Pokies

How much do you know about online pokies? There are thousands of games to choose from, so it's obvious that they won't all be identical to one another. While we cannot introduce you to all the permutations of features in one article, we are going to take you around some of the major features you can expect to see.

How many reels?

Most pokies fall into one of two categories - the three-reel pokies and the five-reel pokies. However, we have seen a few four-reel ones and there are several six-reel games out there now as well. The six-reel pokie has gotten more popular recently, so maybe we'll see more of those coming soon.

Paylines, way wins, and cluster pays

These are the three most common ways you can form winning combinations when you play pokies. The cluster pays format has only been around for a few years, but all the cluster pays pokies require more reels and symbols to make them work. You'll see at least a 5 x 5 grid in these games.

Meanwhile, the smallest payline game is the 3 x 1 format. A five-reel slot should usually have a 5 x 3 format, while the way wins simply mean you'll have all possible ways to win given the size of the grid in play.

Progressive jackpot pokies

A progressive jackpot is a prize pot that starts off small and gets larger with each bet placed. When players make real bets on these games, only a tiny amount from each bet goes into the jackpot.

Most pokies use different methods to unlock a progressive jackpot. It could be something as simple as a specific order of icons appearing on the reels. If this appears in a real spin, the jackpot drops. Alternatively, you may need to go through to a jackpot game. This is more common in pokies where you have more than one jackpot to try for. Depending on the outcome of the special round, you may walk away with one of four progressives, for example.

Pokie themes

A theme can be something as simple as a series of fruit appearing over three reels - the proverbial fruit machine or one-armed bandit. At the opposite end of the scale, there could be a complex theme based around ancient Egypt, the Mayan civilization, secret agents, food, candy, space travel… you name it, we think there has been a pokie game based around that theme!

Presentation

From basic graphics to 3D effects from providers like Betsoft, the pokie arena is filled with plenty of pokies of all kinds. That's one of the best things about playing them - you can always dig deep and find the ones you most want to play. And since many casinos give you a sneak peek at the pokies before you even sign up, it's worth exploring the many options you'll find at all the Australian online casinos.