Pokies are the most popular type of game at retail and online casinos. They’re easy to learn, have a huge variety of games, and offer plenty of different ways to win. There are various categories of slots, and there are fine lines between categories, which means some machines are difficult to categorize as being one type or another. Furthermore, certain types of games, like video poker games and crash games, are classified as pokies by some players but certainly not by all.
1. Traditional slots
Traditional online slots closely mirrored early slot machines. They had three reels and one or only a small number of paylines. These early games were limited by early Internet connections and, as such, they used basic symbols and typically lacked the bonus games, progressive jackpots, and advanced features of more advanced and modern machines. However, it didn’t take long for online slots to become more advanced and offer additional features including extra paylines and some additional features.
2. Multiplier slots
Multiplier slots are slot machines that offer prize multipliers, rather than fixed winnings. With traditional slots, players are typically able to play a single coin of a fixed value, for example, a dollar. Matching specific symbols pays out a given prize. For example, three BAR symbols might pay out $100. With multiplier slots, the player can choose the amount they stake and prizes are represented as a multiplier, rather than a fixed value, so matching three bars might pay out 100 times the stake. The principle is the same, but multiplier slots allow greater freedom when it comes to choosing stake value.
3. Progressive slots
Progressive slots are those machines that offer access to progressive jackpots. A progressive jackpot means that a small amount is added to the jackpot every time a player stakes money and spins the reels until the jackpot is won. Progressive prizes can be substantial, sometimes even millions of dollars, which makes these games highly appealing to some players. Generally, to have a chance of winning progressive jackpots, the player must stake the maximum amount possible. Those wondering where to find the best jackpot pokies in Australia will usually turn to online casinos, as these offer the chance to win small, medium and massive jackpots on machines with various themes, and with a single spin.
4. Multi-payline slots
Early slots had a single payline – the horizontal line across the middle of the reels. Players had to match symbols across this payline to win prizes. Sometimes, at three reel machines, smaller prizes were given for matching one or two specific symbols at the beginning of the payline, but that was it for variance. With multi-payline slots, paylines might be found across each horizontal line as well as incorporating diagonal lines. Some modern slots can have hundreds of paylines, although accessing these extra lines typically requires staking more money.
5. Cluster slots
Cluster slots don’t use paylines in the same way as other machines. Instead, they pay out for clusters or adjacent symbols. Essentially, they pay out for patterns similar to those used in games like Candy Crush. Cluster slots may also offer chained wins. When the player lands a cluster, the cluster is removed and the symbols above the removed cluster fall down. There is the potential that this can lead to additional clusters and extra prizes.
6. Bonus game slots
Bonus game slots are the online equivalent of video slots. They are more complex than traditional games and incorporate bonus games which are often unrelated to the slots and reels. Bonus games might pay out instant prizes or they can offer multipliers or additional features that help further improve a player’s winnings. Bonus game slots do incorporate more complicated features than are found in traditional games, but they are still easy to get to grips with, and they can make the basic premise of online pokies more enjoyable for all players.
7. Video poker
Video poker is a combination of slot machines and poker. The player spins reels and the reels contain playing card symbols. Rather than trying to get matching symbols, the aim of video poker is to make winning poker hands. Usually, the player can hold one or more of the cards they are dealt and then redeal the rest of their hand. Variants include jacks or better video poker, where the player needs to get pairs of jacks or higher to win prizes.
8. Crash games
Crash games are push-your-luck games in which the player chooses their stake level and then watches the game. A stake multiplier keeps going up and the player chooses when to cash out. If the game crashes before the player cashes out, they lose all of the money or multipliers they have accumulated and walk away with nothing. The game is very simple to learn and it can offer generous prizes, but players have to have nerves of steel to walk away with the prizes.
Conclusion
Pokies are the most popular of all casino games, both in physical casinos and online casinos. Slot machines use random number generators to determine the spins of reels and the outcome of games, and they are favoured by a lot of players because they are easy to learn but can offer considerable jackpots for relatively low stakes.
