Best Online Pokies 2022

A pokie is a gambling game that plays with a set of reels covered in different symbols. Players have to spin the game in each round, which stops after a few seconds. The revealed icons determine whether a win is awarded or not. Each slot differs from the next one, but some features are standard in nearly all of them, including;

• Reels

Pokie reels are columns that make up the grid. Most slots feature a standard layout of five reels over three rows; they can be lower or higher. The reel designs vary depending on the theme. These columns display a new set of icons with each spin.

• Symbols

Slots feature images that cover the playtable tiles randomly after each round called symbols. They are usually inspired by the pokie theme and valued differently.

• Paylines

Online pokies have patterns running across the grid horizontally that trigger payouts when the correct characters land on them. These lines can be fixed in place or open to adjustment. The higher the bet lines, the bigger the stake, and the better the chances of landing payouts. Modern slots feature up to 100 paylines while others spot as little as one.

• Win ways

Some pokies trade paylines for win ways that grant payouts for similar icons adjacent to each other without depending on fixed patterns. The wins count as long as the correct number of characters are adjacent from left to right. Win ways can be as low as 243 or higher than 200,000, as seen with the Megaways and Megaquads mechanics.

• Bet

Each slot round requires a stake to run. The supported values vary depending on the game. The stake determines the value of triggered payouts – the higher the amount, the bigger the wins. Betting funds must be deposited into online casinos featuring the pokies to be used as bets.

How to Choose Best Online pokies

• You test the pokies to know if they’re worth your money as you don’t put money in casino pokies, not to mention the fun.
• Learn about bonuses.
• You get an idea of the volatile nature of the pokies, RTP.

Online Pokies are easy, luck-dependent and need no well-designed strategy and hence they have the maximum popularity among casino games. The rules are easy to follow. People search jackpots and spin reels at once. Since players have both free and real versions at hand, they can use the demo versions to know the tricks and design their strategies with real money.

In order to opt for this, check this out:

• You gain experience to become familiar with the set-up as the game structure of a casino pokie is almost like a real money pokie. As beginners you should first get the thrill of it, take it slow and only then put in real money.

• Online pokies rid you of the headache to lose money when you’re just starting!

Downloading a pokie enables you to get a sum of money for the exploration of the game. As and when you win money, it gets added on. And, in case you have none in your account – you’ll have bonuses, tasks, etc to regain the money.

• All strategies of online pokies work for the real ones. So, you can not just make them but also you can play pokies even if you’re already engaged with real ones. This helps even the experienced players to work on new strategies leading to prosperous games. Low and high volatile games, low risks, maximum betting can easily be contrasted and thereby chosen. Such moves might be risky with monetary involvement but et voila, here there’s no such anxiety!

Slot machines have random results unpredictable by neither players nor casinos. The first slot creators achieved randomness by fitting symbols in a revolving drum. Players would pull a lever on the side, spin the machine, and reveal a combination. Today, pokies depend on Random Number Generators for the same purpose.

An RNG, Random Number Generator, is an algorithm that solves complex math formulas to produce random numbers. These numbers tie to the possible combinations that slots can reveal in each round, which are displayed randomly. RNGs also determine the chances of triggering bonus features. The algorithms can use things like internal calendars and clocks to run. They can produce billions of numbers continuously, making it impossible to predict payouts accurately.

Slot RNGs are not entirely random to anyone with the seed number and algorithm. The seed number is the base value the generators need to generate results. The chances of predicting the outcomes of each round accurately go up significantly if it is used alongside the pokie’s algorithm. Seed numbers are not available to casinos or players.

Symbol Winnings

Symbol payouts are a core feature in slot machines and the main source of payouts since their invention. The icons activate winnings when matching ones land on a payline or win way. In most pokies, wins are reserved for two/three or more characters, and they have to start from left to right on adjacent reels. Some slots allow win lines to pay both ways.

