Online Slots – Paylines & Reels Explained

What Are Paylines?

Slots paylines are also known as betting lines or winning lines. These are different combinations of symbols that result in wins on a slot machine. Paylines can give you further understanding of the games you play, especially concerning their winning combinations and how they are determined. 

After each spin, the game itself reads the paylines to determine if a win has been struck or not. Paylines begin from the reel furthest to the left and continue until they reach the reel furthest to the right. The combinations can be straight across or zig-zagged across the reels. 

These paylines are not random but are predetermined between each game, coming with specific amounts of winning combinations and patterns. The games will always follow the same trends. This means that you typically have to spin a set number of times before the game lands on a winning combination. 

Today’s slot machines typically have between 1 and 50 paylines. However, this can differ depending on the design of the slot. 

How Do Paylines Work?

As stated before, paylines read from left to right like a book. They can be straight across the reels or jagged. Symbol combinations cannot start on any other reel besides the one furthest to the left. 

Some slots will allow you to choose the number of active paylines present in the game. This gives you higher chances of winning, but it also means you must bet more money. 

The bets you place on the paylines will always be the same amount. This means that you cannot bet more or less money on one payline than another. 

Understanding the coins and their values on each payline are also crucial when playing a slot. The number of coins per slot’s payline, as well as their value, is chosen by the player. This should be determined by the size of the player’s bankroll. 

There are numerous ways to calculate the price per spin. You must take into account how many coins there are per payline and how much each of those coins is worth.

For example, if the slot has twenty slots paylines and you are betting one coin per payline at a value of $0.01, you multiply the number of slots paylines by the coin value. This means that the price of the spin would be $0.20. Keep in mind that this can change if you are playing with multiple coins per payline.

How Many Variations Of Paylines Exist?

Slots can have as few as nine slots paylines to up to 243. The higher number of paylines is indicative of the more modern slot machines. This amount of paylines is made possible because of the lines being in different sequences. 

Traditionally, slot machines have either 9, 15, 20, or 25 paylines. This number increased with the rise of online casinos and the desire for bigger jackpots.

In one game, you can have as many as 100 active slots paylines. These can be hard to keep track of as each of them spin, however, which can be enjoyable and frustrating at the same time. 

The modern games that have 243 ways to win do not necessarily have that number of paylines. Instead, they have 243 different winning combinations. In the contemporary market, this number is the highest in terms of paylines on a slot currently available. 

What Are X-Ways Slots?

X-Ways slots are a new form of winning combinations. These are more common in the modern slot machines. Gone are those predetermined paylines, giving you more flexible ways to win the slot. 

Symbols are not required to be lined up in a set pattern to determine a win. You have to line up the same symbol on the adjacent reels beginning at the left and going to the right. You will win as long as the symbols are on adjacent reels. 

There are not many available slots with this form of paylines, but they are becoming more common as more games are developed and released. X-Ways are the only alternative to traditional slot paylines. 

Current games that feature X-Ways include The Dark Knight Rises, Thunderstruck II, Avalon II, Immortal Romance, and more. 

What Are Reels?

Slots reels are the vertical positions on the grid of the slot. These spin in front of you, displaying many different symbols. They are perhaps the most well-known symbol of slot machines. 

In the traditional slot machines, a lever was pulled after placing a bet. The reels would then spin and then stop on a symbol combination. There were usually ten symbols on each reel, meaning with three reels, there were over 10,000 possible symbol combinations. 

Modern online slots trigger the slots reels by pressing the “Spin” button after placing a bet. The symbols are now different themes, but the process remains basically the same.

How Do Reels Work?

After placing your bet, spin the slots reels. Once they stop, a symbol combination will appear, sometimes resulting in a winning combination. If you are playing online, you press the “Spin” button, but if you are playing in a land-based casino, you typically pull a lever to trigger the reels. 

How Many Reels Could A Game Have?

Traditional slot machines typically had either three or five reels. Each reel could have ten to twenty symbols on it, depending on the design. Today, slots often stick to the three or five-reel model, but more may be available depending on the design of the game.

Paylines & Reels – Does Number Matter?

Games should not be judged only by the number of paylines and reels they have. Other essential factors should impact your opinion of a game. These factors should also affect your betting strategy. 

Paylines follow a set, predetermined pattern. This means that you must spin the reels a certain number of times before the game gives you a win. Reels are also predetermined based on their quantity and symbols.

Because they are predetermined factors, you cannot change them. This means you should focus on other factors when reviewing a slot. 

Focus on your bankroll and how much you are willing to wager, the slot’s volatility and RTP, and if the game’s theme and graphics interest you. These characteristics are more important because they are specific to you and your preferences. They also can change depending on different circumstances, but paylines and reels will not. Want to try a new casino? Make sure to check out our selection of top casinos to play at online.