1. How To Play Free Pokies
Free online pokies have one undeniable advantage over other gambling games. They boast simple and easy-to-understand rules and gameplay. Nonetheless, some novice players may find pokies a bit confusing and overwhelming. If you’re one of them, don’t worry. Read on to find out how to play online pokies Australia.
1.1. Winning Combinations In Online Pokies
Most of the time, winning combinations consist of 2 or 3 identical symbols, or images. However, in some 3-reel pokies online, a lucky combination can only have one symbol (usually it’s the most high-paying and rare image on the reels).
In 99% of slots, winning combinations are paid from left to right. If, for example, identical symbols appeared on reels 2 through 4, they don’t form a winning combination (unless the slot rules say the opposite).
Be careful though. In some Australian online pokies, winning combinations are paid starting from the right reel. Make the habit of reading the slot description before hitting the Spin button.
1.2. Paylines
In free pokies online, winning symbols can form along horizontal, vertical or even diagonal lines. You can find this information in the Payout section.
Most of the time, the player is allowed to select the number of paylines on which winning combinations will be forming. To change the number of paylines, use the +/- buttons. The more paylines you select, the higher are your chances to land a winning combination.
It’s important to understand that if you land a winning combination on an inactive payline, you won’t get a payout for it.
A bet is made on each active payline. If you happen to land several winning combinations on the same payline, only the senior one of them will pay.
1.3. How To Manage A Slot
Thanks to their intuitive interface and control panel, play free pokies is surprisingly easy. There are special buttons for setting the number of active paylines and changing the size of a bet. In some free pokies, the player makes bets in coins.
You can select the coin value based on your personal preferences and bankroll.
Once you’ve placed a bet, you need to start the reels by hitting the Spin button. If you’re a fan of Auto Mode, press the Auto button, which is usually located near the Spin button. To place the largest available bet on all paylines, hit the Max Bet button. Pretty easy, right?
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2. How Free Online Pokies Work
Needless to say that modern free pokies are a big step-up from their predecessors that were equipped with heavy wooden reels and awkward protruding lever. Just imagine: to send the reels spinning, you had to use all your strength to pull the lever! Today, we find it hard to believe!
2.1. What’s Inside Online Pokies
Nowadays, both online and land-based slots are nothing else but computer programs. While land-based slots are small computers put inside a metallic frame, online slots are software programs launched on the user’s computer. As you can see, there is no trace of levers or wooden reels! Nowadays, slots consist of microprocessors, smart algorithms, and random number generators.
In terms of aesthetics, old school slots beat modern pokies big time. Why?
Because pulling the lever, watching the slot spit out banknotes and coins, and hearing the reels spin contributed to the amazing atmosphere of a casino!
Playing old school machines was a truly incredible experience which is now gone.
2.2. RNG Devices In Land-Based Slots
Advanced online pokies Australia are often criticized and called “heartless machines.” Let us question this statement. Inside each slot, there is a device called Random Number Generator (RNG). This device is responsible for creating the combinations of symbols the player sees on the screen. One can say that RNG is the soul of a pokie. RNG is generating random and unique sequences of digits that are then transformed into symbols on your screen.
Since each sequence of digits is completely random, there is no way of predicting which combination is going to come up next.
2.3. Algorithms In Online Slots
Since pokies online don’t have RNG devices, the nickname “heartless machines” fits them much better. While technically you can take a look into an online slot, you won’t see anything worth exploring. An online slot machine is just a piece of software consisting of strings of code.
Over the last 40-50 years, thanks to the ever-evolving technology, Australian online pokies have made a huge step forward. We’re so accustomed to modern slots that we can hardly imagine how slots looked some 20 years ago!
2.4. Timeless Gameplay
But what surprises us most is that modern pokies are played in the same way as they were played decades ago. Over the years, casino software manufacturers have been enhancing their slots with new features, money prizes, symbols, but have left the gameplay almost intact. While free pokies online come packed with more paylines and reels, their essence has remained the same. The simple idea of spinning the reels and landing winning symbols is so mesmerizing and attractive that it has become immune to changes. To play free pokies, you need to make a bet, click the Spin button, and wait for results on the screen. It’s a like a timeless ritual passed from one generation of gamblers to the next!
3. Types Of Free Online Pokies
Take a look at different types of free pokies that you may come across in online casinos:
- classic slots;
- video slots;
- online pokies.
