Poker gaming machines in Australia and New Zealand are commonly referred to as ‘pokies’ while in other parts these machines can be described as ‘slots’ or ‘fruit machines’. These gadgets are the worldwide favorite among gambling market, and hence, present in Australia which is the country with over 20% of the world’s gaming machines and a lot of dedicated online pokie platforms. This popularity is due to their structured scheme and further refined with vivid graphics, animated characters, sound effects displayed on video screens that are similar to the real coin-operated machines.
The typical style of real money pokies in Australia involves five reels that allow a significant number of pay lines, which frequently have bonus rounds, free games and free spins on top of the regular payouts. On the other hand, both land-based casinos and online gambling websites feature a wide range of one-armed bandits and provide their customers with a staggering variety to play with, yet sometimes it is rather difficult to navigate through this diversity.
To make the entire process of selection easier, we have created a comprehensive manual that highlights key pieces of information about popular kinds of poker machines and essential tips for kick-starting your gaming experience.
Primary Classifications of Pokies
3-Reel Pokies
Being very well-known and called the classic pokies, the 3-reel pokies are usually based on the first mechanical games that appeared more than a hundred years ago. Most 3-reel classic pokies are of two-varieties: land-based or online, and the slot machines often have three reels and a single pay-line that offer from 6 to 12 winning combinations. Some 3 reel games go along this way by creating three or five paylines plus characteristics that one can find in modern video pokies, such as multipliers, bonus levels, and wild symbols. These machines, even though they look like traditional machines with the same vintage respect, are on the other side technologically superior, as they use computerized internals, to grant the players the most interesting gaming experience.
5-Reel Pokies
Frequently referred to as Video Poker Machines, the five reels represent an upgraded contemporary version compared to the 3-reel predecessors. These specific games simply reflect modern slot machines that are equipped with the sounds and animation effects of the best kind with the possibility to multiply winnings and included special features that make the player feel like the real thing. In most cases, 5 reel pokies pay-out chances start from 5 paylines, with the special icons of the game being the only ones determining the winning slots, no matter whether these only appear on one reel. Despite some of the games still going with vertical symbol alignment (left to right) for in-game wins, many of them have advanced to have flexible payment designs.
In the case of Multi-Way pokies games which consist of 5 reels, then there are standard emblem configurations and layouts as well. For instance, these are 3 x 5, 4 x 5 or 5 x 5. These games, then, can have from 9 to 20 pay-lines; however, more recent variants tend to go with the so-called “ways” mode, which can generate 3125 possible winnings. And so, mostly owing to the fact that with the lowest starting bet of $0.01 a 5-reel slots machine will be the right choice not only for high-rollers but also for those players with limited budgets. On the other hand, high betting amounts also increase the probability of hitting major wins that are irresistible for those seeking a big payout.
243 Ways
When it comes to Australia, the 243 ways variant can be mentioned as the top favorite game type among the pokie games. Initially, it was presented through iconic land-based machines by Aristocrat and International Gaming Technology (IGT), e.g. Indian Dreaming, 5 Dragons, Wild Ways. They have been adapted to an online network to facilitate large-scale usage.
The All-In-One payment option for 243-ways system plays only one payment to cover all the winning opportunities. The setup is called “5-reel, 3-position each reel” because this setup has five reels with three positions on each reel, resulting in 243 possible winning combinations. They are referred to as Reel Power by Aristocrat and MultiWay by IGT and branded with these labels to distinguish them within the catalogs of Aristocrat and IGT games.
For first-timers, getting a hang at a 243 ways slot may be initially baffling. Unlike in the line bets the used to be a common practice among players, now it is enough for them to consider all possible variants and to put the bets that encompass all of the results they are interested in, rather than waging on each line individually. To bring to you victory in the 243 ways game, there is not a must for symbol alignments; you need at least three continuous symbols of the same entity in each line while your direction is therefore from left to right.
MegaSpin Pokies
The Mega Spin pokies is in fact a type of slot machines for online gaming where the players immerse themselves in more than one game simultaneously thus adding to the overall winnings. The machine which has a functionality to play anywhere from 3 to 9 MegaSpin pokie games alongside at the same time is probably the most favorite among those who like to multitask while they play.
For every MegaSpin pokies game you play, the games aren’t linked and titles like Double Magic, High 5, Fantastic 7s Pokies, and Major Millions are each individual games. The beginning of the session includes picking a number of games to play after which they are provided with the access to all the machines at once. The homepage boasts a neat interface with a user-oriented design for simplicity in understanding and navigation.
The gamer has the option of playing four, six and nine of the MegaSpin games at the same time. Just like the single-spin pokies with the conventional spin, the user is required to select the coin size and also finally decide the wager amount that they would like to risk in the hope of a large payout.
Normally, the MegaSpin game layout generally is made up of three reels and a horizontal line that is common to all the four, six or nine machines to add to the excitement and simplicity across the gameplay execution.
Progressive Online Pokies
Progressive online slot games are pokies that have progressive jackpots so that gamblers receive large payouts, especially those who gamble huge sums of money. These games, most times, begin with a relatively gigantic jackpot which increases with time until it is won marked by a countdown indicator that displays the current amount.
The online progressive pokies may be of different layouts with 3-reel, 5-reel, and many others being available and may pay out as much as thousands or even millions of dollars. The jackpots in these games are sustained by player contributions: a small share of each bet since in progressive machines a small portion of bet placed contributes to the progressive prize, hence the pot keeps on growing each time a player fails until a lucky player scoops the entire wallet!
Progressive pokie games have two different subcategories that are actuated by unique rules for each.
1. In this type, the players often get the largest possible quantity of coins in a carousel of slots to qualify for the progressive jackpot. The changes in the bet amount amount rule from game to game, but they usually fall within $2 and $4. For example, in Major Millions, the maximum stake reaches $3.000.
2. The second common type of game system is for players that are happy to compete for a progressive jackpot with the option of not depending on the bet size, as shown in the Mega Moolah for example.
Also, the machine limits a player’s chances of winning by calculating the odds depending on the number of coins they put into the machine. It does not matter what type you decide to choose, the technique to earn a progressive jackpot can differ within the different pokies, each of them possessing a unique set of symbols on the reels, which are responsible to generate some special and different winning combinations.
1. Essentially certain slots give progressive jackpots when players spin the game for the permitted symbols and get it on the best pay-line.
2. Some pokies, however, let players win the jackpot upon the appearance and winning of a bonus round followed by a claim of the colossal money prize.
3. In some cases, the jackpot possibility is enabled randomly, for example in Mega Moolah.
