Slots: Spin the Reels

The first slot machine was attributed to a San Francisco car mechanic by the name of Charles Fey. Fey's prototype was called the Liberty Bell after the famous symbol of the American Civil War. Over 100 years later, the original design is the same, although modern electronics has changed the face of the game forever.

Fey would have been stunned at the variety of slot machines in existence today. In recognition of name of the first ever slot machine, modern machines often contain the Liberty Bell symbol on their spinning reels. Fey's first machine contained three mechanical spinning reels, containing playing card symbols of spades, hearts and diamonds and the cracked Liberty Bell on each reel.

The enduring attraction of the casino slot game is its simplicity and ease of game play. Each round of play requires the player to insert a coin in the appropriate slot and trigger the reels. The value of the initial bet varies according to the machine and following the nothing ventured, nothing gained adage, the higher the initial bet, the higher the potential win.

With your bet placed and the wheels spinning, all you have to do is to wait for them to stop. Each game contains a narrow window that displays the results of the current spin. Each machine will contain a pay table showing the payouts of the winning rolls. These pay tables differ from machine to machine, and you should be familiar with the winning payouts before you put any money in the slot. If the winning window shows a payout on the pay table, then you can cup your hands and count your winnings!

One popular game style variation is the progressive jackpot. This involves a jackpot total that increases with each successive round of play. When the jackpot finally comes around, the lucky player is in for windfall. However, the jackpot then goes back to its lowest value, and it takes some time again before it can reach a high payout.

Casino slot machines often pay out a lower return than those available online. Economics is the simple reason. Land-based casinos must pay rent and management costs, where online casinos are relatively inexpensive to run. Online casinos often pay a return of anywhere between 90% to 95%, with the casino taking the 5% to 10% margin for commission. Land-based casinos will pay out a lower rate of return.

Following a request for greater control over the spinning reels, an innovator by the name of Zacharias Anthony created a new feature called skill stops. This feature enabled players to move reels ahead a number of stops within a given bonus time frame. Using a familiarity with the game reels, players could then nudge the reels to line them up for a winning payout. Skill stops became popular in the 1970s and now virtually every slot machine contains a variation of the Zacharias Anthony idea.

• Play machines with the highest payout ratios. Look for payout rates in excess of 90%.
• Play the maximum number of coins in multiple slot machines. This will enhance the chance of winning.
• Set yourself a winning target and stop when you reach it.
• Check out any machine you want to play seriously. Get to know your opponent!

• Bonus: Special feature added to a slot machine that can increase the player's chance of winning.
• Coin hopper: Container where slot machine players collect their winnings.
• E.G.M.: Short-hand for "Electronic Gaming Machine".
• Fill: The act of the casino employee (slot attendant) refilling an empty slot machine with coins.
• Hold: Profit of the house. Amount of coins that the slot machine retains or holds and does not payout. This number is anywhere between 5% to 15%.
• Low Level or Slant Top: Slot machine that includes a seat so you can sit and play. Slot machines played while standing are called Uprights.
• Payline: Line containing the current reel combination outcome. Many machines now present multiple paylines that can enhance the chance of a winning roll.
• Rollup: The practice of adding electronic sounds with each subsequent move of a wheel.
• Symbols: Characters that appear on each spinning reel. Traditionally, playing card symbols and then popularly fruit symbols. Modern machines now contain virtually any type of symbol although the fruit and playing card characters remain popular.
• Tilt: Referring back to the early mechanical slot machines, a tilt occurred when a player tried to force the outcome of a spin my pushing the machine. A mercury balance device would stop the current roll and a Tilt message would be displayed. Modern machines no longer contain such technology, but any malfunction in a mechanical or electronic machine is still called a "tilt".
• Winning Combination: Number of possible winning combinations that appear in the pay table.