How do Pokies Work

Every gambler has seen a pokie slot machine in a casino, online or in a movie somewhere. This popular form of entertainment brings you a lot of excitement by making the cha-ching sound, which might give you a huge profit if you’re lucky.

Despite the thrill that pokies offer, not everyone has the time or extra cash to play these games. However, many players are still browsing the online pokies as they can play them in the comfort of their homes.

Better yet, the best online pokies in Australia allow players to have fun in demo mode before spending any money. Playing the demo mode is an excellent way to practice the game, and you can learn how pokies work before you invest your money or visit a physical casino.

Basics of Poker Machines

The easiest way for a beginner to understand what pokies offer is to understand the game’s premise. It’s a machine that spins several reels consisting of different symbols, allowing players to wager on the outcome they desire in every spin. For instance, if you want to wager 1 AUD, this amount will be deducted from your bankroll every time you spin unless you’re playing for free.

You might lose several rounds, but eventually, you’ll land the winning combinations. For example, in a 3X5 pokie, you might find symbols like golden bells, cherries, watermelon and number sevens. You might walk away with 2.00 AUD or more if you get three sevens in a row.

Typically, pokies feature different combos with varying prizes and payouts. You’ll notice that the larger the bets you place, the bigger the prize will be.

RTP and Volatility

While the winnings in online pokies are random, some pointers may help you understand the payout frequency if the games are fair. The RTP (Return to Player percentage) plays a key role as it estimates the amount of cash that comes back to you.

When playing pokies with real cash, always aim for games with a 95% RTP or higher. Anything below 95% will mean that you’re more likely to lose than win. On the other hand, volatility represents the risks that the player undertakes when playing online pokies. Low-risk games have low volatility, but you might be inclined to play games with high volatility as they offer large prizes to lucky winners.

How to Play Pokies

Hands-on learning is the best way to familiarize yourself with pokies. To understand the whole process, consider trying free online pokies and follow the instructions listed below. For this pokies playing guide, we’ll consider a simple pokie with a 3×5 setup and a 96% RTP, which is attractive.

– A regular pokie will need you to insert tokens or real cash, but online casinos require you to deposit and select your bet amount unless you’re in demo mode. You can adjust the amount by clicking on the coins tab or manually placing the wager.

– The bet amount, balance and winnings will be shown on your screen and fluctuate as you play.

– The best part about online pokies is that players don’t need to pull the trigger all the time, as you can auto-spin in most modern games. To start playing, click the spinning option and watch the reels.

– Another major advantage of playing online pokies is that you’re free to request payment at any moment you want. You can also easily learn the game details and understand the value of different combinations while playing.