Playing pokies is fun and exciting and can be extremely profitable. There are thousands of different variants in circulation and each casino has put together its own range. So you can find these games in all shapes and sizes in an online casino. For example, there are the more simple pokies games that can also be found at the chip shop on the corner, as well as very complex video pokies with 50 winning lines that pay out mega jackpots of over a million dollars.
The Operation of a Pokie
Most people will – at least – have seen a pokie machine. Either in a bar or land casino, or online. In addition, there are plenty of people who play pokies or video pokies occasionally or even regularly. But then there are also people who have never gambled on a pokie machine before. Whatever group you belong to, the question ‘How does a pokie machine actually work?’ remains interesting.
In short: A pokie is a device with various roles that rotate separately from each other. On these reels there are symbols that can form combinations that may or may not result in winnings.
Random Number Generator
Video slots or pokies are games of chance and therefore you cannot influence the outcome yourself. So whether you win or lose depends on the so-called Random Number Generator (RNG). This means that the symbols in the game pass completely randomly. As already mentioned, these symbols in certain combinations ensure that you win. Some combinations yield more than others, and you may also win a (mega) jackpot with the twisted combination.
How often does each Combination Occur?
Because of the RNG that comes with most slots and video slots, random combinations are played. However, all symbols must be spun equally often in the end. Do you have a roll of 10 symbols containing 1 lemon? Then this lemon must be rotated 10% of the number of rounds rotated.
The Numerous Types Of Games
You can play lots of pokies. Both offline and online. You can choose from everything from classic slots to modern video slots. A selection of the possibilities:
- Jackpot pokies
- Classic pokies
- Modern video pokies with popular themes
- Jackpot pokies
These are the pokies that can change your life forever. Enter the world of big money and huge winnings. Several players of jackpot pokies have become millionaires and even today new millionaires are joining the ranks.
The jackpots are progressive. This means that the jackpot increases by a small proportion of the wager as soon as the games are wagered. The more people bet, the bigger the jackpot. Many jackpot games are played in different casinos, which means that more players contribute to the jackpot. That is why these jackpots can amount to millions of dollars. Again, the winner is determined entirely randomly by the well-known RNG: Random Number Generator.
Classic Pokie Machines
The classic pokies (or pokies) that can be found online are very similar to pokies in public places. They are therefore recognisable to people who play on an offline pokie. However, you will notice that offline and online pokies may differ from each other. The ‘feeling’ is of course somewhat different anyway. But that is the case with all casino games that you play offline or online. However, you will soon discover that the creators of the classic pokie online have really tried to create the same feeling as with offline pokies.
Discover Online Pokies
Classic Pokie Example: Supertimer
An example of a real classic is the game Supertimer. This pokie features – you guessed it – fruit symbols – and therefore looks like a real old pokie. The lever on the right-hand side of the machine is still a wink to the palpable pokie. You can read about what makes the game so unique in Supertimer’s extensive game review.
Modern Video Pokies: With Popular Themes
In addition to classic pokies and jackpot pokies, there are also modern video pokies. These games tie in with popular themes, such as those of computer games or films. The video pokies have extensive animations and many interesting functions. This makes playing them even more fun.
Discover fun Video Pokies
Slots or video pokies, is there a difference? Probably you’ve already learned from the above pieces that there is a difference between (classic) pokies and (modern) video pokies. In a nutshell, the difference between the two is that video pokies is a more modern variant. Slots are generally easier to play and have fewer buttons or special functions. Video pokies often have the added feature that there are so-called wilds (or jokers) present and that you can end up in bonus games. As far as prices are concerned, these can be quite high in both pokies and video pokies.
History of Pokies
It is not entirely clear when pokies were first discovered. Nevertheless, a story is known about a poker machine from New York, which was invented in 1891 by one Sittman and Pitt. This machine showed combinations of five cards in a row. Visitors who played on it (and won) were paid in beer. Why in beer? Because gambling was forbidden in America at the time. That’s how it went throughout history: one moment pokies were banned, the next moment they were welcomed.
The first real pokie we know of was called Liberty Bell. This game looks a lot like the offline and online pokies that you can still play today.
The Older Pokies
Speaking of the oldest pokie, do you remember those pokies that had coins in them? The sound of sounding coins when there was a jackpot, that story? In online casinos you can (of course) no longer experience that. And unfortunately, very few land casinos have old-fashioned pokies in their range. Nowadays, most coin pokies have been replaced by machines that work with the so-called TITO system: Ticket-in-Ticket-Out. A growing group of gamblers have found playing with money unhygienic and, of course, casinos listen carefully to their players.
High-tech Pokies
From the old-fashioned and classic games, we are heading into the future with high-tech pokies. For a while, owners of offline pokies were afraid that there was no future in their business.
Fortunately, with the arrival of high-tech pokies, there is hope again. This new generation of pokies is more elaborate, and is in line with popular themes – just like video pokies. Take, for example, The Wizard of Oz pokie. This offline pokie is equipped with a chair with speakers. This makes it feel as if you are in the game. Once you’ve arrived at the bonus round, it’s as if you’re gaming instead of gambling on a pokie.
In addition to The Wizard of Oz, there is also a James Bond pokie. This interactive game also has a bonus round. In this round you will be taken on a high-speed chase: you have to operate buttons to shoot at enemies. This way you can earn bonus points. This high-tech variation on the classic pokie takes the player on an interesting journey with beautiful visual effects and flawless sound.
Finally: Pokie Odds
The chance of winning a jackpot on a pokie is relatively greater than winning a million-dollar lottery. In general, the higher your bet per spin, the bigger your winnings. The payout percentage remains the same. Of course the jackpot can also be won with a low wager. There are plenty of stories about this. The payout percentage of online casinos’ pokies averages around 97% – generally higher than in a land based casino.