three-reel machine, as a general rule the maximum number of coins must be played in order to win the largest jackpot available. In the case of a “one-armed bandit” with three reels, three coins must be played at a time to have the chance of winning the jackpot.
According to statistics, a player has a one in 643 chance of hitting the jackpot image on each of the three reels, which is the best probability for a jackpot offered by any form of slot machine.
Five reel slot machines
Five reel slots are very similar to those with three reels. The five-reel version features an arm and reels, but instead of having three reels in a row, there are five reels in the row. Most versions of the five reel require that you play five coins in order to hit the large jackpot. Although the odds are not as good, many players enjoy five-reel slots because they offer a higher payout on average than their three-reel counterparts.
The mechanics inside of a five-reel machine are not as complicated as one might think. When coins are deposited into the machine, they fall into a transparent case. The bottom of the transparent case is a shutter, which is attached to the metal linkage. The metal linkage holds the shutter shut, except when the machine hits a payout. The metal linkage then releases the shutter, which allows the coins to fall down the case and out of the machine.
The basic design of the reel is that it features a notched disc. When the reel spins, the notched disc also spins. When the spinning stops, one of the notches lands on the metal linkage. If the notch is not the jackpot, the metal linkage holds the shutter closed. If it is the jackpot notch, it is cut slightly deeper, which allows the metal linkage to release the shutter. This is the basic concept of all reel slots, but most modern slot machines employ a more advanced design to offer different levels of payouts.
Multi-line slot machines
Multi-line slots games encompass a variety of slot machines. They include three-reel, five-reel and video slot machines. The term multi-line refers to a machine that allows a player to place bets on more than one pay line. Traditional slots paid out only when a player hit the jackpot. Hitting the jackpot required that each reel stop on the selected jackpot symbol.
A multi-line still features a jackpot, but also features additional line combinations that can pay out a set amount of money. This increases the player’s chance of winning money, but decreases their chance of hitting the jackpot. These pylons can be vertical, horizontal or diagonal depending on the machine. One downside to multi-line slot machines is they can require more money from a player than a standard jackpot machine because a multi-line slot can let a player bet on up to 20 lines. However, they do offer more frequent payouts than a standard machine that requires less money.
Multi-spin online slots
Multi-spin online slots are yet another variation on the traditional slot. In a multi-spin machine, the player deposits money and spins the reels just like any other slot machine. Once the reels have finished spinning, the player has to choose whether to hold a reel or not. Once the desired reels have been held, the other reels are spun again, and then any winnings are paid out.
Multi-spin slots can be three reel or five reel, but when the terms are applied to multispin machines, they take on a different meaning than when applied to a traditional slot. A three-reel multi-spin machine contains three rows of reels, but unlike traditional slots, each row contains multiple reels. This means that there is a possibility of matching symbols on each set of reels. Multi-spin slot machines have the lowest payout of any slot, but also offer the most frequent payouts.
Progressive slots
The last type of slots that can be found in casinos are progressive slots. Progressive machines offer the largest jackpot of any type of slot. Progressives can be either an individual machine, or a group of machines. An individual progressive slot machine takes a percentage of the coins played and eventually pays them out for the jackpot combination.
They normally feature a meter that displays the current jackpot. Although individual progressive machines pay a higher jackpot than most traditional slots, group progressives feature the highest payouts. A group of progressive machines can either be linked within a casino, within a larger radius or the biggest movement in this area in recent times has been online, where progressives can often run into the 10s of millions of Euros.
In-house progressive machines are a group of slots within a casino that are linked to each other. They offer higher jackpots than individual slots, and hit more often than the other options. The wide area machines are actually a group of progressive slot machines throughout different casinos that are linked together. This form of progressives is actually run by an independent operator.
Wide area progressive slots often feature multimillion-dollar jackpots, but the odds of hitting the jackpot are very slim.
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