Online Slots Explained

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

Many seasoned players consider online slots to be the easiest casino game to play, but people that have never played a slot before can easily be confused by a slot game’s many buttons, betting options, symbols and combinations. Once you’ve mastered these four main features you’ll have no trouble transitioning between slots titles.

Slot Buttons

Regardless of whether you’re playing live or online slots, a classic three-reel machine or a multi-line video slot, the buttons used are much the same if not identical from one slot to the next. Virtually every slot machine has these buttons: Bet One, Bet Max, Spin and Cash Out. The buttons are pretty self-explanatory. Multi-line slots have more betting buttons; the top row will determine the number of lines you are betting on and the bottom will be your wager per line. Hitting the Bet Max button automatically makes the maximum wager. If you want to repeat your last bet, just hit the spin button. This button is also often used to activate a bonus. When you’re ready to leave, or if you want to withdraw a big win, just hit the Cash Out button. Some slots also have special bonus buttons.

Slot Betting Options

As mentioned above, you’ll have the option of choosing how many lines you want to bet on and how much you want to bet per line. Classic three-reel slots have only one payline, and thus you will likely only be able to bet a few credits per spin. Multi-line slots may have 20 or more paylines, which means that you could be betting hundreds of credits per spin. Check the bet window to see what your current wager is. If you accidentally bet too much on a spin, don’t panic! You can change your bet quickly and easily after every spin.

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Slot Symbols and Combinations

Each slot game has its own unique set of symbols, though many classic symbols are repeated across several different titles. Wild symbols may act as any symbol necessary to complete a combination while multipliers can increase the value of an existing combination and bonus symbols can trigger a special in-game bonus. To find out what each symbol and/or combination of symbols is worth, simply check your game’s paytable. The paytable also explains how to earn and win bonus games. Don’t worry about memorizing the payouts, though – most slot games automatically draw a line through combinations, making it easy for new players to see how they won.

Tips for Playing Slot Machines Online

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

Playing a slot machine online is similar to playing a live slot machine in a brick and mortar casino. Online slot machines have the same reel system that plays out using random generation. However, the online slot machine experience is different from the brick and mortar experience, and you should plan your play accordingly.

Tips for Playing Slot Machines in an Online Casino

Play a Variety of Slot Machine Games

Slot machine games online are different from the ones you play in the brick and mortar casino. Try several of these games out to get a feel for the differences in style. Bear in mind that while virtual slot machines use advanced flash players that rarely lag, it will feel much different playing a slot machine online then it would playing in a brick and mortar casino. Take some time to get used to this as well.

Keep an Eye on Your Bankroll

It can be easy to spend more then you intended in an online casino. This is due to two factors. For one, your online casino bankroll account is typically linked to your credit card, and some people have a hard time remembering that their credit card is actually money. Online casinos also use virtual banks instead of chips. This can make it even harder for people to keep track of their bankroll. Keep a close eye on your money numbers while you are playing, and make sure you do not spend more then you intended.

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Remember that Online Casinos Move Quickly

Typically, games in an online casino move faster then games in a brick and mortar casino. Most players will not notice the faster play. This can spell disaster with your bankroll. By playing faster you are spending more, and going through your bankroll quickly. Keep track not only of how much you are spending but how much you are playing.

Read the Rules

Every casino lists their pay out scales and basic rules for all of their slot machine games. The same is true of online casinos. Be sure to read all of the instructions and pay out scales provided on each game you play. The game may have specific requirements to get a bonus, or hit the full jackpot, and you would not want to miss out on that opportunity just because you did not read the instructions before hand.

Online Slots and Free Spins Bonus Rounds

Friday, February 12th, 2010

There are many features that add to the excitement of playing slots online.  One of them is the free spins bonus round.  As the name suggests, when triggered, then bonus round offers the player a number of free spins and payouts, which are provided according to the combinations on the slot reels.  The actual payouts are based on the wager placed on the spin that triggered the bonus round.  These bonus rounds are usually triggered when three or more scatters appear on the reels.  Although very rare, they can also be triggered randomly.  The free spins round can greatly increase your chip balance, giving you the opportunity to play longer and thus, increase your chances of winning big.

