If you are not used to playing at Australian casinos maybe the term “pokies” would be new for you.
Well, pokies are slot machines, as simple as that. The term pokie was adopted in these countries a long time ago and has been in use ever since.
Pokies are one of the most popular forms of gambling in Australia. Pokie machines were first installed as a diversion for casual gamers but the idea proved to be a colossal success.
Pokies on the Rise
If we take a look back, we can see that the technology of pokies machines has drastically changed over the past years.
Nowadays the classical mechanical design has been replaced by computer-controlled machines. Pokies have more complex features and themes, but the game itself has remained the same. You need to line up symbols on a pay line to win.
How to Play Real Aussie Dollar Pokies
Playing casino games to pass some time and win some cash along the way. The games are designed in that way that all your senses will be bombarded with lights, sounds and at the same time bring an adrenaline rush.
There are a couple of things that you should bear in mind before you start playing real money pokies. A good thing you can do is to join some “pokies clubs” your casino has to offer. This way you will receive awards based on how much you play. If you are a member you may receive additional offers online or in the mail.
There are many different types of machines so you can look around and choose the one that suits you the best. The gameplay is basically the same but still, there are machines that are more popular and ones that are not so popular.
They offer different methods to play, you can choose between payout tickets, member card or cash. The payout tickets go in the same slot the cash can be inserted. There are some pokie machines that accept $1 bills, but most of them accept $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.
Cashing Out on Pokies
The thing that nostalgic players miss the most is the fact that new machines do not have the coin tray anymore. The sound of coins cascading down was so rewarding! Do not get us wrong, there are still machines that accept coins but it will take time to find one in a land-based casino.
The pokies machines are grouped by denomination, style and brand name, and before you play we advise you to read the details because some offer better payouts than others. The “Cash Out” button is what you need to press in order to claim your winnings.
What makes pokies different than table games is the fact that you can bet big amounts of money pretty fast. So, before you start playing you need to decide on the amount of money you are prepared to risk.
Some machines allow you to place 50 cents bets and others allow you to bet higher amounts per spin. If you cannot afford to chase some big jackpots, you can still play penny, nickel or quarter slots and have fun.
What Are the Different Pokie Types
All classic pokies have 3 reels, but nowadays the most popular pokies have 5 reels. The number of pay lines in a certain game is one of the most important features ever. We cannot predict the result of the spin, but we always know how the pay lines are positioned, since they are predetermined and static. They always follow the same pattern and they usually start on the leftmost reel and continue along the payline.
The first games featured one single payline that ran across the middle position on all three reels, but now it is so different. We even have pokies games that offer 1024 ways to win, which are not only determined by the paylines but by the way identical symbols land next to each other. We also have pokie games that pay left to right or right to left, and even both.
Additionally, video pokies feature bonus rounds and scatter pays. Scatter symbols trigger scatter pays and they do not need to be on the pay line, they just need to appear on the screen. Special symbols also trigger bonus rounds which are so diverse and anticipated when you play a game. This is where you receive free spins or different mini bonus games and you can drastically increase your bankroll balance.
Pokies and Winning Strategies
As we have mentioned before pokies are the easiest games to play. You have no control over anything. You cannot predict the combinations and the outcome of your spin.
Today’s online pokies are programmed with a random number generator which assigns a number to each possible combination. Once the random number generator receives a signal, it sets a number and the reels will stop on that assigned combination.
For instance, if you play on a given machine, and someone else hits the jackpot just after you left, do not worry. Even if you stayed and played on the same machine with the same amount of money there is a great possibility that you would not have hit the same combination as the winner.
To this day pokie games are so popular to that point they are rivalling table play. They offer fun and along the way you can also get some great payouts. You just need to be careful and always play with the money you can afford to lose since you are entering the game knowing that the odds are against you.
