Beginners guide to online casino slot machines

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	Beginners Guide to Slot Machines

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	Introduction Slots.. Oh dear – where do I start??? There are soooooo many different ones on-line it could make your brain hurt! So what I’ve decided to do with this page is just give a brief overview, and then list out some of my favourites I’ve played with my personal review of them. To start with, if you’re from the UK like me, or other countries with ‘fruit machines’, try to forget all about those completely rigged heaps of crap. Online slots look similar, but are completely different because most of them really are random! Most online slots are traditional 3 or 5 reel type, but different slots have different numbers of pay-lines;- 3-reel; 1, 3 or 5 win lines. 5-reel; 5, 9, 11, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 and then even 100 win lines! (Cashapillar). In 2010 we saw the first All-Ways-Pay slots; basically all symbols are left-to-right scatters which essentially means you are playing with 243 win lines (3 row slots) or even 1,024 lines! (4 rows, e.g. Arctic Fortune) (Note that different softwares have different win line patterns eg: winline 4 on MG is not the same ‘shape’ as winline 4 on Crypto). Then we have different categories of slots:- Normal; Just pay out standard wins for combinations of symbols. Bonus; Have one or more bonus features triggered by getting certain symbols in view. The bonus rounds are normally ‘free-spins’ with a multiplier (eg. 15 free spins with all wins x3), or ‘picks’ where you click on a number of symbols to reveal a mystery prize, or a combination of both. Progressive Jackpot; Have a common ‘pool’ of funds contributed to by ALL casinos using the same software to give a massive jackpot which is usually won by getting the highest ranking symbols on the highest numbered line payline on the slot. (e.g. Line 15 on a 15 line slot). Some progressives are also ‘bonus round’ slots and some of these only give the jackpot in the bonus round, while others still pay as described above. Getting Started If you’re new to online slots you really should play all those you like the sound of in ‘practice mode’ before you play for real money so you know what to expect. All online casinos should give you the facility to do this. You will find the pay tables by clicking on a button on the screen. When you’ve decided to play for real, the first thing to be aware of is what bet level the slot is on when you initially bring it onto your screen. The vast majority will NOT be set at the minimum bet level, but you can manually reduce this using the on-screen control buttons. Note that the cost indicator is per line, not per spin! They will also normally be set at maximum paylines, which again, you may wish to reduce. E.g. Some people like to play 25 line slots using only 9 or 15 paylines for various reasons, including making their money last longer! Many casinos’ have ‘autoplay’ so you don’t get finger ache clicking that mouse button. MG’s is the best (access by hitting the ‘expert’ button) because you can set it to stop if you hit a big win! Reel Weighting & Randomness The most fundamental way in which video slots differ from real slot machines is that they do not have physical reels. This allows the slot to have ‘weighted’ reels. This is done in one of two ways; a) The reels on a slot do not all have the same number of symbols on them. E.g. On Tomb Raider the reels have 24, 28, 34, 40 & 40 symbols. So the chances of getting the scatter symbol on reel 1 is 3 in 24, but on reel 5 it is 3 in 40. b) The reels all have the same number of symbols, but the odds of each one appearing is different. E.g. Each reel could have just 10 symbols on it, but it is programmed so that the jackpot symbol only appears 1 in 30 spins, while the lowest value symbol appears 1 in 5 spins. Neither of these ways of weighting means the machine is ‘rigged’ – the results of each spin is still entirely random, but this weighting just makes for more playing excitement. Note: Most slots described as ‘UK Style Fruit Machines’ are NOT random in the way described above. Bonus Rounds & Jackpots These vary from one slot to another, but typically bonus rounds are usual triggered either by getting certain ‘Scatter’ symbols on certain reels, or by getting a set number of consecutive symbols on a winline. The bonus itself is usually either a pre-set or random number of ‘free-spins’ with a multiplier, or it’s ‘picks’ when you select from a number of symbols on the screen to reveal random prizes. Some slots combine the two; you pick symbols that give you a random number of free-spins! Note that while it is possible to get very big wins from the bonus rounds, it is also possible on many slots to get close to, or actually nothing! L The Jackpot on most video slots is getting 5 ‘wild’ symbols on a winline. On progressive slots these 5 wilds have to be on a particular winline (normally the highest available; e.g. line 15 on a 15-line slot). Best Slots This is all a matter of opinion of course, and it’s unlikely any two players will agree on this. One thing most of us do agree on (backed by a recent online poll) is that the best software for slots playability is MicroGaming far and away better than the competition. But I also enjoy many slots on other softwares, as you’ll see on my favourite slots table below!

