PRIZES
Most fruit machines have three reels. Each reel has a number of symbols printed on it. Some of the symbols are fruits, (cherries, oranges, lemons), hence the name fruit machine. But BAR and 7 symbols are also popular. A line is drawn through the centre of the symbols on the reels highlighting the Pay Line.
There are lots of different symbol combinations which can result on the pay line. Not all those combinations will win a prize. But those which do are listed on an award chart, together with the value of prize won. Most wins result when three symbols of the same kind are present on the pay line.
The maximum prizes a fruit machine can pay are governed by law. At present the maximum is £15.00 in a over 18's environment or £5.00 if minors are allowed to play (this is usually the case in seaside arcades.)
HOW TO PLAY
The price of a game varies from place to place and is usually down to the
operators and players preference. The cost of game is now typically 30p (the maximum allowed by law) but the £5.00 jackpot machines traditionally have much smaller stakes such as 5p or 10p. The machine will be clearly marked with it's price of play for one game.
Once you have inserted your chosen coin into the slot the number of games (or plays) will usually be shown on a display on the machine. Simply play the game by pressing the illuminated START button at the right hand
side of the machine. This will start the reels spinning which will then
automatically stop in sequence from left to right.
PAYOUTS
If the symbols on the pay line match then you have won. Some times the machine will immediately pay your winnings in coins into the payout tray. However, usually your winnings will be added onto a Bank Display on the machine. The Bank can accumulate your winnings over a number of games. Once you have played all the games you have purchased (play display = 0), you can collect part or the whole of your winnings in the bank by pressing the illuminated COLLECT button on the machine.
HOLD
Sometimes before pressing the start button you will be given the possibility to HOLD if you wish, one or more of the symbols on the Pay Line. This opportunity will be made clear by the three illuminated hold buttons underneath each reel flashing on and off. You can now choose whether to stop any of the reels spinning (HOLD) when the start button is pressed.
Once held, the hold button will stop flashing and stay lit. Sometimes this can give a better chance of winning. For example, holding two plum
symbols on pay line whilst spinning the remaining reel for a third plum. You can choose to remove the hold by pressing the cancel button should you make a mistake or change your mind. (Also see Hidden Feature page 18).
Sometimes the machine will hint the best combinations to hold
by flashing or flickering the buttons of the best reels to hold. This hint does
not guarantee a winning line. Sometimes the machine will help you hold the best combinations by doing it for you. This is known as Autohold.
You can still press the cancel button if you do not like the machine's choice.
On some machines after a win there is the chance to hold the same winning combination on the pay line at the start of the next game. This is known as Hold after Win and can, if you are lucky, lead to a prize being paid several times in quick succession.
GAMBLES
Once a prize has been won some machines give the chance to gamble. For
example, after winning £1 you can choose to collect your winnings or gamble for the chance of doubling to £2 or losing all. (Also see Hi-Lo.) Frequently this gambling uses a lit trail of prizes which lights to show the prize you have won and the prize you could win by a successful gamble.
NUDGES
Most machines have a NUDGE which is offered on some games after the reels have stopped spinning or sometimes as part of another feature. Nudge is very simple and frequently results in you achieving a win.
Nudge allows you to step any one or more of the reels by one or more positions, depending on many nudges are offered (usually 1-5). The machine will tell you that Nudge is available by indicating the number of Nudges on a display, flashing the Nudge button and a distinctive sound. Frequently the hold buttons are also used for Nudge.
FOR EXAMPLE You have two plums on the pay line but the last reel stops with a plum one position above the pay line. If nudges are offered you can simply step the reel one position by pressing the Nudge (or Hold) button under that reel. Now you have turned a losing combination into a 3 plum win.
When you are offered Nudges take a little time to consider if you can use them to achieve a winning combination. Then just use the Nudge buttons to step the reels you wish in turn.
Sometimes with the nudges you have been awarded it is not possible to achieve a winning combination. However, it is often possible to nudge two like symbols onto the pay line. This, of course, will not result in a winning combination but it does give a chance of possible advantage in the next game.
If after nudging two like symbols onto the pay line you are offered the possibility of Hold by the machine, choosing NOT to make use of the hold and just pressing the start button will, on some machines, result in all the reels spinning and stopping on a winning combination. (This is sometimes referred to as the "NUDGE HIDDEN FEATURE" or "NUDGE CHEAT".)
