Reel Slots and Video Slots:
Two main slot types existing today are reel slots and video slots. The physical difference between them is the way they display the outcome. Reel slots have physical reels, spun by an electronically controlled mechanism, while video slots are fully based on computer technologies and display the outcome of simulated reels on a video display. Besides, there usually are differences between payout tables of reel and video slots. Video slots accept bets on each individual line and pay out the multiplications of these bets, while reel slots normally take one single bet on the entire outcome and have a fixed payout table for each combination and each bet size.
In reel slots it is common to pay the jackpot only if the maximum amount of coins is inserted, which gives a certain advantage to full coins players. Video slots calculate payouts differently, and the proportion between the bet and the jackpot does not depend on the number of coins. The more you insert, the more you can win, and the more you can lose. The odds always are the same. In video slots it is recommended to play as many lines as possible, but is not recommended to bet the maximum amount as in reel slots. There are some exceptions of video slots like the Wheel of Fortune, where the maximum amount is needed to win the main jackpot.
9 Line Slots:
One of the popular slot types today is 9 line slots, which usually come in thematic format, such as
the Adams Family,
I Dream of Jennie, etc. These slots usually have a bonus round and accept separate bets of various amounts on each line.
Denominations:
Slot machines can be of a vide range of denominations, starting from 1 cent (
penny slots) to 100 dollars slots. The latter usually are located in a High Limit cordoned area served by separate personnel and destined to high rollers only.
Although the denominations of the machines are still called by the name of the coins once inserted as one credit (penny, nickel, quarter, dollar etc.), nowadays, very few machines actually accept these coins. They are operated either by the uniform tokens, purchased at the casino cage or by paper tickets, where the credit is represented by a bar code. The player pays whatever sum he wants at the cage and receives a ticked with this sum printed on it. He inserts the ticket into the machine, and, when he decides to leave, the machine prints another ticket with the credit left after playing. This new ticket can be played at a different machine or exchanged for cash at the cage.
Progressive Jackpots:
Some slot types form networks with a shared progressive jackpot, accumulated from all these machines and paid to the jackpot winner at any of them. Some of these networks, such as
Megabucks, are really huge and contain hundreds of machines from various casinos. Progressive jackpots in these large networks, grow very fast, but also are won more frequently, so the change of winning a large progressive jackpot is not any better than at machines connected to small local networks.
Progressive jackpots are not paid from the pocket of the casino manager. They are accumulated during the games, and as far as a part of house edge goes to the jackpot, payout tables of these machines usually are worse than of those that are not connected to any network. This is done to compensate the amount spent to increase the progressive jackpot. However, playing these machines can be more profitable. First of all, it is caused by the fact that the progressive jackpot is only paid to full coins players, and everyone who does not play for full coins, sacrifices the extra house edge to the favor of full coins players. Besides, at a certain moment the progressive jackpot may rich the critical sum and make the game profitable for the player. However, this is only true if the player is going to win the jackpot before someone else does so and resets the jackpot to its initial value. Taking to the account the very low probability of winning the main jackpot, such a procedure can be very expensive, and above all, risky. So, if you are not a jackpot hunter, play normal slots. These have better payouts.
