Here are some of the basic terms used when playing slots, be it online or in a casino.
Bonus: A bonus is an award that grants you something extra beyond the bets and odds. Typically this refers to extra coins or maybe even an extra spin.
Coin Size: This refers to the size of the coin the machine will allow you to play. The coin size for a machine that only takes nickels is five cents, for example.
Hit: A hit is the term for when a winning combination of slots comes up in the game. A winning spin is usually announced by bells or whistles.
Max Bet/Min Bet: Every machine has a maximum amount and a minimum amount that you can bet every play. The minimum amount, or min bet, refers to the very least you can bet, while the max bet is the absolute most. The more one bets, the more a player bets, the higher a potential payout will be, meaning that higher bets yield higher rewards.
Pay line: The line on the machine that symbols need to be placed in in order to warrant a payout. These can be horizontal traditionally, but also diagonal on some machines. Many machines can have more than one pay line, thus increasing your odds of winning.
Payout: The amount of money won with a winning spin.
Payout Percentage: The amount the machine pays back to players. If a machine has a ninety five percent payout, than ninety five cents of every dollar eventually is expelled from the machine, with the remaining five cents being retained by the casino or machine owner.
Pay Table: The combination of winning spins, usually in the form of a key or legend on or near the machine.
Progressive Jackpot: A jackpot that accumulates over time as more and more slots are played without a winning jackpot. The longer a machine or set of machines is played without a jackpot, the higher this progressive jackpot becomes.
Random Number Generator: This ensures that every spin of the machine is completely random, meaning that the odds of a winning spin are always the same every time.
Reels and Symbols: Reels are the wheels within the machine that spin to reveal the symbols, or icons that determine wins or losses. Many modern slots don’t use reels, as they have become equipped with digital interfaces. Online slots too don’t have physical reels, but often replicate them with the look of the animated machine.
Take Cycle: A slot machine myth that says a machine will payout after a certain number of pulls or conditions. This is a falsehood, as machine odds are made null by the use of random number generators.
Wild Symbol: A symbol that is equal to any other symbol in the game, meaning that it can be used to complete a winning hand as needed.
Winning Combination: A series of symbols that appear at the end of the spin that results in a win, and thus, a payout.
Zombie: A zombie is the term for a player who sits at the exact same machine for hours consecutively. They just keep mindlessly dropping coins into the machine and never even consider moving to another machine.