For example, you nudge a plum onto the pay line resulting in two plums and a cherry which is not a winning combination. You insert another coin into the machine and are offered the possibility of Hold by the Hold buttons flashing. You ignore the possibility of holding the two plums and press the start button. The three reels will spin and stop on three plums!
FEATURES
Most fruit machines offer one or more features which make the games much more exciting and amusing to play. Features can be of many kinds. Driving a car, playing Monopoly or joining Popeye in his adventures are just three examples. Features give you a very good chance of winning.
A typical example of feature games would be a number of models based on classic board games. On these machines obtaining three overprinted feature symbols will win access to the feature. For example, the chance to play an exciting snakes and ladders board game. However, squares on this board offer increasingly higher money or mini feature prizes up to the maximum jackpot. Pressing the start button will spin a dice reel to move you up the board.
At each stage you must decide on the prize on offer or spin the dice reel again to progress further. However, there are dangers - land on a snake and you lose! The choice is yours. Features are offered to be won in addition to the normal reel wins. The means of winning a feature will vary on different types of fruit machine but this will be stated on the machine along with the usual prizes. On most machines winning the feature involves
additional or over printed symbols alongside the usual symbols on the reel. In it's simplest form having three of these overprinted symbols
on the pay line will award the feature. On other machines the overprinted symbols are numbers which progressively light a "trail". This "trail" can vary in appearance from ARROWS to a NAME, and can be of variable length.
On some machines there is a chance that your current position on the "trail" is HELD OVER for the next game. When this occurs a "TRAIL HELD" or "FEATURE HELD" caption will light to inform you of this happening.
When the complete "trail" has been lit the FEATURE GAME is awarded.
Of course Hold or Nudge, if offered, can be used to help you win your feature.
HIGH-LOW
High/Low is very popular and included in many recent fruit machine models. It is a form of gamble which requires you to make a decision.
Typically it involves an extra reel on the machine which has numbers I to 12 printed on it. In order to win, you have to decide if the reel, when spun, will stop on a number higher or lower to its present position. For example,
if the reel is showing I I it is much more likely that the next spin will result in a number which is less than I 1. The wise player would therefore predict the next number will be lower. You would simply do this by pressing
the Lo button as opposed to the Hi button. However, you should be aware that the spin of feature reel is not necessarily random.
FEATURE EXCHANGE
On some fruit machines when you have won a prize from the reels in addition to having the option to gamble (as in Hi-Lo above) you can exchange it for a feature. This exchange option is made available
to you by flashing a "Feature Exchange" button. Sometimes the feature exchange will not be offered until you have successfully gambled your winnings several times. Exchanging for a feature may result in you winning a bigger prize.
REPEATS
On most fruit machines some of the features or wins have the chance of being repeated. Typically "repeat yes/no" lamps will flash and you
will be encouraged to press a flashing button. Once pressed the lamps will stop on "yes" and repeat the win or feature, or "no" and give you
a normal game. Repeat winnings give you the opportunity to win relatively
large sums of money over a few games and in a short space of time.
POTS
Some machines have a Cash Pot feature. This is a special prize which is usually won from a combination on the reels but is not fixed in its value.
The value of the Pot to be won is shown on a display and progresses to a higher value the longer the machine is played, until the Pot is won. Once the Pot has reached the maximum prize limit it will not go any higher. Once won the Pot will start again at zero unless the machine has a Reserve Pot.
In this case the Pot will reset to the reserve value and the reserve will restart at zero.
HIDDEN FEATURES
Some machines have a few Hidden Features which are only found by those who play the machine frequently and can offer some advantages.(Sometimes Hidden Features are referred to as cheats.)
These Hidden Features usually take the form of the player ignoring situations offered or taking decisions which are not obviously advantages. For example sometimes Hold might be available but the buttons do not flash.
It is suggested that you should press the hold buttons whenever hold would be an advantage (after a win!) but not apparently offered. (The "NUDGE HIDDEN FEATURE" explained under the NUDGE section is another typical example.)
Don't worry if you fail to pick this up straightaway. You will find them with
experience.
PAYOUT PERCENTAGE
Payout percentage is the proportion of money paid out to money played in. This varies from machine to machine and site to site. Typically it is 80%
but will never be less than 72% on average and may be as high as 96%.
80% payout means that on average for every £1 inserted 80p will be paid out.
