The Importance of Understanding How Paytables Work

paytables image
Paytable. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Although they sometimes appear confusing, paytables are there to assist you with improving your betting odds against the house.

Let’s face it – people generally avoid paying much attention to slot machine pay tables since these are often very confusing.  However, understanding paytables will significantly boost betting odds, allowing you to bet more effectively on any game.

What Are Paytables?

A traditional slot machine always has a table on its side, while online casino games have pay tables on the screen, either in the form of an icon or a separate window.  For slots, the pay tables show the odds of a particular combination of symbols. Each player needs to understand what the symbols mean for each game so that when the reels on a slot come up in their favour, they will know what they’ve won. Also, pay tables show which symbols are wild and which ones give bonuses.

What is on the Paytables Page?

When you look at the pay tables page, you’ll see every symbol used on that slot machine. You will also be informed how often each symbol appears and what your chances of getting those symbols are while you’re playing. The paytables also show the amount of money you get for each symbol combination, and any bonus symbols are usually displayed here.

You’d also want to check the paytable to see your odds, particularly if you play online. Additionally, many gamblers use online pay tables to compare games. Although this might sound a bit outlandish, you would certainly play a game that has an increased percentage of wins. Over time, that percentage increase could add up to a lot of money for you.

What to Look Out for on a Paytable?

When looking at a paytable, the first things you’ll see are the symbols used. Besides dozens of symbols, there are also symbol combinations that show your chances of winning. There are often hundreds of combinations on a table, with those that appear least frequently always paying out the most.

It’s especially critical to look at online pay tables. Bonus symbols are important since they offer bonus games or spins, leading to extra cash. In fact, most people who play online slots look for games that offer bonus spins. Sometimes, new online casino players can earn some money that existing players can’t.

Know what the bonus, wild, and scatter symbols are in an online game and how to trigger them. Online slot games won’t tell you ahead of time what the bonus and extra symbols are. Therefore, you’ll only find that information on a paytable. If you learn all the additional symbols, you could move to a different game. Or you might win extra money as well. However, you must trigger them to use them.

When You Understand the Paytables

Once you understand a paytable, you can select which game will offer you the best payout. If you don’t like the odds on a specific game’s paytable, you can move to a different game. You can also determine how much money to bet. This is key since each slot has different betting lines that offer multiple chances to bet on each spin. The more lines you bet on, the bigger your chance to win.

Pay tables are the blueprints for slot machines, as well as video poker, video slots, and online games. If you understand a slot’s paytable, you are bound to win more money in the long run. By reading the symbols, numbers, bonuses, and payouts, you will increase your winning chances. Therefore, take time to familiarise yourself with the paytable.  Good luck and break a leg!

Picture of Bojan Lipovic - Digital Project Manager

Bojan Lipovic - Digital Project Manager

Besides polishing his SEO skills, Bojan has a penchant for creative writing. With over half a decade of experience in the online gambling industry under his belt, his written take on the latest news from the Canadian and global gambling industries is an indispensable source of information for the CASINOenquirer team. Bojan’s primary goal is to ensure that players get a superior experience through the top-notch content that he shares.

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