Online slots are fun, but they can be confusing to a first-time player. The pay lines seem to go all over the place. Have you wondered how do the lines on a slot machine work? We have a quick guide to the things you need to know.
Three Reel Slot Machines
Classic slots, whether they are mechanical or video slots, have one line. That line is right across the center of the reels. There's no mistaking these slot games due to the simplicity. You bet a few coins, spin the reels, and watch to see if the symbols you need for a win line up in that center line.
Take Crazy Cherry Slots for instance. You can bet up to five credits on the single line. There is only that one line, so it's easy to play. The paytable appears on the same screen as the single row.
It's important that you don't mistake all three-reel slot machines as being classic machines. Some have multiple lines. For the three-reel slots that have multiple lines, they usually run in Tic-Tac-Toe format. The winning line may run diagonally from top left corner to bottom right corner or bottom left to top right. They may run horizontally across the three rows or vertically across the three reels.
Break Da Bank slots is one where the three-reel slot game has multiple lines. Win up to 2,400 coins in this game where there are five pay lines. Lines form across the three rows and diagonally from top to bottom and vice versa.
Five Reel Slots
Pay lines in five-reel slots can be almost impossible to memorize. For a slot machine with 9 lines, it's going to be easier than a 243-ways-to-win slot game. Typically, you'll have lines form straight across the five reels, and the others will take a zig-zag path across the reels.
In Good Girl Bad Girl Slots, there are 15 lines. They form straight across the three rows and in variations from there that include diagonals and zig-zags.
To find out the true layout of slot machine pay lines, access the paytable and rules. Scroll through the pages until you find the page on pay lines. This gives you a diagram of the different lines. Some slots, such as the 243-ways-to-win games, won't show you the pay lines.
Exceptions to the Standard Lines in Slot Games
With 243-ways-to-win slot games, winnings can occur when you get a number of symbols on adjacent reels. These games may count symbols that appear in adjacent reels from right to left as well as the standard left to right.
Six Shot Showdown Slots is an example of a 243-ways-to-win slot game. As long as symbols are on adjacent reels, you win. They do not need to be in a particular pattern.
There's another exception. Some games count clusters of symbols rather than symbols appearing on adjacent reels. In these games, getting a group of symbols that are touching horizontally or vertically is all that matters.
Legend of the Nile is an example of these games where clusters pay. The game has a 7 by 6 grid of symbols. You earn cash when at least four symbols form a cluster.
Betting on Lines in Slots
Slots work in two ways. Some games require you to bet on the individual lines. If you have a 30-line video slot, you may have to choose if you want to bet on 1, 2, 3, etc. lines. You won't win money on lines you don't activate, so it's often smarter to bet on all of them.
Fixed pay line slots don't give you the choice. Your bet is automatically set to activate all lines. You pick the dollar amount and that's it. The 243-ways-to-win slots are an example of a fixed pay line slot game.
Now that you have a better understanding of how the lines on a slot machine work, you can bet with confidence. Try a new online slot or play a favorite slot for real money. Get started now by signing up or logging in.
