by Matthew Gover | Date of Publishing: 14 March 2023
Are you ready to become a master of slot machine symbols? Understanding the icons, definitions, and payouts associated with these slot symbols is essential for maximising your winnings.
In this guide, we’ll explore how slot machine symbols work and strategies for winning big, whether you’re playing casino slots or are at home with an online slot machine. So get ready to take your gaming knowledge up a notch.
Table of Contents
Slot machine symbols are the images that appear on the machine’s reels. They can be anything from classic fruit symbols to the high-tech animations and characters found on modern slot machines. The payouts for different combinations of these slot symbols depend on the game, but the goal is to match a line of the same symbols to win.
Knowing what symbols are available and how they work is vital to maximising your winnings.
Types of slot machine symbols include Bonus symbols, Expanding Wilds, Free Spins, Re-Spins, and Pick Me. You’ll also encounter Multiplier Symbols, Scatter Symbols, and Wild symbols. You’ll find these slot machine icons on most online slots, video poker machines, and your traditional land-based slot machines.
Payouts for different symbol combinations vary widely between games and even within individual slot machines due to random number generators used by casinos to determine outcomes. So, ensure you read through each game’s payout table before beginning. This will allow you to know exactly what kind of rewards await should certain combos come up while spinning the reels.
Traditional slot symbols are typically divided into two main categories: low-paying and high-paying, and these are some of the oldest slot machine symbols.
Low-paying symbols are the most basic symbols from the first slot machines. They usually borrow from classic playing cards symbols like J, Q, K, and A or the standard symbols of fruit that so many of us associate with slot machines. These classic fruit or card symbols offer relatively small payouts compared to the other symbols.
High-paying slot symbols are usually thematic reel symbols matching the overall theme of the slot machine. For example, a slot machine with a pirate theme might have high-paying symbols like a pirate ship, a treasure chest, a parrot, a cannon, or a skull and crossbones. High-paying symbols offer bigger payouts compared to low-paying symbols.
Wild symbols are among the most common in slot machines. They can substitute for any other reel symbols on a pay line, increasing your chances of winning. A wild symbol also often comes with multipliers, which increase your winnings. For example, if you land two matching symbols and a wild on the same pay line, you could be rewarded with double or even triple your original payout.
Scatter symbols are another popular symbol on slot machines. Unlike wild symbols, they don’t need to appear on an active pay line for a win. Instead, they can appear anywhere on the reels and still trigger bonus rounds or a free spin. Scatter symbol wins are usually multiplied by the total bet amount rather than just the winning line bet like regular wins, which means higher payouts.
Multipliers are special symbols that multiply any win they help create by their designated value, usually by two or three times. These symbols can occur during normal gameplay, bonus rounds, and free spins. They will boost your payout significantly.
Speciality symbols can maximise winnings and add an extra layer of excitement to your slot game experience. The bonus symbol and Free Spin offer extra chances at the jackpot.
Stacked Wild symbols and Expanding Wild symbols also offer great rewards. Stacked wilds are symbols that appear in stacks on top of each other, covering several slot machine reel positions at once. This increases your chances of forming winning combinations as they substitute for all other symbols except scatter symbols.
Expanding Wilds expand across multiple reels when they land on them, offering even greater potential payouts.
Re-spins and Pick Me features are two more ways players can increase their winnings. Re-spins give players another chance at spinning the reels after their initial spin, while Pick Me allows players to choose from different options to receive special bonuses or multiplier symbols.
Speciality symbols can add another layer of excitement and challenge to the game, making it more enjoyable for players. Gaining insight into these components and having a plan in place can help boost your odds and build a bigger payout.
Understanding the payout table is key to winning with slot symbols. The payout table shows how much each symbol pays out when you hit a specific combination of them on the reels.
It’s essential to know which symbols offer greater rewards and which ones provide smaller payouts so you can make a judicious decision regarding your bets. Betting maximum coins on each spin increases your chances of hitting a big win but can deplete your bank faster.
Then again, when betting max coins, all possible combinations will be covered, giving you the best chance of landing a jackpot or other large prize.
Choosing games with higher payouts is another strategy for maximising your winnings from slot machines. Look for games with high return-to-player (RTP) percentages and low house edges.
Also, look for progressive jackpots where the pot grows over time until someone hits it. These machines can offer some massive wins if luck is on your side. Wild symbols can come in very handy here.
Finally, take advantage of the bonus and free spin slot symbols when available. They can help increase your overall earnings from playing slot machines, and this goes for online slot machines, modern video slots, and the traditional, in-person slot machine.
Bonus rounds typically involve picking items off a screen or spinning wheels to reveal prizes, while free spins allow players to spin the reels without placing any additional bets. Both features give players extra chances at winning big without risking any extra money.
In “The Gambler” Kenny Rogers sang about how important it is to remain aware at all times and know when it’s time to give it a rest.
Knowing when enough is essential if you want to walk away with more than what you started with, whether you’re playing online slots or visiting a brick-and-mortar casino.
Set a limit for yourself before starting play, and then— and this is important— stick to it. Also, be aware of how long you spend on any given machine. Casinos work hard to block your perception of the passage of time, so be extra careful.
Failure to do these things can lead to your losses spiralling out of control.
There’s a lot of information regarding slot machines and slot symbols, so here are some of the more common questions.
Knowing how to utilise your bonus symbol and free spins, taking advantage of the multipliers and stacked wilds slot symbols, as well as knowing when to quit can help you maximise your winnings.
When it comes to utilising bonus symbols and free spins, these special features can increase your chances of winning big. Bonus rounds usually require a certain combination of symbols or numbers that will trigger them. Free spins also provide additional opportunities for you to land high-paying combinations without paying extra money for each spin. Taking full advantage of these features is an important part of maximising your winnings with slot machine symbols.
Remember that no strategy guarantees a win every time (though wild symbols certainly help), but by being aware of the basics behind slot symbols, you’ll be better equipped to make informed decisions while spinning those reels.
Author: Matthew Gover.
After graduating, Matthew began working as an English teacher abroad, initially in Spain and then Vietnam before finally coming back to the UK to settle. Matthew has always had a love for writing and an even bigger love for the igaming industry... Read More
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