How online pokies work
Most pokie machines have two basic elements. A base game and a bonus round. Each pokie will have different features, styles and gameplay, but nearly every one has these two elements.
Some older or classic-style pokies, like Netent's Mega Joker, just have the base game, but nearly all modern games have a bonus round. We break them down in more detail below.
Base game
The base game is the start point of any online pokie, where you begin spinning the reels and try to line up winning symbols on the paylines. Each machine has different symbols, symbol values and paylines.
You can find out the exact rules of the game you’re playing by clicking the ‘i’ or ‘paytable’ button, but the aim of the game is to end up with the highest value symbols on the paylines, which will result in a big win.
Most games also have special symbols that add some spice to gameplay and can trigger entry into the bonus round. The most common types of special symbols are "Wilds”, "Multipliers" and "Scatters”.
Wilds
Wilds are a widespread feature in online pokies, and they usually act as a replacement for other symbols on the reels to create winning combinations. For example, if you needed three cherry symbols over three reels, but you span two cherry symbols and a wild, the wild would substitute for the cherry and create three cherries in a row.
Wilds give you more chances to win but note that they don't substitute for scatters, so they don't increase your chances of reaching a bonus round.
Multipliers
Multipliers often appear alongside other symbols but sometimes have their own symbol and multiply any winning spin. They are added automatically and typically double or triple your winnings, but on big wins, they could go as high as 100 or 1000x.
In Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness, one of my personal favourites, you get a 2x multiplier every time you land a win with the multiplier wild of Rich's face.
Scatters
Scatter symbols are usually the gateway to the bonus round and are highly valuable in online pokies. In most games, you have to land at least three scatters on the reels to get into the bonus, but in some games, scatters have the same function as wilds or multipliers.
Gold Blitz is a favourite amongst the Casino.org team, and three or more scatters in this pokie give you the choice between free spins or Gold Blitz spins where a win is guarenteed every time.
Bonus round
Bonus rounds are typically a set number of free spins with additional features that give you a great chance to increase winnings. As the spins are “free”, any winnings you accumulate are added back to your balance as profit at the end of the round.
Each pokie varies, but additional bonus rounds features include stacked wilds that cover entire reels, unlockable reels that extend the size of a reel, and win boosters that apply a multiplier to every win. For example, in Gonzo’s Quest, every win in the bonus round triggers a multiplier that increases progressively up to 15x.