Based on the number of reels, online pokies fall into the following groups:
- three-reel;
- five-reel;
- sever-reel;
- nine-reel.
In addition, pokies can be:
- multiline;
- bonus;
- progressive.
3.1. Classic Slots, Video Slots, And Online Pokies
A few decades ago, all pokies looked very much alike. Old school slots run on mechanic or electromagnetic drives, had three reels and one payline. In the mid-70s, top-tier casinos presented the first slots that had screens instead of the familiar reels. The new machines got the name of video slots as opposed to classic (old school) slots.
3.1.1. Classic Slot Machines
Today, mechanic slots no longer exist. If you’re dying to see old school slots with mechanic reels, you can try a museum! Nonetheless, even today, some players prefer classic slots to modern ones. In some casinos, you can still find pokies that replicate the rudimentary functionality of their predecessors. Classic slots tend to have 3 reels, 1 to 3 paylines, and standard symbols (bells, strawberries, sevens, bars, etc.).
You can still find pokies packed with 5 paylines and risk game. However, it’s very rare. Usually, such extravaganza is not typical of classic slots.
3.1.2. Video Slots And Online Pokies Australia
Video slots and pokies online are the types of slots that gamblers play every day. With a monitor and microprocessor instead of mechanic reels, video slots have evolved into multi-functional machines that offers dozens of games and features. This is one sure way to produce a wow effect on gamblers!
One can also classify slots into land-based videо slots and Australian online pokies in online casinos. However, this classification is purely theoretical because, in fact, both land-based and online slots are very much alike. The only difference is that slots in brick-and-mortar casinos tend to offer other services and entertainments, besides gambling games.
Free pokies online differ by various parameters, including the number of reels, number of paylines, special symbols, regular symbols, etc. Read on to find out more!
3.2. Free Pokies With Different Number Of Reels
Number of reels is one of the main characteristics of free online pokies, whether it’s a land-based video slot, or online pokie. Your winning chances depend on how many reels a machine has.
3.2.1. Three Reels
Three-reel online pokies, aka classic slots, are a rarity nowadays. These machines tend to have 3 to 5 paylines. As for additional features and options, you won’t find any. Despite their rudimentary design and gameplay, classic pokies have a big fan base.
3.2.2. Five Reels
Five-reel online pokies Australia are considered the “golden standard” of the gambling industry. 90% of all modern pokies online fall into this category. The majority of 5-reel machines features an impressive number of paylines (20-30, mostly). Some models come packed with as many as 100 paylines!
Some five-reel Australian online pokies have progressive jackpots. Unlike their regular counterparts, progressive pokies feature extra bonus symbols, super profitable mini games, and free spins.
3.2.3. Seven Reels
Although a new addition to the pokies family, seven-reel free pokies online are less common than their three-reel counterparts. Most of the time, 7-reel slots have a limited number of paylines (up to 10). Since there are as many as 7 reels, rules for determining winning combinations may vary. If you land a winning combination consisting of 7 identical symbols, you can count on a head-spinning payout! Plus, pokies of this type come packed with money-packed bonus symbols.
3.2.4. Nine Reels
Free pokies with nine reels are extremely hard to find. In fact, a 9-reel slot combines three classic 3-reel slots operating independently from each other. The player can choose to activate one, two or three slots. The more slots you activate, the higher your winning chances are. Machines of this type can have multiple paylines, including vertical ones. Also, it’s hard to imagine 9-reeld slots without lucrative bonus symbol and cumulative payouts.
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3.3. Online Pokies With Different Number Of Paylines
Along with reels, paylines are another crucial characteristic that affects your performance and winnings. Before starting the game, you can activate as many paylines as you deem appropriate. To select the number of active paylines, use the Lines button on the control panel of a slot.
3.3.1. No Paylines – No Game
Along with reels, paylines are a fundamental part of a slot. Pioneer slots used to have just one payline. Could gamblers back then imagine that one day winning combinations would be forming across dozens of paylines? We doubt that very much!
3.3.2. How Paylines Affect The Outcome
When placing a bet, the player expects to land a winning combination at least on one active payline.
The common number of paylines in modern free pokies varies from 3 to 25. Some multiline free online pokies come equipped with 50 lines, which is too many if you ask us.
