A typical gambler has usually cut his gambling teeth on a contemporary slot machine, such as Red White & Blue, Blazing 7’s, and Double Diamonds, but the colorful new slots world of the twenty-first century means you do not need to settle for a simple plain vanilla. The slot machines are also insanely popular in the online casino world, and the best thing to remember is that there is always a online casino bonus available if you register as a new player.
Every conceivable flavor, color, and shape is currently available to lure gamblers. Literally thousands of brand-new designs reflect the public’s unsatiated appetite for those flashy video slot machines, particularly those with interactive LCD touch screens. A few machines are so sophisticated; they let you switch the game type without leaving your comfortable seat! Just be sure you check the payout schedule for a specific winning combination and for any extra quirks that particular game has.
Everyone can play a slot machine – no wonder it is a favorite indoor diversion. I’m about to explain basic types of slot machines that you may find in your friendly local or online casino.
Slot Machines with Multipliers
When playing on most slot machines, you will try to come up with identical symbols in one line (banana, banana, and . . . banana!). On an ordinary slot machine, you are allowed to play just one coin/credit, or you can play up to 5 credits, meaning you are multiplying (increasing) your bet. However, there is no definite advantage to betting more than one credit because the payout is always proportional. For instance, hitting three bananas may pay $25 if you played one coin, $50 if you played two coins, $75 if you played three coins, $100 for four coins, and $125 for five coins. A common variation is called the bonus multiplier, which gives a bonus when you use maximum coins and fortuitously hit the jackpot. For instance, for the same three bananas, the bonus multiplier may pay $25 for one coin, $50 for two coins, $75 for three coins, $100 for four coins – but $375 for five coins (three times the normal multiplier). This type of slot machine encourages players to bet the maximum amount of coins, and these machines have odds comparable to those of standard slot machines. If you use a machine with a bonus multiplier, you should consistently play max coins to take full advantage of the big jackpot prize.
Slot machines with multiple paylines
Both new video machines and traditional reel-spinning slots are essentially multiple paylines games, which can use dozens of different lines. Those lines may appear as zigzag or straight patterns on the screen. With each line bet you make, you are allowed to make more than one selections that matches to a line on the screen: diagonal, up, or down.
If you prefer to play just one line, you may still bet a coin, but if the slot machine shows a winner on a line you didn’t bet, you lose. Multiple paylines machines are usually using lower denomination, such as the nickel and penny.
Slot Machines with Unique Themes
The hottest trends in slots are related to the popular television shows (such as Beverly Hillbillies, the Wheel of Fortune, and Bewitched), traditional board games (such as Battleship, Yahtzee, and Monopoly), cartoons, movies, and so on. These theme slot machines rely on popular branding and familiarity to lure loyal followers.
But in many cases, you should skip those theme machines, even if you are a big fan of Jed Clampett or Vanna White. The reason is obvious: those machines have lousy odds. Typically, the house must agree to share its revenues from any slot machine connected to a cartoon, show, or celebrity. (You don’t think Vanna want to let the casino use her attractive face for free, do you?) Therefore, the pie is cut into more and smaller slices.
Progressive Slot Machines
Progressive slot machines are usually grouped together in a brightly lit carousel with big jackpot tally feverishly spinning above them. These machines can be connected to slots in multiple casinos or one casino. (For example, the Megabucks game is connected to several casinos in the state of Nevada.)
The slot jackpot is based on a tiny percentage of the cash played at each slot machine in the group. As progressive slots are connected together on a big network, the jackpot amount grows, bit by bit, each time a gambler feeds the voracious beast. The obvious question is: Should you use a regular machine with those paltry little jackpots, or should you play at the neon-flashing progressive slot machine with the pretty sports car twirling on the platform on top of the slot carousel? The correct answer depends on your objectives: If modest winnings are fine, then you may get much better odds of snatching small jackpots on a common machine than winning a huge jackpot on a progressive slot machine that usually has as many as 4 or 5 reels and thousands of possible combinations. But some gamblers are not satisfied with many small wins – they desire a huge brilliant winning.
Interactive Slot Machines
Those fresh interactive slot machines have become tremendously popular with slot players. Interactive means the gambler gets to make some important decisions (usually through a LCD touch screen) during a game session. However, except for blackjack slot machines, nearly all interactive slot machines have limited (if any) options that allow skill to take part in the equation.
But although these interactive machines do not change the odds, they are still highly popular. They are fast and exciting to play, but they are also hypnotizing, attractive, and really hard to separate yourself away from. They mesmerize you with their subtle mantra: “Must. Get. Your. Last. Coin.” The benefit of interactive slot machine is that the manufacturer gets really creative. Those games often have progressively challenging levels, and each step forward offers more cash to make the game gripping and the journey profitable.
Most gamblers are hoping to reach those bonus rounds – where the excitement really begins. For example, in certain version the reels are substituted with animated characters that pop up as the game moves on. You choose between several icons and click on one of them to uncover the bonus concealed behind the icon. The goal is to win extra credits before choosing on a character with zero credits, which stops the bonus round.
The amount of your winning in the bonus round is influenced with the number of coins you put in, so it is crucial to play the maximum allowable coins on interactive slot machines. Some bonus sessions also award bonus spins, which allow you to double or even triple your winnings and obtain chances to play more free games.
