If you’ve ever played online slot games come across terms like “pay lines” and “wilds.” These are two fundamental concepts that govern game work and determine win or lose. Pay lines are the predetermined patterns on a slot game’s reels that, when matched with specific symbols, result in a winning combination. These lines run horizontally, vertically, diagonally, or in various other patterns, depending on the game’s design.
The number of pay lines in a slot game varies widely, ranging from a single line to hundreds or even thousands of lines. The more pay lines a game offers, the higher the chances of landing a winning combination the higher the cost per spin, as players wager on all available pay lines to be eligible for the maximum payouts. It’s important to note all pay lines active for a spin. In many online slot games, players choose how many pay lines they want to play, to adjust their bet size and potential winnings accordingly. The significance of pay lines lies in there to determine the value of a winning combination. Each pay line has a specific payout structure, outlining the prizes associated with different symbol combinations generally, the rarer and more valuable the symbol combination, the higher the payout.
Wilds and their functions
Wilds are special symbols in online slot games that substitute for other symbols to create winning combinations. They are often represented by a distinctive icon, such as a joker or a wild symbol, and appear on one or more reels.
- Standard wilds– These are the most common types of wilds and substitute for any other symbol except for bonus symbols or scatter symbols.
- Expanding wilds– When these wilds land on the reels, they expand to cover an entire reel or a specific pattern, increasing the chances of forming winning combinations.
- Sticky wilds- These wilds remain “sticky” or locked in their position for a predetermined number of spins, potentially creating multiple winning combinations.
- Multiplier wilds– In addition to substituting for other symbols, these wilds multiply the payout of a winning combination by a specified factor, such as 2x, 3x, or even higher.
- Shifting wilds– These wilds move positions on the reels after each spin, creating new opportunities for winning combinations.
The presence of wilds in online slot games increases a player’s chances of winning, as they act as a versatile tool to complete symbol combinations. However, wilds mustn’t guarantee a win; they simply have the probability of forming winning combinations based on the game’s pay lines and payout structure.
Interplay between pay lines and wilds
Pay lines and wilds work in tandem to determine the outcomes of online slot games. When a winning combination of symbols is an active pay line, the game evaluates the symbols, taking into account any wilds substituted for regular symbols.
For example, let’s say an online slot game has a pay line that pays out for three matching symbols horizontally. If you spin the reels and land two matching symbols and a wild on that pay line, for the missing symbol, complete the winning combination.