Popular Games with Free Spins Rounds

In online slots games, free spins rounds are defined by two parameters: the number of free spins and the multiplier.  With basic games, the house rules dictate that a specific number of spins will be given at a certain multiplier.  In more advanced games, the number of free spins and the multiplier are determined by playing a different game on a separate screen.  One example is the popular online slots game called Fat Lady Sings.  In this game, the first Fat Lady sings and the number of free spins is determined by the number of glasses she breaks.  Next, a different Fat Lady sings and determines the multiplier by the number of glasses she breaks.

The bonus game that collectively determines the number of free spins and the multiplier can also increase the element of chance in online slots.  A perfect example is Area 21, an online slots game recently launched by Cryptologic.  Microgaming’s Pedal Power is an example of slots games that allow you to select the combination you want from a list.  In Pedal Power, you have the option to choose from 25 free spins with a 2X multiplier, 10 free spins with 5x multiplier, or 5 free spins with a 10x multiplier.   Because you have to choose between a greater number of free spins and higher multipliers, making a decision is not always as easy as it sounds.

The free spins in slots games can be retriggered when playing at most online casinos.  This simply means that if the triggering combination appears on the reel during your free spin, you are rewarded with extra free spins.  However, some online slots enhance game play in more innovative ways.  A classic example is Sneak A Peek Doctor Doctor, a game in which a yellow capsule may appear on the fourth reel during your free spin.  When the capsule bursts, it provides you with additional free spins.  Likewise, the blue capsule may appear randomly on the fifth reel, which enhances the multiplier for the remaining rounds of the game.

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Conclusion

Free spins rounds typically differ greatly from regular bonus rounds.  The background music often becomes more noticeable while colors of the reels or the background itself may alter to highlight the change in the game.  With online slots growing more popular by the day, new and innovative free spins features are sure to come in the near future.

Online Slots with Real Time Gaming

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Real Time Gaming is one of the leading providers of internet casino software and a major player in the world of online slots.  In this article, we will take a look at three of its most popular slots game to see why they have become such a big hit among online players.

Aztec’s Treasure

Real Time Gaming’s most popular attraction, Aztec’s Treasure is a slots game that revolves around the theme of ancient civilizations.  The reels have vibrant colors and symbols that feature the likes of the Aztec King, Warrior, and ancient artifacts that accentuate the theme of the game.  This slots game offers broad betting range, allowing you to be from $0.01 to a $100.  The maximum payout on scatters is 500while the payouts on fixed jackpots for five predetermined symbol combinations on an enabled payline range between 5,000 and 100.  When playing free spin rounds, payouts are tripled.  While Aztec’s Treasure is an online game of high volatility, which means it pays out larger sums less frequently, the fact that there is no bonus game to play on a separate screen helps to balances thing out.

Enchanted Garden

Enchanted Garden carries a mystical theme of charm reflected by the suitable symbols and overall ambiance of the game.  Just like Aztec’s Treasure, this one offers a broad betting range, allowing you to wager from $0.01 to $100.  The wild symbol pays out double and appears on four reels, demonstrating relatively high volatility.  However, the maximum payout for scatters is 200, which can be considered moderate compared to Aztec’s Treasure.  The payouts on fixed jackpots for five predetermined symbol combinations range between 2,500 to 100.  Although this indicates low volatility, the aspect of double payouts increases it.  Enchanted Garden offers more volatility with triple payouts in free spins rounds, but evens things out with the absence of an additional bonus game on a second screen.

Paydirt

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Paydirt revolves around a gold mining theme.  This online slots game offers superb animation and graphics, particularly in the bonus games.  Similar to the games above, Paydirt has a broad betting range, allowing you to bet from $0.01 to $125.  The maximum payout on scatters is 200, which can be considered moderate compared to other games.  Payouts on fixed jackpots for five predetermined symbol combinations on an enabled payline range between 10,000 and 100.  Unlike Aztec’s Treasure, Paydirt offers a free spins bonus game on a second screen.  Free spins have normal payouts but can be triggered.  The good thing about this slots game is the high volatility, which is the direct result of the bonus rounds and additional winning possibilities.  This makes Paydirt an ideal choice for players who want to win big at online slots.

Conclusion

These are just a few of many online slots games in Real Time Gaming’s extensive portfolio.  Aside from being exciting and fun to play, they also give you a fair chance at winning a nice some of cash.  Therefore, you may want to keep these games in mind when setting out to hit the virtual slots.