Pokie symbols usually vary in payout values. The poker face cards A through 9 are often used as the low-value characters and are the most commonly landed. The slot theme often inspires icons with premium values. The higher their winnings, the rarer they are to land. The awarded payouts are dynamic according to the selected stake

Continue playing purely for excitement till you have designed your game plan and feel safe enough to involve money.

Real Money vs. Free pokies

Real money or real pokies are those involving actual money, free or demo modes are thosewhich don’t involve money.

Free pokies

• You play with credits here, not cash. A tag on the pokie shows so. It’s like real play only with 1 credit being equivalent to 1 pound in real money. Both have similar probabilities but of course, the demo allows it to be bolder.

• It’s like just playing a game, not gambling because you gain points – not money. So, you have a huge winning combination but alas, still no money! And you might lose it in real play.

• It is entertaining and an enjoyable experience.

Real Money pokies

• This is gambling. You bet, lose or win real money, but for that, you’ve to get anaccount, make the minimum deposit and put up your payment details.

• You can cross-check your currency and make a spin to check if the on-site balance goes down.

• This is the default mode because this is what makes online casinos different from computer games – winning money.

As earlier mentioned, pokie machines are random, and winnings are unpredictable. Even so, these games have payout metrics that give hypothetical predictions of how they are likely to pay. Here is a look at three of them:

Return to Player Rate (RTP)

The RTP is the most popularly provided payout metric and is often demanded by licensing bodies. The rate is presented as a percentage of the expected payouts depending on the placed bet. For instance, a pokie with a 96% RTP rate will likely pay about $96 for $100 stakes placed over an extended period. While RTP does not predict the accurate wins in slots, it lets players know the level of risk they are getting into. The higher the RTP rate, the better the chances of landing wins in the long haul.

Slots flood casinos in the thousands to meet the high demand and turn new players into loyal fans. Pokies may have a similar blueprint, but they find other ways to stand in their own right. Numerous elements classify the different types of pokies, and here are some popular ones:

• Classic pokies

Classic slots draw inspiration from traditional games from the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Some of these games feature three reels, while others adopt the modern 5×3 design. The symbols on the reels can be traditional icons like liberty bells, BARs, and horseshoes like in the Liberty Bell machine. The fruit machine era of 1902 – 1908 also inspires one of the most popular classic genres that still thrives to date. Such pokies have characters like cherries, watermelons, plums, oranges, lemons, stars, and sevens.

• 3D pokies

These pokies are developed with imagery that makes them look three-dimensional and life-like. Their designs can be outrageous and outlandish, but they still look like they could leap off the screen. Most modern slots fall in this category.

• Themed pokies

Pokie machines can be classified according to the theme that inspires their visuals and storylines. There is a pokie for almost anything one can think of. The themes determine the icons that land on the reels, the grid design, and the soundtracks used. Some are chaotic and loud, while others are subtle and relaxing. Below are some of the most popular pokie themes and their most associated features:

• Megaways pokies

Big Time Gaming changed the game with the invention of the Megaways engine. Most pokies with this mechanic support up to 117,649 ways to win. Some can be as low as 46,656 or higher than 200,000. Such a high number of win ways is supported by featuring massive grids, usually six reels, and each one displays two to seven or more icons per round. The game studio awards the Megaways license to other developers, and it has been used to recreate popular pokies like Gonzo’s Quest, Piggy Riches, and The Dog House.

• Infinity Reels pokies

Infinity Reels are a ReelPlay innovation that creates unlimited paying opportunities where each combination win activates a new column. These slots often start with a 3-reel paytable, and when a winning combo lands, the columns remain in place as an extra reel runs to the right. If it extends the payout combinations, a new column is added, and so on.

• Progressive pokies

These slots have pooled pots available to win. These payouts can be as little as a few hundred dollars or tens of millions. The chances of landing these jackpots are usually high for small ones and low for large ones.

