How to Play Pokies | Learn How to Master Slots and Win

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How to Play Pokies

Sick of losing at online slots? We expose the most critical online casino secrets and show you proven tips to flip the odds, master paytables, optimize bets, and maximize winnings. Our KingCasinoBonus experts will give you all the details you need, such as the importance of RTP and RNG, and a guide on how to play slots efficiently.

How to Play Online Pokies With an Edge

Our experts will give you their top tips for you to use and make the most of your slots experience. Still, keep in mind that slots do not necessarily need a “strategy” as they have the factor of randomness, but following good practices will always get you further.

  1. Play on a trusted real money pokies site vetted by experts to protect your potential pokies payouts.
  2. Choose a mobile device for the best immersion in your favourite slot game.
  3. Analyse the paytable to understand the value of each symbol and know which ones you should be looking for.
  4. Select the number of paylines you want to use and enter the amount you want to wager.
  5. Check off the ‘maximum bet’ button to select all the paylines simultaneously.
  6. Click on the ‘spin’ button to get the reels moving.
  7. Hunt those ‘bonus games’, which can help you earn even bigger prizes.
  8. After the first round, you can keep playing the game, but be mindful of your bankroll.

How Random Number Generators (RNG) Impact Your Winnings

The quality and reliability of an RNG are crucial factors that impact your winnings in online slots. Reputable online casinos use RNGs that are regularly audited and certified by independent testing agencies to ensure their fairness and unpredictability.

An RNG, or random number generator, is basically a type of program that is used to generate results in online slots. RNG programs work every second to generate a number or a series of numbers, which are the results of your game. The type of RNGs used in online casinos are known are PRNGs, which stand for pseudo-random number generators. PRNGs are used in the absence of a dealer. They work continuously to generate numbers, not only in slots but in all online games that involve some element of randomness, such as shuffling cards or flipping a coin.

A Word on Return to Player Percentage (RTP)

Return to Player Percentage or Payout Rate or simple “RTP” is the estimated figure of how much money wagered in a slot game is paid back in winnings. Online slots offer an RTP of 90-95%, significantly more than what you get in traditional slot machines.

Return to Player does not mean or predict the likelihood of you winning. However, a higher RTP means that players get back more. Not all players get the same amount back though, and there is always the chance that a player walks away with nothing, while another walks away with large amounts while playing the same game.

Keep in mind that you can find high RTP slots such as Blood Suckers in almost all best NetEnt Casinos for 2024.

Choose Online Slots by Type

The next thing that you need to be familiar with is that there are many types of online slots. This information will help you decide how much you can play according to your preferences and, most importantly, your bankroll. Here are some examples to help you get started.

Slot Type Best Game Best Alternative Game
Classic Slots Fruit Mania (Microgaming) Lucky 7s (Realtime Gaming)
Five-Reel Slots Starburst NetEnt Book of Dead (Play’n GO)
Multi-Payline Slots Thunderstruck II (Microgaming) Immortal Romance (Microgaming)
Progressive Slots Mega Moolah (Microgaming) Major Millions (Microgaming)
Interactive Slots Dawn of Egypt (Playtech) Victoria Wild (Microgaming)
Virtual Reality Slots Jack and the Beanstalk VR (NetEnt) Steam Tower VR (NetEnt)

Different types of online slots explained

  • Classic Slots are the most basic slots and are very easy to play. Also known as three-reel slots, these are the perfect type of slots if you are new to the online gambling world and want to try your hand at something accessible and profitable. A classic slot comes with various symbols on the reels and has rules that are very easy to understand for new players. You will find classic slots very enjoyable as they’re faster than other types of slots and offer high variance.
  • Five-reel slots are the most common among online casinos. Also known as video slots, they are an advancement of video slot machines which were developed in the 1970s. The best online casinos have video slots with a video screen and five different reels as graphics. These graphics are usually really good-looking and are designed with user experience kept in mind.
  • Multi-payline slots have a higher probability of earning. Usually, multi-pay line slot machines come with six or seven reels and up to 200 combinations, which means there is a very high chance of you earning a sizeable amount from these games. These slots allow you to place multiple bets and deplete your bankroll faster as each spin gives you a very good chance of winning money quickly.
  • Progressive Slots are among the most premium online casino games. You need to put in the maximum wagering requirement to play this type of slot game. The majority of that amount goes into what is an accumulated amount known as a progressive jackpot. This amount is made up of money wagered in by all the players who are playing at that exact time. Online casinos connect people and accumulate this progressive jackpot, even if players are playing on different websites. Top progressive slot games include Mega Moolah where the accumulated amount can even go up to millions; therefore, the odds of you winning this game are very low.
  • Interactive Slots or i-slots, are proven to be an essential advancement in slot machine technology. The format of multi-pay line and multi-reel slots is distinct from that of most other online slots. They take advantage of the capabilities of contemporary computing hardware to allow players to create their own evolving tales. Interactive slots are, in many ways, less reliant on luck than ordinary slots. Instead, your skills raise the likelihood that you will be successful.
  • Virtual reality (VR) slots mimic a genuine experience on a real casino floor by immersing you in the virtual world. There could be dozens of slot machines in the game room. The VR format allows for more natural engagement than simply staring at a screen.

Best online casinos for each slot type

  • Classic Slots – SkyCity Casino
  • Five-Reel Slots – 888 Casino
  • Multi-Payline Slots – Wildz
  • Progressive Slots – Zodiac Casino – play with a bonus
  • Interactive Slots – Videoslots
  • Virtual Reality Slots – NA

Know the Rules for Online Slots

Know-the-Rules-for-Online-Slots

Like any other game, there are some key rules that you need to be aware of while playing online slots.

Go for free games

Before placing your bets with real money casinos, try some free online slots that most casinos offer. This way, you will get a good hang of things and perform better while playing online slots.

Go in with a Budget

If you do it that way, you won’t start gambling with money you can’t afford. Slot-machine gaming can be expensive, and things can easily spiral out of control.

Paylines and Pay Tables

Slot games with an information icon should take you to the pay table. You may learn more about the high and low values of the slot machine symbols here.

You can assess if a particular slot game is right for you by looking at the pay lines in the paytable. Sometimes, you can decide how many pay lines are activated for each spin. Be aware that the stake per spin must be higher the more lines you choose.

Now You Can Start Playing

Now that you have a general idea on how to play online slots, you can start exploring different themes, titles and bonus features to discover what playing style suits you best! Looking for an exciting strategy to play? Weigh the pros and cons of using Martingale in pokies with our expert guide!