If you are new to gambling, you may not understand some of the myriad rules. There is no doubt that learning the rules slowly would be a good idea. In reality, you really should take the time. Depending on the game, pay tables and gambling go together. Understanding how pay tables work and how to use them is an important part of a person’s gambling strategy.

Pay Tables and Slot Machines?

Invented in the late 19th century in California, people played slot machines as a pastime. They would put in a nickel, and, if they won, they would receive a 20-nickel payout. Casinos in Las Vegas adopted them in the mid-1950s as a way to attract customers who were not professional gamblers. These people didn’t know how to play many games featured in the Vegas casinos, but they could play slot machines. Slot machines have always been simple to operate. If people can pull a lever, or push a button, they can play a slot machine. Slot machines are the most popular casino game. However, in the 1950s, many casinos didn’t believe that.

Pay tables first appeared in the mid-20th century. They were a way to let people know what their odds were on slot machines. In other games at the casinos, the odds were a little easier to understand. However, slot payouts and symbols were more difficult. Pay tables made understanding slot machines a bit easier.

Why Should I Care?

People who want to win on slot machines need to figure out which machine will pay out. They may also need to determine which machine will be the best one for them to bet on. To do that, people need to look at pay tables. Pay tables show players their odds of winning at the slot machine. Slots used to be the only game that had pay tables. Now, however, several online games use pay tables as well. In the past, both slot machines and pay tables were simple. Slot machines had three reels or spinners. The reels randomly stopped on a symbol, and players had to get specific numbers to win. However, slot machines aren’t so simple anymore. In fact, the most difficult slots can have 15 reels with 20 or more symbols on each reel.

Why Do People Fear Pay Tables?

People don’t like to look at pay tables on slot machines because they’re confusing. Not only are they confusing but the games themselves are more complicated. However, if you learn how to read pay tables, it will help your betting odds. Once you learn how to read the pay tables, you will be able to bet on any game effectively.

Pay Tables, Simply Explained

If you look at a traditional slot machine in a casino, you will see a table on its side. Online games, as well as video slots and video poker machines, have pay tables on the screen. Usually, you can find them for online games either as an icon on the screen or as a separate screen.

For slot machines, the pay tables show you the odds of a particular combination of symbols. You need to understand what the reel symbols mean for each game. That way, when the reels on a slot machine come up in your favor, you will know what you have won. Also, pay tables will show you which symbols are wild, or which ones give you bonuses. Many successful slots players know they help them figure out when and how to bet on a particular game. This is true whether the game you are playing is a slots game, video slots or poker, or online slot games.

What’s on the Pay Tables Page

If you look at the pay tables page, you will see each symbol used on the slot machine. You will also see how often they appear and what your chances of seeing those symbols are when you play. The pay tables also show how much money you get for each combination of symbols. If there are bonus or scatter symbols for the game, the machine must display them here as well. You also want to check out the pay table to see your odds, especially if you are playing online. Many people use online pay tables to compare games. This might sound a little crazy. However, if you found a game that increases your chances of winning by 10 percent, why wouldn’t you play it? Over time, that 10 percent increase could mean a lot of money for you.

When You Look at a Pay Table

When you look at a pay table, the first things you will see are the symbols used in the game. There may be dozens of symbols or combinations. The most complicated slot machines, whether they are online or in a traditional casino, may have dozens of symbols. It’s not just the symbols themselves, but the combinations of symbols that show you your chances of winning. There may be hundreds of combinations on a pay table. Make sure you look at all the symbols and combinations. You will find some of the combinations occur more frequently than others. The rarest combinations pay the most.

It’s especially important to look at the pay tables online. There are several reasons for this. Bonus symbols are important because they may offer you bonus games or spins. These bonus games can lead to cash. In fact, many people who are playing online slots look for games that offer bonus spins or bonus games. Sometimes, new players at an online casino have the opportunity to earn cash that “regular” players don’t have.

You should determine what the bonus, scatter, and wild symbols are in an online game. You should also know how to trigger them. This is one way online slot machines are different from the casino games. The online slot games aren’t going to tell you ahead of time what the bonus symbols and extra symbols are. You will only find that information on the pay table. Increasingly, online slots look more like video games. If you learn the extra symbols, you may move to a different game. Or, you may win extra money as well. You have to trigger them in order to use them.

When You Understand the Pay Tables

Once you understand the pay tables, you will be able to select which game will give you the best payout. If you don’t like the odds on a game’s pay table, you can move to a different one. You can also figure out how much money to bet. This is important because each slot machine has different betting lines. These offer you multiple opportunities to bet on each spin. The more lines you bet on, the greater your chances to win. You should also make sure you understand how all the symbols and combinations work.

Pay tables are the roadmaps for slot machines, as well as video slots, video poker, and online games. If you are able to understand a slot’s pay table, you will win more money in the long run.

Think about that for a minute. By reading the symbols, numbers, payouts, and bonuses, you will increase your chances of winning. Therefore, take the time to understand the pay table. You will have a hard time saying it was a bad idea if you win. Good luck, and happy reading.

Disclaimer: All images are copyright to their respective owners and are used by USA Online Casino for informational purposes only.

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Richard Holmes was born in Tampa, Florida and studied computer science at Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola Florida. A devout Baptist, volunteer Sunday School teacher and online gaming fan, Richard works as a part-time systems administrator at Baptist Hospital and part-time professional blogger specializing in statistics, probability and computer science issues. He is an ardent believer in the future of artificial intelligence as a tool for transforming human society for the better, particularly in the area of health care and modern medicine. A chess player, and competitive online gamer Richard actively participates on online gaming tournaments in his free time.