							My Favourite Slots
							(as of 2009 – will be updated soon!) Key to table:

Name	Name of Slot / (Software)					Jackpot		Multiplier of max jackpot if hit during ‘normal’ spins. (Bet per line x N)
R L P	Number of Reels Number of win-lines Progressive jackpot?					Ra (SS)		Our rating of the slot (out of 10) Screenshot of one of out great hits! (if applicable) – click on SS to view!
R L P	Number of Reels Number of win-lines Progressive jackpot?					Description		Black; How the bonus feature/jackpot is triggered. Blue; Our personal review. Red; Bad points about the slot (if any).
B?	Bonus Rounds? (No. of types)
B spin	Approx. spins between bonuses. (Blue = actual, Green = estimate)
B spin						Where to play		Recommended casinos to play this slot. (Sign-up or other bonuses offered).

Name		R/L/P	B?	B spin	Jackpot	Ra	Description		Where to play (Bonus info)
Dolphin Tale (Microgaming)		5 40 No	1	150	x 3,000 (x60,000 in free spins)	10	3 scatter clam symbols anywhere in view trigger the free spins where you face a difficult choice. You pick how many spins you want & get randomly awarded one of three multipliers: From 25 spins at x2, 3 or 5 down to 5 spins at x10, 15 or 20. What makes it even more fun is any symbol can randomly turn wild during the free-spins, greatly boosting your win! This feature on this slot is just about my favourite free-spin variant. I usually go for just 5 free-spins then pray for the x20 and 1 or 2 really big hits! (Note: I find 40 win-lines is too many, so usually play this one anywhere from 17 to 25 lines)		Ladbrokes (Best SUB on net!) Go Wild (Low bonus WR!) 32Red (160% SUB!) No USA citizens allowed to play at any casinos using this software.
Atlantis (Grand Virtual)		5 11 No	4	30-40	x 2,000	9	This slot has FOUR different bonus features:- Free-spins: 5 to 25 spins for 3-5 Nautilus: Wild symbol multiplies wins by x5, and any bonus round awards are tripled! Treasure Hunt: 3+ Astrolabes take you to a prize maze – Navigate the Mermaid though the caves collecting prizes, monster repellent and trap keys, avoid the Kraken & the traps until you find the exit. Obelisk: Reach the top of the column for the biggest prizes. Seahorse Race: Pick 3 from 6 horses and race to the finish line. With all the features, the more scatters that trigger the round, the bigger your prizes! This is simply the most amazing slot I’ve ever played! The graphics & sounds must be seen to be believed. The unusual graphics & reel layouts takes a bit of getting used to.		Imperial Casino ($200 SUB) Or Casino Fantasy ($100 SUB) No USA citizens allowed to play at any casinos using this software.
Rain Dance (RTG)		5 20 Yes	1	130	x 5,000	9	One of many different ‘Real Series’ slots, on this one the bonus is triggered by 3 or more scatters in view. Your chances are enhanced by an extra free-spin if you get 2 in view. You get 10 spins @ x3 for 3 scatters, 15x4 for 4 & 100x5 for 5! Three or more scatters in the free spins give you the same bonus again. Therefore, if you do get 5 scatters initially you are guaranteed a MEGA win! I have never had the 5 scatters myself, but I know others who have. I live in hope! All the Real Series of slots have a maximum win of 40,000 x line bet, so if you get the 100 spins with re-triggers it’s likely you will be capped before finishing all your spins. L		iNetBet (200% slots bonus) Club USA (SUB: $777!) Win Palace ($1,000 SUB!)
Tomb Raider (Microgaming)		5 15 No	2	Lara’s: 124 Idols: 70	x 7,500	9	3 or more round Lara scatter symbols give you 10 free spins with all wins multiplied by 3 (except Tomb Bonus), can retrigger. Or 3 or more Idols on a winline give you a corresponding number of picks in the ‘Tomb Bonus’. Very playable slot as you should normally get one bonus or the other every 47-50 spins. Only bad point is many MG’s have it at 5c/line min.		Spin Palace (£150 welcome!) Purple Lounge (Promo-land!) All Jackpots ($200 S.U.B.) No USA citizens allowed to play at any casinos using this software.
