This guide provides useful information about pokies machines’ symbols, explaining why they are an integral part of this casino game, whether online or at a land-based venue.
We shall cover these points of interest:
- The importance of symbols in online slots.
- What are the different types of pokies symbols?
- The impact of symbols on the outcome of a game.
- Popular pokie games and their unique symbols.
Table of Contents
A Brief Overview of Pokies
Generally known as a slot machine (American English), a fruit machine (British English) or a poker machine, shortened to pokies (Australian and New Zealand English), all names describe the same gambling machine.
Massively popular worldwide, the first slot machines were known as ‘one-armed bandits’ due to the mechanical lever you pulled to get the reels spinning (and how quickly they could empty players’ pockets).
Today, pokie machines lie at the heart of every land-based venue, and online slots (or pokies) are the real money-makers for the many regulated online casinos available 24/7.
What is The Importance of Symbols in Pokies?
Pokie machine icons or symbols are the key features of land-based slot games or online pokies machines.
The symbols in all pokie machines are what you need to form a winning combination on a payline that will award you with one of the prizes on offer.
In themed pokies machines, the symbols take different forms to match the theme, which creates an immersive and enjoyable gambling experience.
Many top online gambling software providers design cutting-edge symbols to enhance their games, with all pokies machines having different symbols, depending on how many reels are played.
The outcome of online pokie machines is independent of the number of symbols. The outcome is determined by a computer software called an RNG (Random Number Generator*)
*The RNG is the computer software that determines the outcome of all online casino games and is independently audited to ensure that all games give everyone an equal chance of winning.
What Are The Different Types of Pokies Symbols?
As mentioned, symbols take on various forms in each game and are different from one another in certain ways, although most slot machine reel symbols have the following:
- Standard symbols are usually numbered playing cards or fruit symbols found in the retro, first-slot machines. Standard symbols can land anywhere on the reels. Regular symbols must form a paytable combination to offer a prize.
- Bonus symbols are used to trigger a bonus game, like free spins. The bonus symbol must land a specific number of matching symbols to trigger the bonus game. Check the paytable to see how to trigger bonus games.
- Scatter symbols are highly valued as they are among the best-paying symbols and can appear anywhere on the slot machine reel. Most often incorporated in a 5-reel online slot game. Usually, two or three scatter symbols are required to trigger a bonus game.
- The Wild symbol can replace any other symbol to help you create a winning line.
- Stacked Wild symbols can expand and take up a whole reel, meaning that you can spin matching symbols on all reel positions.
- Sticky Wild symbols remain in place on reels for a fixed period. Often sticky symbols are high value and encourage you to create a winning line.
- Multiplier symbols multiply a payout on active paylines that the symbol is on.
The Impact of Symbols on the Outcome of a Game.
Symbols are the visual language of pokies machines, online slots, or fruit machines (depending on what part of the world you are in). The special features make online slots more exciting and significantly boost winning chances.
Bonus symbols are the key component that makeup pokie machines, and you aim to line up winning symbols according to the paytable. The features of online slots, like scatter symbols and wild symbols, lead to bonus games that can boost your prize pot substantially.
The more you play, the more you realise that pokies machine icons evolve. With each new pokies release, there will be something new to look forward to.
Popular Pokie Games And Their Unique Symbols
Most modern online slots are themed, making games more entertaining to play. We will briefly examine some of the more popular pokie machine icons available to see how they vary.
Book Of Dead
Probably the most popular Egyptian-themed online slots this decade, Book Of Dead was developed by Play’n Go in 2014. Book Of Dead has an RTP (Return to Player Percentage) of 96.21%.
With its Indiana Jones-like Character hunting for the ancient Book Of Dead, it’s no wonder it remains as popular as it was when released.
Symbols in the Book Of Dead include;
- Rich Wilde.
- Horus, Anubis and Osiris
- Traditional online slot symbols (10, J, Q, K and Ace).
- Book Of Dead.
Rainbow Riches
One of the most popular Irish-themed online slots in the UK, Rainbow Riches has exciting bonus rounds. Launched in 2009, Rainbow Riches has an RTP (Return to Player Percentage) of 95% and is a medium to high-volatility game.
Symbols in the Rainbow Riches online slots include:
- Traditional online slot symbols (10, J, Q, K and Ace).
- Leprechauns hat.
- Gold Coins.
- Pot of Gold.
Gonzos Quest
With a return to player of 95.97% Gonzos Quest has a Mayan theme developed by NetEnt. Focused on conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro’s adventure navigating through the Amazon jungle, the aim is to join him in his quest to find the lost city of gold.
Symbols in Gonzos Quest include:
- Fire
- Alligator
- Fish
- Bird
- Moon
- Snake
- Heath
- Question mark
The special feature is known as an avalanche. Instead of spinning reels, the pokies machines’ symbols fall into the reels, allowing for multiple payouts,
Conclusion
As you can see above, each type of pokies game has its own particular set of pokie machine icons. Themed in almost every genre, you can imagine the importance of the symbols and the format they take on the reels is intrinsic to the payout the online slots offer.
Therefore, checking out the paytable and paylines to see each symbol’s worth in any game before you start to play is essential.
