Pokies 101: Understanding How Slot Machines Work

If you're reading this article, I'm guessing you're new to pokies and looking to understand all of the mechanics of the game. Compared to other casino games, pokies are the easiest to learn. While spinning the pokies can be a mindless, stress free experience, every pokie game is still different, and comes with it's own unique features. When you join an online casino, most of the time the majority of their game collection will be dedicated to pokies because of their diverse themes and adaptable gameplay. You can place affordable minimum bets with a chance to win big. Lastly, they're fun! Bonus rounds, cascading reels, expanding symbols and other special features can make playing a slot machine an even more enthralling experience. Pokie machines might seem modern, but they've actually been around since the 1800s, and have undergone many transformations, both cosmetic and general. Your modern slot machine often contains numerous pay lines, film clips and gorgeous graphics that create an unforgettable gaming experience.

So What Are The Odds?

Pokie machines offer fewer payouts than other casino games, but also require far less strategy and risk, so for that reason, players gravitate towards slots above every other game. Pokies don't require too much of a learning curve, but you're probably reading this article because you've never played before!

How To Play

After you pick a game with your preferred theme, you need to place a bet and start spinning the reels, The goal of a slot game is to trigger winning combinations on a single reel usually, with each symbol being worth a set value. Every slot has low valued symbols and high valued symbols. The pokie game will specify how its payouts work. For example, many pokies will pay out from left to right. Some pokies pay out all ways, though. It's important to check out the payable and learn what symbols to look for, and the pay table section of the slot game will often include a description of the special features that can be activated in gameplay, usually by a certain mechanic.

Special Symbols

There are two special symbols in any given pokie game. There are wild symbols, and there are scatter symbols. The wild symbol is a substitute symbol. This symbol will substitute for any symbol to create a winning combination for you, and sometimes they may come with multipliers as well to boost your winnings. The scatter symbols will help you trigger special bonus rounds.

Free Spin Rounds and Other Special Features

Most pokie games require three or more symbols to activate a preset round of free spins. Every game is different, so the number of free spins will depend on the game you chose. Some pokies will drop away the low paying symbols during the free spin rounds, leading to more lucrative payouts. Sometimes during the free spin rounds, you can retrigger additional free spins if you land three or more scatters on the board. Other special features you might encounter while playing pokies include expanding symbols, and cascading reels where symbols drop away to form new combinations.

It's Important to Know The Game RTP

The RTP is the return-to-player percentage. Each game will tell you what its return to player percentage is, as well as whether it's low volatility or high volatility. If it's a low-volatility game, it means the payouts will be triggered more frequently, but the payouts will be smaller. If you trigger a high volatility slot, the payouts will occur less frequently, but when they do, the payouts will be bigger. If you choose a medium volatility slot, you should expect a mix of both.

Summary

When it comes down to it, pokies are versatile, fun and don't cost enormous amounts of money to play. They're easy to use and allow players an oppurtunity to trigger a big jackpot without placing high roller bets. Do yourself a favor and pick out a pokie and get started!