• Hold and Wins pokies

These pokies can also be called Hyperhold, Link and Win, or Lock it Link Slots. This name comes from a bonus round featuring cash prizes and sometimes jackpots. The Hold and Win bonus plays out similarly in most slots, starting with landing 6+ bonus symbols. All other icons exit the reels, and 3+ respins are awarded. The empty spots spin for a chance to land more bonus icons, and any new one resets the rounds to three. If there are fixed or progressive jackpots, some characters can display their values. Typically, the most massive pot triggers when all tiles are covered in bonus symbols.

• Bonus Buy pokies

Bonus Buy slots serve players not patient enough to wait for features like free spins and bonus games to hit. It allows one to pay for the incentives, and the prize can be as high as 100x the bet. In some cases, punters can increase the wager to drive up the chances of landing bonuses.

• Exclusive pokies

Sometimes, software developers and casinos enter partnerships to create unique games that cannot be found elsewhere. These pokies can be popular sets reskinned with elements of the gambling den, like the logo or colour palette.

The real money deposits meant for online pokie gameplay can be used to claim a myriad of incentives like match promotions, free spins, cashbacks, and VIP rewards. Most of these rewards cater to slot players. The fun credits in free slots cannot be used to claim bonuses, and neither can boons be used in the games.

Progressive Jackpots

Pooled jackpots offer the most massive online casino payouts, some starting as high as at €2 million+ and growing to over €10 million before dropping. The lucrative nature of these packages makes them available in real money slots only. While the progressive pokies often have demo versions, the pooled bonus is locked out. Such pokie machines include;

• Fortunium Gold Mega Moolah
• Queen of Alexandria WowPot
• Immortal Romance Mega Moolah
• Mega Fortune
• Mega Fortune Dreams
• Juicy Joker Mega Moolah
• Book of Atem WowPot

The internet is crawling with hundred of casinos for New Zealand punters to play slots. While such a vast range of options is an advantage, some of the available gambling dens provide subpar services that swindle players of deposits and winnings. Unlike our website, where registration and cash deposits are unnecessary, casinos risk financial and identity theft. Here are some of the qualities to look for in a pokie gambling club to avoid falling victim to rogue sites:

• Operating License – a valid license from a reputable firm means that a casino is vetted for fairness and security before being certified as trustworthy. Some licensing institutions, like the UKGC and MGA, require casinos and game studios to provide live RTPs. The numbers don’t always match, but slight variations are dismissible. However, a significant disparity, say a difference of 10%, is enough to flag down a rogue party.
• Security – since personal data is requested during account creation and money transactions, confirm that the gambling den’s security system is up to the task of safeguarding such data. Top casinos feature 128-bit SSL encryption and higher, KYC verification, and PIN-protected accounts
• Game collection – sift through the listed slot games to see whether they suit your style. Most casinos offer free pokies on their landing page to explore and decide.
• User-friendliness – settle for a casino with an easy-to-navigate design and fast loading speeds.
• Bonuses and promotions – inspect the boons available to new and regular players, the attached terms and conditions, and how much pokies contribute to the playthrough terms (usually 100%).

Playing pokies is entertaining, but it can turn from a fun indulgence into an addiction with repetitive destructive behaviours. Gambling addiction causes mental, physical, and personal distress, making it hard to go for long without playing. The urge to gamble can build up to severe magnitudes, and visiting a casino often seems like the only relief. Other signs of the addiction include;

• Overspending on pokie bets even if you started with a designated amount for the activity
• Lying about the habit’s extent to loved ones
• Continuing to play even after being intentional about quitting
• Having financial woes that result in borrowing or stealing to sustain the habit

Be intentional about your desire to only play pokies for entertainment to avoid falling victim to problem gambling. Suppose you are already dealing with the issue. In that case, you can apply several measures to control it like deleting casino accounts, strengthening your support network, finding new hobbies or reviving old ones, dealing with low moments healthily, and seeking professional help.