How to Play Slot Games? A Welcome Guide for Newbies

As a newbie to the popular game of slots, you should really know a few things before you try your hands out on a game or two. To begin with, you should know that there are two general types of slots, you have the good old fashioned slot machine and the fast-rising virtual slot. 

While the former is still relevant particularly to land-based casinos, the latter is fast gaining ground as a popular and viable alternative. If you are a beginner and you want to know how to play slot games, you really should stick around and read through this article.

Understanding Typical Terms As You Play Slot Games

Reels 

The reels are the ones that spin in a slot game. The symbols are placed on the reel set and spin within it. With slot machines in land-based casinos, you usually have games with between 3 to 5 reels. It is on the reels that symbols would need to match up in order for players to earn the corresponding reward allocated to a particular symbol match up. 

Reels can be opaque or transparent in nature with many online games appearing as transparent in order for the backdrop to be visible. While most land-based casinos offer slot machines with a maximum of 5 reels, the case is different with online slot machines. Online slot machines tend to come in different reel formats. You can now play slot games with 7 to 9 reels if you want. 

Paylines 

The paylines are a part of a slot game. It is on paylines that winning combinations can be earned by slot players. Traditional land-based slot machines tend to have limited paylines. However, online slot machines come with multiple paylines. There are even games with multiple ways to win engines rather than paylines. 

Paylines may also be fixed or optional. When placing your bets with a fixed payline, you have to play all the paylines provided. As you play slot games with a flexible paylines, you get to choose the number of paylines you intend playing and you do this whilst placing your bets.

Bets

Before start playing slot games, you will need to place bets. All slot machines come with a minimum as well as the maximum bet. This is the betting range per spin of the reels. Bets can be raised from minimum to a maximum limit with each round of the game. 

There are games meant for low-rollers and there are those for players wishing to place high stakes. There is usually a “Max Bet” option which enables you to place the maximum bet permitted in the slot game once the option is selected. 

How to Play Slot Games?

Spinning the reels

After placing your bets and choosing your paylines, you then need to click the game’s “Spin” button. This button is available on both classic land-based slot games and on online slots. Once the “Spin” button is clicked, the reels will start spinning. There is an option that is quite common particularly with video slot games. 

This is the “Autoplay” or “Autospin” option. With this option, you can play a number of reel set spins by preprogramming the number you want to play. You then place bets for that number of spins and once you are done, you click the “Autoplay” to get the spins started. Note that with the “Autoplay” option, the reel set will spin for the number of programmed spins without any disruption to the spins when you play slot games. 

Bonus symbols and features

Most online slot machines come with bonus symbols. Typical bonus symbols are the “Wild” and “Scatter” symbols. Wilds tend to substitute other symbols to help players get combination wins. 

Some games have Wilds stacked on the reels to further boost wins. With the Scatter symbol, you have a bonus icon that usually helps to trigger a bonus feature. Note that most times the Wild will not substitute the Scatter if it appears on the reels while the Scatter is also present on the reels. 

Free Spins 

One common bonus feature that you can find with online slot machines is the “Free Spins” bonus feature. This feature is triggered by landing a number of Scatter symbols, usually, a minimum of three Scatter symbols would suffice. As you play slot games with bonus features, you will improve your chances of boosting your take-home pay.

Payouts 

Your take-home pay when you play slot games is often referred to as your “Payout”. This is what is earned upon landing matching symbols on the reels during a base game or bonus round. The payout could comprise of a combination of symbols, win multiplier and jackpot rewards.

In Closing

Slot games are one of the easiest games of chance to play online or while on a slot machine in a land casino. There is a “Paytable” that shows you all you need to know about the game including the payouts. On a slot machine in a casino, the “Paytable” would usually be printed and pasted on the machine. However, as you play slot games online, you can check out the “Paytable” which is usually placed under the reel set of the game. Happy spinning there!