Slot Machine Glossary of Terms
Here are some basic slot terms for you to learn. These will be handy as you research and play slots.
Coin Size
The value of the coin you will use to activate a spin.
Coins per Spin
The number of coins put in the slot machine in one spin.
Hit
When you make a winning combination, it is called a hit.
Hit Rate
The frequency with which a player makes hits.
Hold
The hold is the total amount the casino keeps out of all the money wagered in a slot machine. The hold percentage is about 3% to 15%. It is the opposite of the payout percentage which is what the casino gives back to players over a long period.
Hopper
The space in a machine where the wagered coins are stored in. When the hopper is full, the coins are moved elsewhere in the machine to empty the hopper. When you insert a coin in the slot and the falling sounds hollow, it means the hopper has been emptied, or else the machine has seen very little action for the day.
Max Bet
Each slot machine has a maximum number of coins that can be wagered on each spin. This is the max bet. Progressive machines should be played with max bets for the greatest profit when the jackpot does hit.
Pay Cycle
The time it takes for a slot machine to pay back to the players, whoever is the lucky player to be using it at the time. Some say there is a pay cycle that can be timed and predicted by a player who will then play just when the slot is about to pay out.
Pay Line
The pay line is a line or lines on the machine's screen where the symbols must align. If the symbols that line up on the pay line create a winning combination, the machine will pay out.
Progressive Jackpot
A slot machine in which the jackpot prize keeps growing until someone wins it. Often several machines are linked to one another and every spin made on each slot increments the total jackpot. The more slot machines hooked up, the bigger the jackpot gets.
Reel
A reel is the wheel on a slot on which the symbols appear. The average slot machine has 3 reels on it. Some have more or less. The more reels on a machine, the harder it is to hit the top prize. Generally then, 5 reel slots have bigger prizes than 3 reel slots.
Scatter Symbol
A symbol that can win no matter where it appears on the reels.
Symbol
A symbol is a picture drawn on a reel. Several symbols are drawn on each reel. Symbols are not equal. The higher the value of the symbol, the higher the payout when it appears in a winning combination. Symbols can be fruits or anything else depending on the theme of the slot machine.
Tilt
Tilt is when a slot machine stops paying out money. It may be a malfunction or the slot machine has simply run out of coins inside it. If a player is owed money, the machine will "remember" and after casino staff fix the problem, the player will be paid.
Wild Symbol
Like a wild card, a wild symbol becomes any symbol that gives the player a win.
Winning Combination
These are symbol arrangements on the pay line that pay the player if they appear. The rarer the combination, the higher the pay out.
Zombie
Someone who plays on the same slot mindlessly for hours without stopping, and without switching to other machines.
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