Video vs. Reel Slots - Differences in The Game

Video slot machines have been all the rage recently with their highly advanced graphics, right down to 3-D images and exotic images. As slots account for nearly 80 percent of all casino revenues, whether it be online or live, companies have been more than happy to roll out more machines to accommodate the demand. But those old dinosaurs, the reel slot machines, are still out there and although they may not get as much play as they did before, there are reasons they are sticking around.

How Hard Is It?

Video slots may be more visually stimulating, but reels slots are probably just a little bit easier on the player. Especially for a novice. With a reel machine you just pump in your coins, put your finger on the big red button or pull down that lever to put the wheels in motion. That’s really all there is to it. Also, it’s easier for most players to determine if they were victorious as these machines only have three reels and normally only one line that pays out. Now that isn’t always the case, as some do go up to three lines and then throw in some tic-tac-toe dynamics to increase winning combinations, but it’s still fairly easy to discover what’s a winner or loser. Also, more reels slots with five reels and other different formats are being slowing introduced.

Video slots are a little bit tougher. Most of them have five reels and can have extensive paylines. While that is excellent for your pocketbook, it can be quite confusing to figure out what is really going on. If all you really want to do is just play and let the coins fall where they may, this may not be an issue for you.

Preserving Your Coin:

The rule of thumb for most slots players has always been you’ll get the most cash back if you bet as high as you can. If you are playing video slots, this theory can really get you into trouble with your bankroll. With reels it’s normally only two or three pieces to make a maximum wager, but on a video machine with all those reels and paylines you can sink money up to nearly 50 individual lines. That’s some serious coin. So players have to pay much more attention to the amounts of their wagers and what they are receiving in return when using video slot machines.