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Most modern slot
machines are designed to look and feel like the old mechanical models,
but they work on a complete different principle. The outcome of each
pull is actually controlled by a central computer inside the machine,
not by the motion of the reels.
The computer uses step
motors to turn each reel and stop it at the predetermined point. Step
motors are driven by short digital pulses of electricity controlled by
the computer, rather than the fluctuating electrical current that drives
an ordinary electric motor. These pulses move the motor a set increment,
or step, with great precision.
But even though the
computer tells the reels where to stop, the games are not pre-programmed
to pay out at a certain time. A random number generator at the heart of
the computer ensures that each pull has an equal shot at hitting the
jackpot.
Whenever the slot
machine is turned on, the random number generator is spitting out whole
numbers (typically between 1 and several billion) hundreds of times a
second. The instant you pull the arm back or press the button, the
computer records the next few numbers from the random number generator.
Then it feeds these numbers through a simple program to determine where
the reels should stop.
.
You pull the handle or
press the button, and the computer records the next three numbers from
the random number generator. The first number is used to determine the
position of the first reel, the second number is used for the second
reel and the third number is used for the third reel. For this example,
let's say the first number is 123,456,789.
To determine the
position of the first reel, the computer divides the first random number
by a set value. Typically, slot machines divide by 32, 64,128, 256 or
512. In this example, we'll say the computer divides by 64.
When the computer
divides the random number by the set value, it records the remainder of
the quotient. In our example, it finds that 64 goes into 123,456,789 a
total of 1,929,012 times with a remainder of 21.
Obviously, the
remainder can't be more than 64 or less than 0, so there are only 64
possible end results of this calculation. The 64 possible values act as
stops on a large virtual reel.
Each of the 64 stops
on the virtual reel corresponds to one of the 22 stops on the actual
reel. The computer consults a table that tells it how far to move the
actual reel for a particular value on the virtual reel. Since there are
far more virtual stops than actual stops, some of the actual stops will
be linked to more than one virtual stop.
Computer systems have made slot machines a lot more adaptable, players
can simply press a button to play a game, rather than pull the handle.
For the manufacturers
and slot proprietors, one of the main advantages of the computer system
is that they can easily configure how often the machine pays out (how
loose or tight it is)
.
Gladiators Gold is a three reel, three payline, and
three coin slot machine. The multiple paylines increase
your chances of winning. There are no wild symbols
and the maximum payout is 4,000 coins.
For every coin that you bet, you enable another
payline. You are paid out for winning combinations
on enabled paylines only.
A truck themed 5 reel
spinner. Play up to 9 lines. You can play with coins as small
as 1 cent. Other coin sizes are: $0.05, $0.10, $0.25, $0.50,
$1, $2 and $5. Maximum bet is 9x$5=$45. The Red Truck symbol
is the jackpot symbol in this slots game. Hit 5 Red Trucks on
any active payline and you win 10,000 coins! Winnings pay from
the left and from the right.
The red truck symbol with Wild. written
on it is a wild symbol. It substitutes for any other symbol.
Also, the wild symbol doubles any win in the combination it is
in, but not cumulatively (that is, two wild symbols still
multiply the win by 2 and not by 4). The exhaust pipe with
Scatter. written on it is a scatter symbol. They don’t have
to follow any payline. If you get 2 or more scatter symbols
you win. Five scatter symbols will pay a 100 times your
total. bet.
One of the latest additions
to the Microgaming slotmachines is this 5 reel 15 pay-line
slots game, Real Strike. The theme is deep sea fishing. This
slotmachine has a bonus game (with free spins and mystery
multipliers), a Scatter and a Wild symbol. The coin size
starts at only $0.01 and the maximum is $0.50 (with a maximum
of 10 coins per line and 15 lines that makes a maximum bet of
$75 per spin possible!). All wins pay left to right. The
jackpot is 10,000 times your line-bet when you hit 5 Wild.
symbols on an activated pay-line.
To
qualify for the bonus game you must have five Bonus symbols
displayed in a line, on an enabled payline. In the bonus game
six boats are displayed. Behind each boat is a random number
of free spins or the multiplier amount. You choose a boat and
your free spins or multiplier is displayed. You are guaranteed
a win during any of the free spins. The winnings in the bonus
game are already multiplied by the number of coins you are
betting per payline.
Free Spins: Wall Street Fever also features the Free Spins symbol. When three or more of these symbols appear on the screen during one round, you win Free Spins. The more of these symbols you have on the screen, the more Free Spins you win (according to the paytable). The symbols do not have to follow any payline, nor do they have to be consecutive. It does not even matter, whether the paylines they lie on, are activated or not. They just have to be on the screen.
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