How many paylines?

I heard somewhere that simple slot machines with only one payline pay out better than those machines with 15 lines, for example. Is that true? Are there any good reasons to play machines with just one line?

Thanks

Getting ready for my 2nd trip to Vegas!

I don't know about the pay better theory, but there is a good psychological reason to play the one line machines:

On a multi-line machine, you can 'win' on one or more lines, and still lose for that spin. You get the 'rush' of a win, while losing money. How much fun is that?

People that have figured that part out may say/think/feel that the single line machine pays better simply because when it does pay, you really did win on that spin.

On the flip side, a 'near miss' has a similar positive effect on the mind, and it's easier to design and program a single line machine to produce a lot of near misses than it is on a multi-line machine.

Quote: Pebbles23

Getting ready for my 2nd trip to Vegas!

Have fun!

If you haven't already, try the Wizard's other site, Wizard of Odds, and see what he says about slots. The link is at the bottom of all forum pages.

While you're there try the free online games. You may find you like a table game or two.

On paying better: I'd say for the most part no. I would -imagine- that they set all of the slot machines differently to begin with but there wouldn't be a significant difference between the single liners and the multiliners. Personally, I hate multiliners and stick strictly to WoF's when I'm in Vegas. If you have more fun / feel better playing multi-liners then do so.

Fair Warning: What I said comes with no research - just what I have felt from what people who frequent this website and my own research.

The odds are the same in single-line and multi-line, given the same pay table. However, the pay tables, in general, tend to slightly stingier on multi-lines games. Still, the key is to look at the pay tables, not the number of pay lines.

Thanks for the fast responses!

DJTeddyBear, I know what you mean. Sometimes I feel like I'm winning but my credits are still slowly going down!

Nareed, Thank you :) I actually found this site by first looking around the Wizard of Odds site. Glad to know that a lot of the myths I thought were true (like slot placement in the casino) are false. And I've also gotten a little addicted to video poker in the last few hours - I am trying to play using jacks or better intermediate strategy found on the site! :)

Wizard, thanks for the info. I am trying to learn about pay tables on your other site but not really sure where to look. I know what a pay table is, but I don't really see how looking at them would help me decide on which slot to pick. Sorry I'm new to this!

Sorry, I was thinking about video poker. With slot machines it usually doesn't make any difference how many lines you play. With slots it is more important what casino you play in than what machine. I'd recommend my slot machine survey for that casino selection.

Quote: Pebbles23

Nareed, Thank you :) I actually found this site by first looking around the Wizard of Odds site. Glad to know that a lot of the myths I thought were true (like slot placement in the casino) are false. And I've also gotten a little addicted to video poker in the last few hours - I am trying to play using jacks or better intermediate strategy found on the site! :)

You're welcome. I also found this site through the Wizard of Odds site. I've been browsing the latter since May of last year.

I think VP is a better game than any kind of slots, and you can tell a lot from the pay table. I prefer deuces wild to jacks, but both are good. I play multiple hands often, mostly ten (for real money). In multi-hand VP you also win something almost every time, but usually not enough to cover your bet. Still, with good strategy and a decent pay table you can make your money last a long time, and score a few wins from time to time.

There are mainly two paylines in slot machines- single line and multi line. Single line is a traditional type of slot machine. With these machines, there is a single payline and the player wins when they match various symbols on that line according to the payout schedule. In this, players can usually bet between one and three coins per spin of the reels. With single line machines, jackpots occur when you successfully get the maximum jackpot symbols on each of the 3 reels across the pay line.

While playing multiple lines on a slot machine will increase volatility, there is an advantage. In video slots with a bonus of some type, any free games won will be played at the same number of paylines on the initiating spin, making the bonus that much more lucrative. Also, some bonuses pay based on the total bet, so the more lines played, the bigger the bonus wins.

Quote: Pebbles23

I heard somewhere that simple slot machines with only one payline pay out better than those machines with 15 lines, for example. Is that true? Are there any good reasons to play machines with just one line?

Sometimes, though it's impossible to tell just based on looking at the machine(s). Statewide statistics in Nevada do show that penny machines, even those that take 200 pennies, have a higher hold than quarter machines. On the other hand, multi-denom machines (which many video slots are) show a lower average hold. Again, it's impossible to tell without looking at the par sheets and the slot floor game map.

The real reason to play a single-line game is if you like it. With mechanical single-line games, you get an immediately-comprehensible pay structure and what I call in-game suspense: the game plays out slowly enough for you to see it happen. Video games, on the other hand, offer bonus rounds and lots of other entertaining features that aren't often possible with a mechanical reel set. At the same time, most video slot players can't comprehend whether they won or lost until the very end, and even then they're just looking at the credit meter instead of the payline highlighting. So it's really up to what you prefer the most.

I prefer multi-lines, by far. 3-reel single or 3/5 lines are simply interminably boring to me. I play slots rarely, for strictly entertainment (heh), and usually regret it. When I do play, I want the full sensory entertainment experience, or else it is not worth the high house edge that I am giving up. So I'll gravitate to a Wizard of Oz, Jaws-type game, or, dare I say it, Sex and The City. I do make an exception for three-reel games with a third reel bonus symbol, like Wheel of Fortune. I was also really into the old Slingo 3-reeler, which I thought offered a decent payback. By otherwise, I try to stay away from slots, even though they are the funnest game in the casino IMO.

I agree teddys. I want a game to entertain me when I choose to play slots. Plus the 'chance' for a big bonus win is nice. I don't know of any table games (side bets not included) where I can win a couple hundred bucks or more on a 50 cent bet.