Let us reveal a secret to you. By increasing the number of active paylines, you’re increasing your winning chances. Identical symbols can appear along vertical, horizontal and even zigzag lines. To form a winning combination, you must land at least three identical symbols on the same line. As for the maximum number of symbols in a line, it depends on the number of reels available in a slot.
3.3.3. How To Choose The Right Number Of Paylines
As we’ve already said, to maximize your chances to succeed, you need to activate all available paylines. If you’re using just one line, your winning chances become very slim.
The important thing to understand is that using each payline comes at a fee. If your bet is $1, this means that you wager $1 on each active payline. If you choose to play on 10 active paylines, your total bet increases to $10. So don’t be too hasty to make the maximum bet on all paylines. It might be wiser to reduce your bet or select fewer paylines.
Here is another thing we’d like you to know. Betting on all paylines doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to win more than you’ve spent. For example, you may land several low-paying combinations that won’t cover your bet. When selecting the number of paylines, you need to find a fine balance between your bankroll, your bet, and number of reels in a slot.
4. Jackpots In Online Pokies Australia
Multi-million jackpots made pokies online a casino game No.1 in the world. Before that, blackjack was considered to be the most popular gambling game because it offered bigger payouts. Despite their numerous advantages, Australian online pokies couldn’t compete with blackjack in terms of winnings.
The invention of jackpots turned the tables, making all gamblers pay close attention to online pokies.
4.1. Regular Jackpots
At first, pokies fans had no idea of what a jackpot is. While getting payouts for winning combinations was a common thing, huge money prizes were unheard of.
Then software manufacturers realized that online pokies needed something that would distinguish them from other games. Software companies started to produce slots where one or two winning combinations paid better than others, e.g. came with a х100 or even х1000 multiplier. This is how pokies online with regular jackpots came into existence. The amount of a regular jackpot doesn’t change over time and is known in advance. The majority of modern pokies offer regular jackpots. Most of the time, a jackpot is triggered with a combination consisting of 5 Wild symbols. A regular jackpot comes with a sky-high multiplier that can reach х10000 (and even more). The higher your total bet, the bigger jackpot you can count on.
4.2. Progressive Jackpots
Unlike online pokies, lotteries have been using a progressive system for centuries. However, due to lack of technologies, at first it was impossible to apply that system to slots. With time, casinos started with link pokies into networks. That innovation revolutionized the gambling industry. Now, any Las Vegas casino can incorporate slots into a netwok and attract players with a jaw-dropping progressive jackpot.
How does a progressive jackpot work? If you’re playing a slot which makes a part of the network, a small part of your bet goes to the progressive jackpot pool. Keep in mind that a network may include thousands of slots across different casinos!
As the time goes by, the progressive jackpot is growing. If some pokies player is lucky to land a specific winning combination, they hit the progressive jackpot and become a millionaire over night! The casino usually organizes a small even to celebrate the win and invites the press. After reading articles about the triumphant win, thousands of inspired people decide to test their luck in casino as well!
4.3. How Jackpots Affect Player Behavior
Estimating how a jackpot affects gamblers is a tricky task. While some players become obsessed with the idea of winning a multi-million prize, other say they’re completely indifferent. It’s true because some players like to play free pokies without chasing wins. Still, the majority of gamblers dream of head-spinning money prizes. While you realize that your chances are very slim, you simply can’t resist the temptation! Just imagine: any bet you make is your chance to hit a money prize that can change your entire life!
5. Online Pokies Australia: Tournaments
If you think that free pokies and tournaments don’t go well together, you’re utterly mistaken. Many casinos organize exciting tournaments among free online pokies players. Want to take part in one of them?
5.1. How A Tournament Works
Compared to land-based casinos, organizing an online pokies tournament in an online casino is way easier. Tournaments among online pokies Australia players are held almost daily, which translates into thousands of participants.
During the tournament, all participants are playing the same pokie.
To register for the tournament, you need to submit a request and pay a participation fee (if needed). Fee-based tournaments are more interesting than free ones, simply because they have a juicy prize pool, which is made of participation fees of all players. At the same time, free tournaments tend to attract more participants.
Upon paying a participation fee, you get chips to make bets. Each participant is given an equal number of chips to play free pokies. Sometime, you can play free pokies using extra chips that you’ve purchased yourself. While buying extra chips can boost your winning chances, most players make do with the standard amount of chips.
