Players of online slot games may be interested in knowing about a slot’s paylines because this aspect typically dictates how much they’ll potentially get paid in winnings. Paylines vary in amount from game to game, so it’s worth knowing this important piece of information before you start playing an online slot game. This is just in case you have a preference when it comes to how many paylines you expect to be playing for.

How do paylines work?

Paylines are basically a sequence of symbols in a line that can trigger a win. For instance, if you’re playing a 5×3 reel slot game, such as Rainbow Riches, and a payline is in the middle of the grid, you’ll need to get three relevant symbols in the middle line in order to win money. This particular game features 20 paylines and lets you choose the amount you want to wager per payline, making it totally bespoke.

Paylines never change, although the symbols that land on them will. Online slots will show you the patterns needed to win on paylines before you start playing, so it’s always worth paying attention to the screen beforehand. Some slot machines allow you to choose how many paylines you want to play for before you start playing.

What type of paylines are there?

There are plenty! Having variations allows for more innovation and keeps things interesting for players like yourself to enjoy playing. Knowing your bankroll and how much you’re willing to wager on the slots may impact your strategy, which is an important variable, according to Entrepreneur. Nevertheless, here are some of the most popular types of paylines.

One-direction fixed paylines tend to be the most common and go from left to right. You’d need to match symbols in a payline starting from the leftmost reel to win. There are some fixed paylines that go from right to left, but these aren’t as common. There are also both-ways paylines that award prizes regardless of whether the sequence of symbols lands left or right on a payline.

This type of paylines is the most popular, but there’s not much variety when it comes to gameplay, and the ways to win are limited. If you’re looking for a more varied way to win, then one-direction fixed paylines most probably won’t be for you.

Winning combinations can operate in a different way triggering a “payline” when symbols land next to each other. In this case, symbols don’t land in a line but are more like a cluster. Hence, they are called “cluster lines.” Typically clusters cause a tumble that repeats until there are no more winning combinations. The more clusters, the more possibilities of winning and in different ways, depending on where the symbols land on the reels. 

If you’re looking for a more immersive way to win, then Megaways slots may be the type of slots for you. These have expanding reels in their games, and the more reels mean, the more potential to win. However, they’re not like clusters, as symbols need to land in a specific sequence. There are plenty of ways to win prizes this way in Megaways slots, which, comments MarketingWeek, some people prefer. Some games even have over 200,000 ways to win, depending on how much the reels expand and how many paylines they trigger.

Online slot games can provide a never-ending reel of entertainment thanks to the impressive range of choices they offer. You decide what theme you want to play, how many paylines, and how much to bet per line. It’s no wonder they’ve remained a firm favorite amongst players and a mainstay in online casinos and gaming sites alike.