Slots are among the most popular games of chance in history, and that popularity has a lot to do with the simplicity of the game. In online slots you simply have to click the button that spins the reels (the equivalent of the joystick on land-based machines) and wait for a winning combination.
But does the game come down to that? The answer is no.
Although the result is random, knowing about the paylines helps to maximize winnings. And that is exactly what we are going to talk about in this article.
Understand pay lines
Paylines (also called paylines) are the lines that cross horizontally, vertically, and diagonally across the reels of online slot machines. A combination of elements in one of these directions can bring a lot of prizes and profits to the bettor.
There are slot games where the paylines are fixed, which means you can’t choose to bet on one or all of them. In this case, they will all be active and the amount corresponding to your bet will be divided by the number of possible winning lines.
Other games offer variable lines, and it is in them where you can choose how many of them you want to activate, that is, bet. But for this, it is necessary to understand the advantages and disadvantages of this choice.
Slots with lines on or off: advantages and disadvantages
The choice between activating all lines or just some should be based on your gaming profile. Most online slots offer 10, 20, 25 or 50 pay lines. Some are more generous, offering 243 possible paylines. Other slots that can be found on the Bodog site offer an incredible 1024 paylines, which means 1024 chances to win.
Please note that activating all or most of the paylines on a slot will increase your chances of winning.
For those who prefer to wager smaller amounts, slots with fewer paylines or fixed paylines are the best options, as this style of player plays well with high volatility games, which are those where the chances of winning are higher, even if the prize amounts are smaller.
Players with higher available amounts benefit from variable payline slots as they can bet more frequently and be favored with lower volatility, which pays out less frequently, but with higher values.
In conclusion…
Think about your gaming profile and assess what kind of slots can benefit you the most. If you’re willing to risk higher amounts, playing online slots with variable lines and activating most (or all!) of them will allow you to get the most out of every spin.
If you go for the smaller amounts, look for games with fixed lines or fewer variable lines, and focus on smaller, recurring rewards. And don’t forget to always check the volatility and RTP of slots!