Slot machines, both classic and modern video versions, are designed around a dazzling array of symbols. For a beginner, these icons can seem like a mystery, but understanding them is the first step to enjoying the PG Slot game and unlocking its full potential.
Every symbol on a slot machine reel has a specific purpose—from simply awarding a standard payout to triggering exciting bonus features. Here is a breakdown of the key symbol types you’ll encounter.
1. Standard Paying Symbols
These arethe most common symbols and form the basis of the game’s regular payouts. To win, you typically need to line up a certain number of matching symbols on an active payline, usually starting from the leftmost reel.
A. Low-Paying Symbols
- What they look like: Often represented by playing card ranks (10, J, Q, K, A) or classic fruit machine icons like Cherries, Lemons, or Plums.
- What they do: They form the most frequent winning combinations but award the lowest payouts.
B. High-Paying/Thematic Symbols
- What they look like: These symbols are unique to the game’s theme. For an Ancient Egypt-themed slot, they might be Pharaohs or Scarab Beetles. For a classic slot, they could be 7s, BARs (single, double, or triple), or Bells.
- What they do: They appear less frequently but award the highest standard payouts when matched.
2. Special Symbols (The Game Changers)
These symbols are key to triggering the most exciting features and biggest wins. They often don’t need to be part of a payline to be effective.
A. Wild Symbols
The Wild symbol is your best friend on the reels—it acts like a joker in a card game.
- What it does: A Wild symbol can substitute for almost any other standard paying symbol (but usually not the Scatter or Bonus symbol) to help complete a winning combination. For example, if you have two matching thematic symbols and a Wild next to them on a payline, the Wild acts as the third symbol to form a three-of-a-kind win.
- Types of Wilds: Modern slots often feature enhanced Wilds:
- Expanding Wilds: Spread to cover an entire reel.
- Sticky Wilds: Lock in place for a set number of spins.
- Stacked Wilds: Appear in groups on a single reel, making it possible to hit wins on multiple paylines at once.
B. Scatter Symbols
Scatters are arguably the most important symbols, as they are your ticket to the game’s bonus features.
- What it does: Unlike most other symbols, Scatters do not need to land on a specific payline to be effective. Simply landing a minimum number of them (often three or more) anywhere on the reels will trigger a feature.
- Common Triggered Features: The most common feature triggered by Scatters is a Free Spins round, which allows you to spin the reels for free, often with added benefits like multipliers.
C. Bonus Symbols
Similar to Scatters, these symbols are dedicated to activating a specific game event, usually a different type of bonus than the one triggered by the Scatter.
- What it does: Landing a specific number of Bonus symbols (sometimes on designated reels) will unlock an interactive Bonus Game—like a “Pick-and-Click” round, a prize wheel, or a mini-game that offers additional credit wins, multipliers, or even a jackpot.
D. Multiplier Symbols
These symbols are straightforward: they boost your wins.
- What it does: A Multiplier symbol, when part of a winning combination, increases the payout by a set amount (e.g., x2, x3, x5). They can appear on their own or be integrated into Wild or Scatter symbols, where they apply a multiplier to the entire bonus round or the wins they help complete.
How to Understand Any Slot Machine
Before playing any new slot machine, the best thing you can do is consult the Paytable. This can usually be found by pressing a small “i” (Information) or “?” button on the game screen. The Paytable is the game’s instruction manual, clearly detailing:
- The value of every standard symbol.
- The function of the Wild, Scatter, and Bonus symbols.
- How to trigger the bonus rounds and what features they include.
- The layout of the paylines.
By learning to recognize these key symbols and how they interact, you’ll move beyond just spinning the reels and gain a better appreciation for the mechanics and excitement of modern slot machine games
