Online Casino Tutorials

Three reel and five reel slots are quite different in several aspects. The most obvious is the difference in reel numbers and the spinning reel versus video screen format. Other major features that are different include the number of lines and the reel weighting.

Video slots do not need to use reel or symbol weighting as the odds can be determined by the amount of symbols on the reels. Three reel slots have a limited number of symbols per reel so they have to have weighted reels to have any chance of working for the casinos.

It is a very common misconception that spinning three reel slots have much better odds that video slots. This would be true if the reels were not weighted. In reality the odds are very close to the same when you compare a wide selection of games. In the end it really comes down to what entertains you the most. In our opinion video slot machines win this hands down.

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Every spin you make on a video slot is in no way related or effected by the last. Each spin has exactly the same odds of winning.

It is quite possible although unlikely that you could hit the top jackpot two spins in a row. For this reason it does not matter if you play a game that has just paid out or a game that has not paid out for a week.

Another point worth noting is that the symbols positions on the virtual reels never change. They a permanently placed to ensure the correct payout percentage.

There are a lot of systems for sale that claim to be able to beat slot machines. They are all useless, there is no way to predict or beat a randomly generated outcome.

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Video slot machines can have anywhere from 20 to 100 symbols on each virtual reel. Of course the higher paying symbols will appear less than the lower paying ones.

For example if we have a game with 40 stops per reel and the jackpot symbol occurs only once per reel then the odds of hitting the highest prize is 1 in 102,400,000.

As with most video slots you can play more than one line at a time so the example above would be 1 in 5,120,000 if you were playing 20 lines at once.

Through extensive mathematical testing the slot machine manufacturers can see how their reel placement will control the overall pay out percentage of the game.

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The first point to note is that all slot machines including video slots are a pure game of chance. There is nothing that you as a player can do to alter the outcome. The games are run by computer programs which ensure that over time the casino will always win. Of course over the short term you may win or lose.

There is so much misinformation regarding how they work that we deiced to give you the inside scoop straight from the inside of a major slot manufacturer. We hope that after reading this you have a better understanding of video slots.
How The Combinations are Decided
When you press the spin button the machine shows all the reels spinning, in reality the outcome has already been decided. The stop position and resulting symbols for each reel is randomly decided by the random number generator independently from the others. Once the reels stop spinning you can see the result, either a win or a loss.

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1897 : The Invention
Charles August Fey, a car mechanic from San Francisco invents the "Liberty Bell" mechanical slot machine. It had four symbols on the three reels and was somewhat easy to cheat as the handle controlled the reels. For this reason the top jackpot was a rather small fifty cents.

1898 to 1909 : Popularity Grows
While there were no major changes to how slots worked several new companies began making games with specifications the same as the Liberty Bell but with different appearances. It was a fast growing industry as the demand for new games was high.

1909 : Prohibition
The early years of the 1900's brought a setback to the slot manufacturers. The anti gambling campaigners managed to get the games banned, first in San Francisco, then Nevada and finally the whole of California. Of course as we know now this was just a temporary setback.
1964 : Electro-mechanical Slot Machines
Bally Manufacturing releases "Money Honey" with some major differences between it and it's predecessors. Firstly the inside working were now electronic parts rather than springs. Secondly they added sounds, lights, the option to bet multiple coins and a hopper for coins.

1975 : First Video Slot Machine Hits Casino Floors
Walt Fraley invents the "Fortune Coin" video screen game. At the time it was not popular as players where skeptical about the technology and did not trust the virtual reels over the wide spread spinning reel slots.

1976 : International Game Technology
Seeing the potential of the video slot and the advantages, IGT purchases the Fortune Coin manufacturer and uses their technology to bring out a host of new games. They grow to be the second largest slot manufacturer and focus on video reel slots.

1979 : Video Poker Becomes Popular
It was the invention of video poker that really caused the video slot popularity to grow. Players quickly took to video poker machines and the manufacturers started to introduce the first wave of video slot machines.

1980 to Today : Innovations, Linked Progressives and Bonus Games
Since the early eight slot machine makers have continually added new and exciting features to video slots. These have included the linking of jackpots in state and country wide progressives and the addition of the bonus game. By linking the jackpots casinos have the ability to have multi-million dollar jackpots that grow fast and hit frequently.

Today you will be hard pressed to find a video slot that does not have some sort of bonus. From free games to pick a box and to game show themes video slots have come a long way compared to Charles Fey's first invention - the Liberty Bell.

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