Explanation on Playing Pokies

Online pokies games can be played on pokies in all shapes and sizes. There are classic pokies, 3D pokies with great graphics, or video pokies with the most advanced features. It is up to you to decide what you like to play the most. Due to the immense offer, it is practically impossible to discuss all the different pokie machine features.

What we can do, however, is to list the most common features of pokies games for you. You can then look at what you like about a pokie machine and then look for the right game for you. Or you can use it as a reference when you don’t fully understand a feature. From a technological point of view more and more options are available nowadays, so it is possible that a new feature has not yet been described on this page.

Pokie Machines Features

The most common features of pokies will be briefly discussed.

Columns (reel): The number of columns are the number of reels on which the symbols are displayed. With classic pokies there are sometimes only 3, while with video pokies and 3D pokies up to 6 columns can be played.

(Win)lines: The number of lines you play with on which a series of symbols are valid. Diagonal, horizontal and other lines are possible. Some pokies can be played with up to 30 lines. For your enjoyment it is advisable to always play with the maximum number of lines. Of course you don’t want to see that you missed a line because you didn’t play with all the winlines.

Wild symbol (wild): To be pronounced as ‘wild’ in English. It is a kind of joker that can be mistaken for all symbols and is therefore a very good symbol to find in the first or second column. It also counts when it makes a series of symbols for several lines. Usually the wild symbol does not count for scatter or free spins symbols. Most of today’s video pokies have a wild symbol.

Walking Wild symbol: This symbol has the meaning of a wild symbol, but it’s even better! It runs from right to left through the columns. For example, if you get the running wild symbol in the fourth column, first the winnings from this turn are added up and then the cogs rotate again while the running wild symbol moves 1 place to the left, to the third column. Again it is considered a wild symbol and can therefore help with all possible series of symbols. The running wild symbol keeps moving to the left until it disappears from the picture, only then this turn is over. Should a new running wild symbol appear in the meantime, the above also applies to this symbol. A very nice video pokie machine with this function is Jack and the Beanstalk.

Expanding wild symbol: An expanding wild symbol is extremely lucrative. The expanding wild symbol extends to the symbols around it, all of which now become wild symbols and can take on any shape they want.

Stacked Wild: This wild symbol appears over 3 different vertical symbols as if it were a single symbol. When it is vertically visible to the full 3 boxes, it is called a stacked wild symbol. The function of a stacked game is different, for which role it appears. It can be a bonus game, or a free spins function.

Bonus Symbols

Scatter: The scatter symbol is usually present when freespins are forgiven as well. Usually with 3 scatter symbols freespins are given away. Scatter symbols normally count anywhere on the columns, so they do not need to appear in a series. Thunderstruck 2 also has scatter symbols! Sometimes scatter symbols give you a different kind of bonus than free spins, like the click me game.

Free Fall: Actually the same as a scatter symbol, with the difference that they do have to appear in a series, starting from the first column on the left.

Freespins: Freespins can be given as a bonus on a deposit, or won in the game using scatter symbols or free fall symbols. With a freespin you don’t have to pay anything and the columns rotate one after the other. Usually this happens in a bonus round. Freespins are very lucrative, so try searching for pokies with this option. Freespins often use a multiplier to multiply your winnings. Gonzo’s Quest is one of the most popular pokies games where you can wager freespins.

Click Me: The click me game is a bonus game that is usually activated by 3 scatter symbols. In the bonus game you have to click on cards, open treasure chests or dig up gravestones, for example. Each click can generate extra credits. The game ends when an empty option is clicked. The collected winnings are then added (sometimes with a multiplier) to the points total and you continue with the normal game.

Other Pokies Features

Respin (respins): A respin is 1 free new spider. Meetsal is given to you after a game has fallen (in a special place). The respin therefore often occurs in combination with a sticky game, so that the free spider already has a game on the reels. Respin functions can be very profitable! A very nice pokie machine with this feature is Jack and the Beanstalk, where each game gives one, or even more respins.

Avalanche: This is a form of respin function. When you have a game with this function, the symbols with which you have created a line disappear. This is replaced by new symbols from above, with which you can also create new lines. As soon as lines are no longer possible, the avalanche stops and you can make a new bet.

Multiplier: Often in combination with scatter symbols or an avalanche. As soon as there is a multiplier in the game, your winnings will be multiplied by its value.

(Progressive) Jackpot: Some pokie machines have a jackpot to play for. Such a jackpot can sometimes run up to a few million dollars! Each time someone plays the pokie machine, part of the deposit is set aside for the jackpot. Please note that the pokie machine often has a lower payout rate instead. It varies from pokie machine to pokie machine when you win the jackpot, please refer to the game explanations for that particular game. It is also common practice that you can only win a jackpot if you play with the maximum number of lines. Mega Moolah is a game with a million jackpot!

Demo Version equals Real Money Version

Did you know that by playing pokies for play money you have as much chance of winning as if you were playing for real money? This is because the games (or rather, their Random Number Generator (RNG)) are tested for randomness by independent organisations. All pokie machines and their RNGs in both the real money and demo versions available here on the website are the same. They use the same RNG to ensure the fairness of the pokie machine. Should any imperfections be found in a demo version or a real money version by these independent organisations, then the online casinos will lose their license. Online casinos would be very stupid if they wanted to tinker with this and the casinos listed here are so reliable that they do not. If you can win with play money, then you can win with real money!