Explore slot titles and mechanics
What to know
How to compare this category
Use the game's help panel to confirm how a win is formed, what triggers each feature and whether the selected version has extra rules.
Before you continue
- Check the operator’s current page and terms
- Confirm the information applies to Ireland and your account
- Read the conditions before choosing a route
- Keep gambling within limits you can afford
Paylines and ways to win
A paylines game displays one or more fixed paths across the reels. A ways game normally counts matching symbols on adjacent reels rather than following a drawn path. The title's help panel shows whether lines are fixed, selectable or replaced by ways.
Do not compare a 20-line game with a 3,600-ways title by the raw number alone. The grid and symbol rules determine what the count means.
Tumbles, clusters and collectors
A tumble removes a winning group and lets new symbols fall into the open spaces. A cluster format pays for a group of matching symbols, often without fixed paylines. Collector games use a special symbol to resolve values or prizes shown elsewhere on the reels.
Read the trigger condition as well as the feature effect: a scatter, a matching group and a collector can be separate events in one title.
Hold and Win features
Hold and Win commonly switches to a respin feature with special symbols held in place. The exact starting spin count, reset rule and prize conditions vary by game, so use the title-specific guide rather than assuming one shared rule.
Common questions
Frequently asked
What's the difference between paylines and ways to win?
Paylines use defined paths across reels. Ways systems count matching symbols on adjacent reels, subject to each game's rules.
Can paylines run in more than one direction?
Some titles pay left to right, some can pay both ways, and other formats use clusters. The individual paytable states the valid direction.
What is the difference between ways to win and scatter pays?
Ways usually count matching symbols across adjacent reels. Scatter pays can count matching symbols anywhere on the grid when the game's rules allow it.
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