Complete Guide to Playing Slots

If you are new to playing slot machine we have put together a huge range of different guides and articles that are going to enlighten you fully on how you can pick out the best slots to play based on your own personal preferences.

There are literally thousands of different slot games available in both the online and mobile playing environments, and with that in mind please do read through the following guide and make sure you make use of some of the additional guides that are dedicated to each of the following subjects.

Types of Online Slots

Types of Online SlotsThe very first thing you will be interested in learning is just what type of slot games you can access as either an online or mobile slot game player. Below is an overview of each category of slot game that you can access online in either a free play or real money playing environment.

Keep in mind that each of the following categories of slots will be offering you a completely different type of slot playing experience, but we can guarantee you will like the way many of the different types of slot games have been designed and what they all have to offer you as a player.

3 Reel Slots – It will be non complicated slot playing sessions that you will be experiencing if you opt to play any of the many different 3 Reel Slot Games, which offer a basic playing structure but plenty of winning opportunities.

Video Slots – By playing Video Slots you are going to find a huge range of different playing structures and more than enough slots offering unique base game features and bonus games to keep even the most avid slot player amused for hours!

Progressive Slots – The lure of the Progressive Slot Games can be too much to resist for most players, for from just one single spin you play off, if you pick those types of slot games carefully you could be turned into an instant millionaire!

Fixed Odds Slots – If you come across the handful of Fixed Odds Slot Games that some online casino sites offer you are tasked with picking out which one of the pay table listed winning combinations will be spun on. One of them is guaranteed to be spun in on each spin you play off and you will have had to have placed a wager on that winning combination to receive a winning payout when playing these types of slot games online!

Fruit Machines – You can now play Fruit Machines at a range of different mobile and online casino sites, the best aspect of this category of slots is that you are going to have a huge number of bonus games and bonus features being awarded to you over any length of slot playing session you allocate to playing them.

Accessing Slot Games

As you have just discovered there are quite a number of different slot game categories available to you, however one of the very first things you will need to decide is just how you are going to be accessing the range of slot games offered to you at any casino site.

There are four main ways that you are going to be able to play slot games either on a mobile device, via a computer or on a laptop top or tablet device, and as such below is a roundup of each of the many different ways you can start playing slots depending on the type of device you wish to access those slot games on.

Downloadable Slots – There are several reasons why slot players much prefer playing on a fully downloadable gaming platform. However one of the main advantages of playing Downloadable Slots is that you will have many additional option settings so you can have a much more tailored slot playing experience.

Instant Play Slots – As many people have more than one computer and may wish to play slot games on several of them, the Instant Play Slots have started to prove more popular with players. You will never have to wait for the games to download or even update when playing on such a gaming platform as they load instantly into any type of web browser.

Mobile Slots – There is now so many slot games on offer that are compatible with all mobile devices there has been a sharp increase in the number of players now choosing to play Mobile Slots. There is no noticeable difference in regards to the way these types of slots play and pay other than you tap onto the spin or start buttons instead of using a mouse to control them!

Slot Tournaments – There is another way that any cost conscious slot player can play slots online but at something of a much reduced cost or even for free, and that is by taking part in any of the huge and growing number of Online Slot Tournaments that many casino sites offer to their players.

Managing Your Slot Bankroll

Every slot player is going to have their own slot playing bankroll, and it is going to be down to how you manage that bankroll that will determine just what type of slot playing experience you will have at any casino site you choose to play at.

You will have to consider several different factors when playing real money slots and some of the thing you will have to think carefully about are the stake levels you will be playing each slot game for, and whether you should make use of casino bonuses, and also what comps and rewards you will be getting based on your level of play.

Stakes – You should always configure a slot game to play at a stake level that will ensure you get a fair amount of spins from your allocated bankroll, under or over staking each spin can and will affect the type of slot playing session you will have online! So do read through our guide on Slot Game Stake Levels for more information and how to find your perfect staking option based on your available bankroll.

Bonuses – You will have to go on a very quick learning curve when playing slots online or at a mobile casino site for once you get a good understanding of How to Claim and Use Slot Bonuses then you can hunt around for the ones that are going to maximize your slot playing bankroll.

Comps – By selecting the casino sites you play real money slot games at carefully then you will have a chance of finding a casino site offering you more comp points based on your level of play. Casino Slot Comps can and will ensure all of your gaming action is always generously rewarded, depending on of course whether you play at a site offering the very best loyalty schemes and comp clubs!

