All-Ways Slots Dispense With Traditional Win-Lines - Here is how they Work
One of the great aspects of real money online slots is the sheer variety of different options and layouts you’ll find in the games. Some games will have 3 reels, others with 5 reels, while you can also even find slots online with 7! Then you’ll find a huge selection of different bonus features at the games, which might include free spins rounds, second screen games or even the chance to win huge sums with the progressive jackpots on offer. The final key differences between online slots are the ways you’ll win. The majority of games will make use of pay lines or win lines, while a smaller number of games give you the opportunity of winning ‘All Ways’.
In this article I describe exactly how ‘All Ways’ slots work. I start by explaining the difference between these slots and those with win lines, before moving onto the advantages and disadvantages you’ll find at both types of games. I finish by looking at two recommended slots which make use of the ‘All Ways’ win system.
All Ways Slots versus Win Lines Slots
The majority of online slots have win lines (or pay lines). The number of these might be set or the player may have the option to choose exactly how many win lines they’ll have in play. To win at these slots you’ll need to land consecutive symbols on one of these win lines (usually from left to right). As examples, if a player were playing just one win line, it might be that they’ll need to land consecutive symbols across the middle row of the reels, or if playing 10 win lines, these lines might include a mix which incorporates both horizontal and diagonal lines.
An ‘All Ways’ slot doesn’t have any win lines as such. To win at these slots you’ll simply need to land symbols on consecutive reels and you are not limited to win lines. For example, if you were to land the same symbol at the top of reel one, the bottom of reel two and in the middle of reel three, you’ll be guaranteed a payout. ‘All Ways’ slots will usually tell you how many ways you’ll win at the slot, such as ‘720 ways to win’ or ‘243 ways to win’, these numbers being much larger than 25 ways to win you’ll have at a 25 win line slot.
Advantages and Disadvantages of All Ways Slots
The first advantage of an ‘All Ways’ slot is the cost of each spin. Although you will have many more winning opportunities, you won’t actually pay for each of these. For example, a slot with 243 ways to win might cost you a total of 30 credits, which would be the same cost of one spin of a slot where you’re playing 30 win lines.
The second advantage of playing these games is that you’ll know immediately that you have won just by looking at the reels – see the same symbol on all 5 reels and you’ll know you have hit 5 of a kind! The same cannot be said about a slot with 25 win lines, unless you have memorized exactly the pattern of all 25 win lines – there’ll be many occasions when playing these win line games that you’ll be ‘hoping’ that the same 5 symbols are on a win line, without actually knowing. Because of this you’ll have occasions when the same symbol will land on all 5 reels, but receive no pay out whatsoever.
Wild symbols can be much more profitable at an ‘All Ways’ slot. A single wild might enable a great number of win lines to still be in play at these slots, whereas this single wild on a slot with win lines might only help a handful of win lines, if it appears on a win line at all.
The main disadvantage of ‘All Ways’ slot is the payout amounts. With you gaining so many more winning opportunities for each credit, you’ll find that the pay table looks much less inviting usually than those found at win line slots. These can make for lower variance slots, as you’ll win smaller amounts much more often, as opposed to waiting longer for those larger payouts.
Recommended All Ways Slots
Avalon II
Avalon II is an ‘All Ways’ slot with 243 ways to win. This Camelot based game is one of the most engaging and atmospheric slots you’ll find online, with a range of bonus features that are hard to match. Enter the bonus round and you’ll find yourself playing one of eight features as you’ll navigate through the game map, finally ending up at the ‘Isle of Avalon’. Produced by MicroGaming, Avalon II is one of the best ‘All Ways’ slots you’ll find online.
Siberian Storm MegaJackpots
Siberian Storm has a very original ‘All Ways’ system, where the reels are diamond shaped and you’ll win from both left to right and from right to left. This actually gives you 720 ways to win and with an added ‘stacked’ wild, the wins will come thick and fast. With a free spins feature where the number of spins can go through the roof, the game was an immediate success, but the recent addition of the MegaJackpot to the slot, makes this IGT slot popular!
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