A lack of understanding of how slots work gives rise to ridiculous myths. If you know their principles and how they operate, many questions will immediately fall by the wayside. The basis of any slot machine consists of reels and rows, paylines, and RNG. Each has its own task, but coming together they give players a chance to play and win.
Reels
Reels are the vertical sections on the screen (learn in more detail on this page). They are set in motion with the ‘Spin’ button once the bet has been fixed. Along with the spinning of the reels, the symbols placed on them are generated, thus creating a combination. There is a myth that states that the more reels, the better the chances of winning. In fact, this is not the case. Its emergence occurred during the development of the 5-reel model. Such games proved to be more advanced than 3-reel games. They had more bonus features, and the mechanical principle of rotating the reels was replaced by micro-processes. Taken together, this was the reason for this myth.
The number of reels is laid down by the provider in each case. They, unlike paylines, cannot be adjusted to suit your needs. If you play slots exclusively with 5 reels, look for that model. 3 reels, 6 reels and so on slots cannot be made 5 reels. However, technological advances have reached the gambling world as well. More and more often developers are beginning to use algorithms with a variable number of reels. In some situations, reels are added during a game, and the player has a slightly better chance of winning.
The developers continue to use 3 and 5 reel mechanics. Such games form the backbone of the entire existing gaming library.
Rows
Rows in slots are horizontal lines on the screen. They are formed when the reels join together to form a single grid. The first slots had a limited number of rows, just 3. Because of this, they were far too predictable. With the advancement of technology, this situation has changed dramatically. It is no longer easy to tell at a glance how many rows a game will have.
While the standard number of reels in slots is three or five, the number of rows is slightly different. The core is games with three and four rows. The desire to surprise the players, to give them a new experience, to give new impressions led the developers to the fact that the rows have undergone a change. Now no one is surprised by models with one, five or more rows.
There are also a lot of examples where the number of rows is distributed disproportionately. For example, in the Masquerade video slot from Red Tiger, the first reel has 2 rows, the second 3 rows, the third 4 rows, the fourth 3 rows, and the fifth 2 rows. In addition, there are several variations in which the number of rows can theoretically increase to infinity. The conventional wisdom is that the more rows, the more options you have to win. This is simple to explain. The bigger the grid, the more paylines can be placed on it.
Paylines
Paylines are the lines on which you can land winning combinations. Until recently, no slot machine could exist without paylines. In order to win a payline, the symbols had to fall on a line laid out in the algorithm by the provider. In the first slots, this line was horizontal and went through the centre of the screen. Then came the video slots with a larger playing grid. So first there were models with 5-20 lines, and then with more than a hundred.
The payline is a flexible parameter. Some models support the ability to change the number of lines before each spin. In this way, the user can develop personal game strategies. In other variants, the developer fixes a certain number of lines and it cannot be changed. There are now new payout systems that completely eliminate the number of paylines. However, this does not prevent payline games from prevailing on the market. The reason is simple: Innovative payout systems are still difficult for players to navigate, so they continue to play slots with traditional payouts.
RNG
If you dig deep into the history of video slots, it turns out that slots are able to exist without such an important feature as RNG – the random number generator that ensures fairness. The fact is that for many decades slot machines were mechanical and were driven by a lever. While spinning, you could watch the reels physically spin. With the advent of computer technology, slots began to be actively improved. The RNG, which is mandatory in slot machines, appeared.
The RNG is a unique feature that can produce a spin result in a second and it will be completely random. Moreover, the most advanced developers certify their RNG in independent test laboratories. This increases the credibility of their products with partners and users alike. The certification is irrefutable proof that a game uses a reliable generator that is protected against malfunctions and external influences. RNG is not only used in video slots today. It is relevant in keno games, roulette, blackjack, etc. It is this feature that makes all online games safe and fair. It eliminates the possibility of influencing the outcome of the spin, which means that the gameplay will only depend on your luck.