Understanding Risk

It will of course be dependent on how much risk you want to have in place when you are picking out just which types of slot games to play, and there are several different things that you need to be aware of that can make some slot games much more riskier slots to play than others.

Below are the four main aspects that you should always keep in mind in regards to just which slots you do play in regards to whether you want some low risk slot playing sessions or some much higher risk sessions, the latter of which could see you winning some substantial amounts of cash!

Variance – Make sure you read our guide on Slot Game Variance, for by doing so you will get an understanding of which slot games are low risk slots offering lots of low valued winning payouts, and which slots offer a much more high risk yet high reward type of playing structure.

Jackpot Odds – We have recently compiled a guide relating to Slot Game Jackpot Odds and by taking a look at it you will discover what the chances are of you spinning in a jackpot paying combination when playing some of the most popular online slot games.

Payout Percentages – By playing slot games which boast higher than average Payout Percentages you will find that over time, more of your stakes are going to be paid back out to you as winning payouts, so make sure that is one thing you do ensure you do whenever you play any type of slot game!

Bonus Game Frequency – One additional slot playing guide we think you are going to enjoy reading is our guide to Bonus Game Frequency, that guide lists a range of different slots on which we have worked out what the true odds are of you triggering each bonus game offered on those selected video slots.

Slot Game Structures

Once upon a time there were only basic slot games on which you would find three reels and one single payline, however as the years have ticked by we are now at the point in time when you are going to be able to access a huge range of different slots all boasting their own unique playing structures.

With that at the forefront of your mind please look through each of the following different slot game structure guides we have compiled, for there are bound to be several different slots offering a playing structure that will appeal to you personally.

Optional Pay Lines – By playing any slot game on which you can configure the number of paylines you put into play then you will always have the maximum range of different staking options on those types of slots, so do consider checking out and playing Optional Pay Line Slots whenever you can do.

Fixed Pay Lines – Whilst you will never have the ability of adjusting the number of pay lines you have in play when you play Fixed Pay Line Slots, what you will usually find being offered on those slot games is a range of bonus games and bonus features that take full advantage of the set number of lines in play which could award some very high valued winning payouts.

Both Ways Slots – You will get double the chances of winning by playing Both Ways Slots, for the winning combinations that can be formed on those slots are awarded from left to right and right to left on the screen as opposed to just from left to right on standard slots!

All Pays Slots – Hundreds or even thousands of active pay lines will be in play whenever you play All Pays Slots or All Pay slots as they are also known. One small stake amount will see you having every single possible permutation of pay line in play when playing these types of slots and as such you have the absolute maximum chances of winning when playing any of them.

Cluster Pays – One relatively new slot game playing structure can be found on slots offering what are known as Cluster Pays, these slots do not award winning payouts via activated pay lines, instead you just need to get a cluster of matching reel symbols spinning in anywhere on the slot game screen!

Special Reel Symbols

Gone have the days when the only reel symbols you would find attached to the reels of slot games are fruit themed ones! In fact, some of the more recently released and launched slot games boast a huge number of unique reel symbols.

Below are some of the more unique slot game reel symbols which in addition to awarding a cash payout when you spin in a matching set of them on your activated pay lines can additionally award a range of additional bonus games or bonus features that can often quite dramatically increase your winning chances and the size of your winning payouts too!

Wild Symbols – It could take you days to play all of the slots on which you will find Unique Wild Symbols, and with that in mind do read through our guide to those types of slot game reel symbols for you will find they now do more than just stand in for other reel symbols!

Scatter Symbols – There are also quite a number of slots with different Scatter Symbols attached to their reels and those symbols can award either a large cash payout when you spin in enough of them in view or they may also additionally trigger some form of bonus game too.

Bonus Symbols – It will often be Bonus Symbols that you will be hoping to spin in a certain way when playing video slots, for that will then often be the trigger that will then see you playing off a bonus feature round on which the very highest winning payouts possible can be awarded to you on most types of video slots.

Base Game Features

Sending any slot games reels spinning on your preferred staking options will of course see you hoping to line up a winning combination, however as slot games have evolved over the years all slot game designers and suppliers have been increasing the number of base game features that can suddenly come into play and be awarded to you.

If you are the type of slot player who is demanding plenty of fun, excitement and the maximum winning opportunities when playing online or mobile slot games then do try and play some of the many different slots which boast any of the following base game bonus features.

Avalanche Feature – By playing slots which have an Avalanche Feature you have the chance of winning multiple winning payouts once a base game winning combination has been spun in. This type of slot game feature is found on many slots on both their base games and during their bonus feature rounds too.