During the tournament, most players spend all their chips. The tournament can only have one winner- the player who has won the biggest amount of money. Besides the winner, there are also those who came in second, third, etc. The bigger the event, the more places on the podium it has. If, for example, a pokies online tournament had 1000 participants, organizers can reward the best 100 players. However, most of the time, awards are given to the best 3-10 gamblers.
Note that not all casinos hold tournaments among Australian online pokies players. If you’re a big fan of such events, make sure your selected casino has a schedule of slot tournaments on its website. Major gaming websites organize tournaments every day or – at least – once a week.
6. Free Pokies For Mobile
Slot machines are getting more popular with each coming year. One of the reasons is that software manufacturers provide us with new methods to access gambling games. A few years ago, a desktop computer was considered the best device to gamble on. Nowadays, the situation has changed drastically. An increasing number of gamblers switch to mobile casinos and mobile free online pokies.
While online pokies Australia for mobile devices are not exactly an innovation, they have gained the status of a big trend only recently. Not a month passes without a new release of mobile pokies online.
A wide use of smartphones and tablets has changed the world of online gambling. Instead of using a desktop, the new generation of players prefers playing slots on their smartphones. The best thing about mobile gambling is that you can enjoy pokies wherever you are, whether it’s an office, taxi or airport lounge!
6.1. Advantages Of Mobile Free Online Pokies
Stuck in a traffic jam? No worries! Kill some time playing Australian online pokies on your tablet! Tired of waiting in a line? Take your smartphone and make a few bets on mobile free pokies online. We guarantee that gambling makes time fly!
Mobile gambling is both comfortable and easily accessible. Downloading a mobile app will take a few minutes. The choice of free pokies on your mobile device will make your jaw drop!
Software companies are putting much effort into heir free online pokies for mobile devices. Nowadays, every popular slot has its mobile version in the form of an app.
The best part is that most mobile pokies are available absolutely for free. If you feel like playing for real money, you simply need to make a deposit in one click or download the casino app.
With a smartphone, all money-related transactions are made fast and easy. In just a few clicks, you can credit your account or submit a withdrawal request.
7. FAQ On pokies
Are the results of spins in online pokies really random?
In both online and land-based casinos, pokies rely on a random number generator (RNG) to ensure random outcomes. RNG is a computer program that generates an endless streak of random numbers within the specific range. Each of these random numbers is associated with a game symbol. Such random numbers determine the images (characters) that appear on the reels. If you land a winning combination of images, you get paid. Regulatory authorities monitor slots to make sure their RNG works properly. If you choose a reliable online casino, you don’t need to worry about whether or not its slots are fair. There is no point for a respectable casino to mess up with their slots because it could undermine its hard-earned reputation. Plus, casino always has a house edge of 2-3% on their slots, meaning that it makes a good profit anyway.
Is there a strategy for playing online pokies?
Many players tend to think that they can develop a winning strategy for pokies. Is it true? Can you use special skills or training to outsmart a pokie and increase its payback percentage? No, it’s nothing but a myth! To make your gaming experience more enjoyable, profitable, and organized, be sure to stick to money-management rules. They really help!
What is volatility in pokies?
Volatility determines the frequency with which the game pays. Pokies with low volatility will pay more often than those with higher volatility. In fact, low volatility games pay out small amounts on a regular basis, while high volatility games pay bigger amounts but this happens rarely.
Are online pokies rigged?
It depends on the casino. If you choose a slot responsibly and follow our expert recommendations, your risk of coming across a rogue casino is very slim. When choosing a casino, only consider established companies that have licenses and work with reliable software providers. Sadly, there is no lack of fly-by-night gaming websites with rigged slots that cheat inexperienced gamblers and disappear with their money. Always stay on your guard and use our rating of the best online casinos.
How do you win at casino pokies?
When it comes to pokies, winning is a question of luck. There is no magical method or strategy that would generate continuous winnings for you. This much we know for sure: if you want to win, you need to play! We’d like to warn our readers against unlicensed casinos. When playing in a casino with a questionable reputation, you risk never getting your winnings. An easy way to boost your winnings is to stick with trustworthy casinos, read the rules before spinning the reels, choose pokies with high RTP, control your emotions, and manage your bankroll. If you hit a big win, try to withdraw it as fast as possible.
How much can I win in one spin at the casino?
This depends on the pokie you are playing. Check the pay table to see payouts for each winning combination. Remember that pokies with different RTPs can have different payouts. If you're lucky, the size of the payout will make your jaw drop!