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Three-reel and five-reel slot games get lumped together under the catch-all title "slot machines." They're also called "reel-spinners" and "video slots," though in the brave new world of online gaming, everything uses video animation.
And whether online or offline, whatever you see on the screen or reels is really a representation of what's going on in the game's random number generator program.
Slots they all may be, but there is a big difference in how three-reel and five-reel games play. With five reels and multiple paylines, programmers have the flexibility to build in many more small winning spins, sometimes with payoffs less than the size of wager.
With a high "hit frequency" --- a great percentage of winning spins --- the games are designed to keep you in action. Three-reel games are different. Hit frequency is much lower, and it's possible to lose much faster. On the other hand, with less payback tied up in small returns, jackpots can be bigger.
If you're a jackpot hunter, then the three-reel games might be what you're looking for.
Let's do a little comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of three-reel and five-reel games:
THREE-SPINNING SLOTS
Strengths: Easy to play --- just click and watch the reels spin. No complex strategies to learn. This isn't blackjack, or even video poker. This is the easiest game at any casino, online or offline. Minimum bets are small --- you can play for one coin of whatever denomination you choose. Potential for large jackpots worth hundreds or even thousands of times the amount wagered. Players love the thrill of chasing a big jackpot for bets of just a few coins.
Weaknesses: Frequency of winning spins is low, roughly 10 percent to 18 percent depending on the game, and that makes long losing streaks inevitable. Play can be quite fast. If you click to spin again as soon as the reels have stopped, you can get in 1,000 spins an hour. Even if you take your time but are reasonably focused, 500 spins an hour is fairly easy. At that speed, you have to watch your bankroll and be sure you're prepared for the amount of play you get.
FIVE-REEL SLOTS
Strengths: Like three-reel slots, easy to play, with no strategies to learn. Small minimum bets, as low as 1 cent if you play one line at a time on a penny slot. Bonus rounds give added entertainment value as you select your Chinese menu (Fortune Cookie), grow your carrots and beets (Cash Crop), answer trivia questions (Ripley's Believe It or Not) or play bonus rounds on any of the dozens of themed games. Games are more interactive than reel slots, as players make decisions in bonus rounds. Bonus rounds also slow down the game a bit, so that players make fewer bets per hour than on reel-spinners. Multiple paylines lead to higher frequency of winning spins, often around 30 to 40 percent, but with some games exceeding 50 percent.
Weaknesses: Paylines that zig and zag across the screen confuse some players. It's more difficult than on reel slots to tell at a glance just what you've won and how you've done it. Average bets often are larger than they seem. You can play a nickel game for one nickel, but most players bet all the paylines. Bet five cents on each of nine paylines, and you're betting 45 cents a spin, nearly as much as betting two quarters at a time on a three-reel game. Bet five coins per line on a nine-line five-cent game, and you're betting $2.25 a spin --- up there in dollar-game territory on a reel-spinner. The high frequency of wins is offset by the fact that many wins bring less return than the amount wagered --- a single winning payline with a four-coin return doesn't offset a nine-coin wager. Though slower than reel-spinners, play is still much faster than table games, with 400 spins an hour being an easy pace.
So which should you play? That's a matter of personal preference. Three-reel players will tell you the real excitement is in going for the jackpots.
Five-reel players will tell you about the fun of the second screen bonus rounds, or the free spins or scatter pays. You pay your money and you take your choice.
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