Random Wild Reels – We have seen a sharp increase in the number of slots which offer a Random Wild Reels type of feature. Those features when awarded will turn from one to five of the slot games reels you are playing completely wild, so the more of them that are turned wild the bigger and better the cash payouts will become!

Win Multipliers – Some slot games offer a quite basic type of base or bonus game feature on which whenever you spin in a winning combination a Win Multiplier will then come into live play that will boost the value of any additional consecutive winning payouts you achieve.

Random Jackpots – When you play a slot offering one or more Random Jackpots then at the end of any base game spin when playing those types of slots you could be awarded with a progressive jackpot without the need to line up any jackpot reel symbols, or you could be awarded with a bonus game at random on which you are going to be guaranteed of winning one of several progressive jackpots!

Bonus Games

At various points in time when playing most slot games you may spin in a set number of bonus symbols or scatter symbols which will then see you triggering some form of main bonus game on the slot you are playing, and when you do you have the chance of winning some of the very highest valued winning payouts achievable on those bonus game awarding slots.

Whilst the number of bonus games you could be awarded with when playing most types of slot games can be quite varied, they do tend to fit into one of the following categories of bonus games, and we have a complete guide on each of the four main bonus games listed below.

Wheel Spin – A Wheel Spin Bonus Game is one on which when triggered you are simply tasked with clicking onto a spin button to send a bonus wheel into live play. That wheel will be divided up into lots of different segments each of which will contain a cash prize or an additional bonus game, and as soon as the wheel finally stops spinning the segment facing the win pointer or win arrow will be the prize or bonus game you are awarded with.

Free Spins – Slots on which you can trigger a Free Spin Bonus Games have always been hugely popular with slot players, for there is no telling in advance when those bonus games will be triggered and awarded to you, and to add to the excitement of playing them off you will never know how much you can win until of course the very last free spin has been played off!

Pick and Match – The aim of playing off a Pick and Match type of slot game bonus feature round is that when playing off that picking game you will hope that you then go on to reveal a set number of the highest valued symbols as you pick off locations from the bonus game screen. The amounts of cash you could win on this type of bonus game can vary from some very small modest amounts to some huge jackpot winning payouts!

Pick and Win – You will either love playing slots on which a Pick and Win styled bonus game is on offer or you will hate them, there doesn’t seem to be any middle ground! Once triggered you will then be faced with picking off locations from the bonus game screen in the hope the ones you select will be high cash awarding locations. However, some pick and win bonus games can also award additional bonus games such as free spins rounds and multiplier values for those free spins!

Gamble Games – Spinning in a winning combination on some video slots will then see you being given the option of taking a Slot Games Gamble Game. Many of those gamble games are simply playing card predicting games on which you have to select the colour or the suit of a card about to be dealt out to you. However, some slot game designers have some much more exciting and advanced gamble games attached to their slots!

Configuring Slot Games

You will of course have lots of fairly standard ways that you can configure any slot game you play, however some slot game designers have additional option settings available on their slots, and below are some of the more advanced player configurable option settings you will come across online at various different casino sites.

Auto Play – By utilizing a slot games Auto Play option setting you are going to be able to set any slot offering such a feature to play itself automatically. However, you will have a range of additional settings on which you can set the auto play option to cut out when you win a jackpot, trigger a bonus game or a range of different options settings too.

Quick Spin – You can set many slot games to play rapidly and as such you could rattle through a huge number of spins in a short space of time, to do so you will need to use the Fast Play or Quick Spin Option some online and mobile slots now have on offer.

Tabbed Browser – Another thing that you will also find you can do when playing at some online casino sites is play more than one slot simultaneously. To do so you will have to make use of something known as a Tabbed Browser feature on which you can then open up a range of different slot games and play them all at the same time!

Slot Machine Resources

We are always updating our website with new slot game playing guides and slot game reviews plus you will also find all of the very latest slot game news stories too.

The above slot game for example that you can see a video presentation of is one of the Brand New Multi- Player Slots that are proving to be very popular with online slot players, as they allow players to play slots alongside other players, and trigger the slot bonus games all simultaneously too!

One final thing to keep in mind is that you are going to find you can play slots designed and supplied by a Land Based Slot Machine Manufacturer online or on a mobile device, as many companies now offer their range of slots to online, mobile and land based players.

Doug is a passionate Slot fan and an expert in the gaming industry and has written extensively about online slot games and various other related information pertaining to online slots. In his spare time, he enjoys time with friends and family, reading, travelling, and of course, playing the slots.

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