Comprehending Betting Options in Online Slots

Friday, November 20th, 2009

Even after you decide to play a slots game at an online casino, there are still other important decisions that need to be the made before you spin the reels and try your luck.  These decisions involve the coin size, number of paylines and the number of coins bet per payline, the three essential factors that make up your betting options.  Many games allow you to select all three betting options while others have a certain number of coins that can be wagered per payline, thus eliminating this choice from your options.

Importance of the Payline

Most online casinos offer slots games that give you the option to choose the number of paylines.  When you think about it, this is only practical as it doesn’t make much since to play a game where all the paylines cannot be enabled.  With the exception of scatter wins, winning combinations typically only result in payouts when they occur in an enabled payline.  Online slots with progressive jackpots go the extra mile to emphasize the importance of selecting all paylines available.  For example, a progressive game usually only pays out when the predetermined winning combination occurs in the highest payline.  While this can be considered risky, selecting all the paylines can dramatically increase your total bet per spin.  This is especially true if you have opted for a game with 50 to 100 paylines.  In this scenario, your best bet would be to reduce your line bet so that you can remain within the limitations of your bankroll.

The Coin Factor

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Collectively, the number of coins per payline and coin size contribute to the line bet.  Now you have some online slots games that only permit you to bet one coin per payline, but even then, they generally offer a greater coin size range in addition to an acceptable degree of options within that given range.  Those that give you the option to choose the number of coins often have a notably smaller coin size range and fewer choices within that range.  The good thing is that with either type of slots game, the end results are usually the same.

With some online slots games, you must choose the number of coins per payline and coin size together so that you can obtain your desired line bet.  In these games, the line bet must be selected in accordance to your bankroll for that particular session, and the number of spins you anticipate playing.  Let’s say your bankroll is compromised of 100 credits and you plan on playing 100 spins.  In this scenario, it would be wise to choose a 1.00 line bet, which can easily be done in some online slots games.  Others allow you to choose other denominations such as two 0.50 coins or four 0.25 coins.  Going back to the point of above, both of these variations essentially give you the same options, just in a different way.  Whatever you win, you can put it aside for another session.

Going Wild with Online Slots

Friday, August 7th, 2009

Similar to many other casino games, the wild symbol in slots can serve as a substitute for another symbol to give you a winning combination.  More than any other, slots are games centered around specific themes.  In many cases the wild symbol is usually the theme’s most important symbol and therefore, a key aspect to the overall game.

Wilds and Multipliers

A large majority of the online slots games you encounter have wilds that also act as multipliers.  When this symbol is used to round out a winning combination, the payout for that combination is multiplied.  For example, in the popular online slots game T-Rex, the T-Rex is the wild and this symbol payouts double.  In this same game, five of the Stegosaurus symbols in a payline payouts out a total of 5,000 coins.  If you have four of these symbols along with the T-Rex wild, you are then paid out 10,000 coins.  The multiplier quantum is fixed with most casino slots games.  This means that the wild symbol multiplies payouts based on a fixed amount regardless of the number of wilds used to form the winning combination.  However, you also have slots games in which the multiplier depends on the number of wilds that show up in he winning combination.

Types of Wilds

Some online slots games have wild symbols that are designed to add to the excitement of the game.  These are games that incorporate a number of different wild symbols.  The most common of these symbols is the stacked wild.  When this symbol is displayed, all the symbols in each reel become wilds.  If these symbols show up in reels one or two, big payoffs are often the result as the number of winning combinations gives you a simultaneous hit.

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The expanding wild symbol is another type of wild commonly found online casino slots games.  Similar to the example above, this is another case where the entire reel is filled with a wild symbol.  However, these symbols are not displayed individually as is the case with the stacked wild.  Instead, the wild expands to cover the reel as a single symbol, hence the name, expanding wild.

One of the newest type of wilds incorporated into online casino slots is the exploding wild.  With this variant, various other symbols are randomly converted into wilds for only a single given spin.  This wild symbol is an integral part of the Call of Duty 4 slots game, where the conversion is followed by an explosion, thus the name, exploding wild  The T-Rex game has exploding wilds but the conversion works in a different manner.  For example, the T-Rex eats every other dinosaur on the reel and then turns them into wild symbols.

When it comes to online slots games, the wild symbol is your friend.  In many types of slots, they are able to trigger bonus rounds to help you obtain extra credits and additional winnings.  Whether it is a stacked, expanding or exploding type, the wild is one symbol you definitely want to see one your computer screen quite frequently.


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