Slot Machines – How the Odds Work

A slot is a narrow opening, esp. one used for receiving something, as a coin or a letter. Also called a slit, hole, or gap. In computers, an ISA (Industry Standard Architecture), PCI (peripheral component interconnect), or AGP (accelerated graphics port) slot, or a memory (RAM) slot on a motherboard.

While slot machines look like old mechanical models with rotating reels and pictures on them, the truth is that modern machines work entirely differently. In fact, the physical spinning of the reels is largely for show – the outcome of each spin is determined by the computer inside the machine, not by where the symbols land on the reels. This is why it’s important to know how the odds work before you play a slot machine – whether online or in a brick-and-mortar casino. You can find this information in the pay table on the machine and through a ‘help’ or ‘i’ button on the touch screens, or by asking a slot attendant. It’s especially important to understand how these odds work because some popular strategies (like moving on to a different machine after a certain amount of time, or after getting some big payouts) are actually based on false assumptions about how the game works. This can cost you money!