Here we are going to take a look at the variety of slot games available around the world and online. The variety of game types is truly astonishing, it seems like a style of game has been created for every facet of American popular culture, but truthfully, the game behind the game is exactly the same more often than not.

The main three categories of slots are:

• flat top slots
• progressive slots
• video slots
  
  

Another classification of these three variations would be ladled into: Multiplier Slots; Bonus Multiplier Slots; Multiple Pay-Line; Buy-A-Pay

The Flat Top (straight slots)

The static jackpot is the main characterization of this type of slots. The payout will remain the same no matter the amount of money that has been played. The only thing that varies in the payout is its amount. Most casinos offer a payout of 10.000 coins.

The Progressives slots

The increasing jackpot is what characterizes this type of slots. The jackpot keeps on growing as more people play stopping only when someone wins it. It can be compared like the lotto jackpot. Read up on PlaySlotsCasino.com's Progressive Slots page for an in-depth look at progressive jackpot slot games.

The Video slots

These types of slots are computerized and offer the players a big amount of choices. Touching one part of the screen can make the reels to spin due to the touch screen which is incorporated. Just with a touch can be also selected the number of pay lines, reels and the coin denomination. Read more on Video Slots.

The number of pay lines, reels and the coin denomination can be customized at the straight and progressive slots. The rules and details of each machine is what sets them apart one from the other.

The Coin Denomination: This is determined by the amount of money you bet. The nickel slots were the initial one but they were replaced with the quarter and dollar slots. The bigger payouts can be won at the higher denomination slots, but that depends on the player's desire to spend the money.

The Number of Coins: This is determined by the number of coins that you bet. Usually a number of 1 to 3 coins can be played at one spin. In order to have a chance at the jackpot it is ideal to use the maximum number of coins especially at the progressive slots. Also the money will be more in case of a win even if it's not the jackpot.

The Number of Pay lines: Up to four pay lines can be found at the usual machines, with a minimum 1 pay line. The number of coins played usually determines the number of pay lines. You can double, even triple the payout in case you have paid for more pay lines and won on more than one. This is the biggest advantage, the increased payout. The disadvantage is the coins required to unlock each pay line. You have the decision to play how you prefer.

The Number of Reels: The spinning wheels where the symbols appear are called reels. You have the winning odds increased if the reels are in a lower number because it is more difficult to line up 4 or 5 winning symbols in different combinations than to line 3 winning symbols.

Let's have a look now at the different characteristic of each slots variation that you should be aware of:

Multiplier Slots Game

This machine alters its payouts by multiplying them by the number of coins you are playing for the spin. If for instance you hit a 10 dollar line playing 1 dollar you would be paid the 10 dollars, but if you were playing two coins you would be paid 20 dollars, and for three coins 30 dollars. Pretty straightforward and logical.

Bonus Multiplier Slots Game

Similar to multiplier slot machine, the bonus multiplier simply adds some extra cash for playing the maximum number of coins. The payout for 1 coin may be 1000 dollars, for 2 coins 2000, but for 3 coins $10,000. You need to assess each machine to see if the bonus is worth playing max coinage every time.

Multiple Pay-Line

You need to be aware of when you're playing on a multiple pay-line machine so you don't accidentally hit a jackpot you won't get paid for. For these slot games there is more than one line upon which a winning combination can hit. Usually there is the standard line in the dead center, and a line above and below it, on which you can also win. The trick is, to activate the extra pay lines you need to play more coins per spin.

Usually on a three-line machine one coin will activate the center pay-line, a second will activate either the top or bottom line, and you must play 3 coins to have the chance of winning on any of the pay lines. This can be a source of frustration when you haven't played the maximum coinage and hit a jackpot sequence on an inactive pay-line, because you don't get paid.

Buy-A-Pay

This type of slots game has confused more people than it has helped, so here's a simple discussion of it. Each successive coin you play per spin activates a new possible pay-out. This means that if you don't play maximum coins on the machine, and you happen to hit a major sequence that would pay out a massive amount of money, you won't receive a thing, because you haven't paid to be eligible for that pay-out.

Seems a bit of a con, but that's why you have to read the machine you're playing. I'm sure it has thrown an unfortunate gamer into a depression or two since this slots game arrived. You need to play maximum coins to activate the largest payoffs, so if you like these machines it's our advice that you only play them when you can play them fully, you don't want to hit a jackpot and not be able to claim it.