Have you ever succumbed to the incredible temptation of a slots game? They are very hard to resist and this accounts for their tremendous popularity with all kinds of online and “brick and mortar” gaming enthusiasts. In the era of video gaming, there are also a huge number of video based slots games too. In fact, it is only the video versions that are available through the online casinos.

How you go about playing online slots? This brief tutorial is going to start with one very strong recommendation, and that is to use the casino’s tutorials and free games whenever available! This is the only way to really understand the ways to use the games without also accidentally losing your money too!

While the video slot games that you will find on online slot sites are not at all complicated or complex, they are extremely “busy” when you first look at them. This might be due to the wild designs and colour schemes, the animation on the reels and display, or the array of extras such as side bets and buttons used for settings. It is because of this that is a wise idea to get used to the basic functions and operations before you stake a real money wager on a spin.

It also helps to clarify the different areas of the screen, and how the actual slot games function. For example, do you know what the payline, paytable, reels, and symbols are? If not, you have to take the time to master these items because they tell you how much you have won or what the possible prizes might be.

An Exciting World of Reels and Symbols

For example, if you look at a slots game you would notice immediately that the screen has a grid-like appearance, but the size of the grid can vary from one machine to another. For instance, one machine may look like it has only three rows and three columns while the next one may seem to have five rows and five columns.

The columns are going to be called the “reels” and they contain all of the symbols that will create the combinations you need to win a prize. The rows tend to be divided by the paylines. This is the line on the screen where the symbols must stop in order to let you take the prize.

Those symbols are important, too. If you look at the many kinds of online slots games, you would notice right away that they are full of wild and colorful graphics. Many of the games also have story lines somehow related to the graphics used on the reels and the “paytable”.

What is a Paytable?

You can see how the symbols function, in terms of combinations, by taking a good look at the paytable. This shows you how many of each symbol you need to win the prize listed. For instance, the paytable may show a row of three sevens and then the number of “coins” that you would receive in payment if that is what you were lucky enough to spin.