Reel Crime (Rival Gaming)		5 15 No	3	60	x 750	9	This slot is unique in that it follows a story line, with comic-book style animated scenes between each of the rounds. When you complete each section you get a prize bonus round before moving on, or going back to the start, depending on the outcome. As you start each section you get the opportunity to change your stake which is then fixed. The symbols on the reels also change as you advance. In addition they have free spins triggered by scatter symbols. Great fun to play! This is a low very variance slot = little chance of really big wins, but money can last a long time!		Riviera Royal (150% SUB) Golden Cherry (NEW casino!) Sloto’Cash
Hampsteads (CryptoLogic)		5 9 No	1	130	x 5,000	9	3 scattered Toasters anywhere in view randomly award from 1 to 5 bonus rounds. Click the 9 squares to match 3 characters and win the biggest prizes. I love the feature on this fun slot, mainly because I have hit the top prize more time than I can remember! This slot is very old, and looks it. Slow & jerky play, but I forgive that due to the potential for big wins. Min bet too high (10c/line)		Intercasino ($100 free/mth) Intercasino £UK (£50/mth) No USA citizens allowed to play at any casinos using this software.
Lotto Madness (Playtech)		5 20 Yes *	1	130	x 10,000	9	Get the ‘Lotto Wheel’ scatter feature anywhere on reels 1 & 5 and spin the wheel for your free-spins & multiplier; anything from 3 spins @ x2 to 20 @ x10! Has an optional progressive ‘Dollar Ball’ side-bet. The feature is great if you get a high number (obviously), but the normal wins are usually frequent & often good, making this a very playable & fun slot!		Bet365 (£200 free match) Tote Sport (£100 free) Casino Plex (NEW casino!) No USA citizens allowed to play at any casinos using this software.
Ladies Nite, Spring Break, Thunderstruck (Microgaming)		5 9 No	1	130	x 10,000	8	3 scatter symbols anywhere in view trigger 15 free spins with a x3 multiplier. Can re-trigger. Wild symbol doubles all wins. I’ve grouped these three together because they are all basically the same slot, just with different symbols & sounds! Thunderstruck has arguably the best graphic & sounds of any slot, but I seem to win more regularly on Ladies Nite, but then I’ve hit the jackpot on Spring Break..!		Ladbrokes (Best SUB on net!) Go Wild (Low bonus WR!) 32Red (160% SUB!) No USA citizens allowed to play at any casinos using this software.
Harvey’s (Microgaming)		5 25 No	1	100	x 2,000 (x50,000 in free spins)	8	2 champagne bottles anywhere on reels 2 & 4 trigger a bonus of 6 to 30 free spins. Each win then has a random multiplier of x2 to x25 applied to it. Can retrigger. Possibly the most playable 25 liner ever! Often 25 lines = crap wins, but Harvey’s somehow manages to give good playing time for your money. The bonus rounds can provide very big payouts!		Spin Palace (£150 welcome!) Purple Lounge (Promo-land!) All Jackpots ($200 S.U.B.) No USA citizens allowed to play at any casinos using this software.
Monopoly Here & Now (WagerWorks)		5 20 No	1	130	x 5,000	8	The ‘Monopoly Board’ feature is triggered by 3 logos on a win line. The potential pay-out of the feature in increased by getting other symbols in view – so the longer you go without hitting the feature the more valuable it becomes. The graphics & sounds of this ‘flash’ no-download game have to be seen to be believed – it’s superb! The ‘Monopoly man’ jumps round the screen, giving you property bonus cards & throwing the dice – great fun to play. Getting the bonus too often is not a good thing as the prizes could be very small.		Sky Vegas (£5 free, no dep.) Virgin Casino (SUB 100% £100) Blue Square (SUB 100% £100) No USA citizens allowed to play at any casinos using this software.
Fruit Frenzy (RTG)		5 25 Yes	1	130	x 10,000	8	I think this was the first ‘Real Series’ slot with 25 win-lines. But I know it is the most fun to play with crazy cartoon graphics & sounds! Any 5-of-a-kind win triggers the ‘Fire the Strawberry’ feature – win from 5 to 20 free-spins played at 25 lines (regardless of how many you were playing before getting the feature) with all wins doubled. This slot just makes you smile – even if you’re losing!		iNetBet (200% slots bonus) Club USA (SUB: $777!) Win Palace ($1,000 SUB!)