How Do Online Slot Machines Really Work?

Slot machines remain the undisputed king in casinos in terms of popularity. And yet, there are still a lot of people out there who do not understand exactly how slot machines work. Most who may have played online video slots or land based casinos still harbor a lot of misconceptions about the way the casino game functions.

With a better understanding of how slot machines really work, players would find it a lot easier to strategize bets for every spin and also brush away anything misleading about the game.

The Random Number Generator

Early slot machines have always been mechanical; those single payline slots still made use of a random slot machine generator. This works in the same way as the workings behind a roulette wheel. Modern online video slots, on the other hand, use software to generate numbers at random. These numbers are what determine the result of the game.

Now the most important thing to understand here is that the random number generator does not have a cyclical pattern. There is no cyclical basis with which the game works with. Slots may seem like it, but they do not get hot or cold anymore. There is no pattern that can be predicted here, just as you cannot predict which card will be dealt to you from a shuffled deck.

The Casino Always Has an Edge over Players

This is a fact that goes for all casino games and not just slots. If you were to do the math, you too would realize it. The casino is charging you to have fun at the slots and is paying back in the form of impressive winnings. However, the profit that a casino makes through the games is how the organization operates. So bet as much you can afford, and pick out an entertaining game for yourself.

Multipayline Slots Don’t Just Come With 3 Reels

The reels are the columns that spin with symbols on them. There are multiple symbols on a reel and if you are able to line winning combinations or the same kind of symbols in a row, you get to take home the prize. The original slot machines in land based casinos used to be large metal hoops that went round and round. Now, both land based and online casinos make use of computerized reels to work in the slot machines.

There are distinct differences between 3 reel slot machines and 5 reel slot machines. The biggest and most visible difference is the difference depicted in spinning reel compared to the video screen format. The other major characteristic that differentiate these include the reel weighting and the number of lines.

Online video slot games do not require the use of symbol or reel weighting. The odds can always be determined by the amount of symbols present on the reels. The three reel slots come with a limited amount of symbols for every reel.

The most common myth about the different reel slots is that the 3 reel slots have better odds than video slots. This would be very true if the reels were never weighted. The reality here is that the odds are extremely close to the same kind that were present when you had to compare a whole selection of games.  Therefore, the best way to go about it is to choose a video slot game that you find fun to play.

What’s the ‘Stop’?

Reels can stop on either a symbol, or simply a blank space that divides two icons. That was the deal with the slot machines of the past. Now every symbol has an equal chance of appearing on the reels. The symbol position where the reels halt is literally referred to as the ‘stop’.

Slot Machines Used to Have 10 Stops per Reel

The more stops that you land on a reel, the easier it becomes to offer large jackpots. For instance, if you play a video slot game with 10 stops for every reel, there is an equal probability of landing on every stop, which would mean that the chances of winning specific combinations would be around 1 in a thousand. If you have a payout system in the game that is bigger than 1000 units, then you are losing money on the game. The good news is that these odds are adjusted by modern computers that make use of a proper weighting system.

Why Weighting Matters

It is Weighting that determines the chances of a specific stop that will be picked. Suppose you come across a slot machine that has 10 symbols; however, one of these symbols is special and it only springs up once for the 100 spins. The odds of landing all three of such symbols stand at 1/1,000,000. Therefore, in theory, you can get a payout of a million on a combination while the casino breaks even in the long run.

Par Sheet Influences the Odds

All casino slot games have a par machine. The par sheet is what directs the weightings that determine the stops on a reel, even if the stops are blank. Par sheet is responsible for the odds of a game as well as the house edge which is a known quantity for a casino.

The Glorious Payback Percentage Rate

The payback percentage is the numerical prediction of how much playing a slot game will pay you back over infinite number of spins. For instance, if the game software states that it comes with 97% rate of payback, the average amount for this stands at $3 for every $100. Casinos have a way of distinguishing actual return and the theoretical payback percentage.