Pokies

Pokies are the Australian version of the original American “slot machines” ( just as “Fruit machines” are the British version of slots). Although most popular in Australia, Pokies can be found in land based and online casinos around the world. The word “pokie” is slang for “poker machine”, and the name, thus, serves to indicate that these are essentially gambling machines.

Playing the Pokies

The most common Pokies today are the five reel type. Most Pokies offer 3-20 paylines. The 50 Lions video Pokie was the first video slots game on the market to offer 50 paylines. Payouts are made according to the number of identical symbols on the payline and the value of each symbol. Mostly, a win results in free bonus games, as well as various multipliers, such as “double or nothing”, giving players the chance to double their winnings.

Pokies come in a variety of theme, some more popular than others, but are essentially very similar to regular slots. Some even say that the Australians where the ones to “invent” 5 reel slot machines with multiple paylines. Here are some examples of some of the most popular Pokies:

Queen of the Nile – The number one most popular Pokie. As its name suggests, it has an Egyptian theme. Queen of the Nile comes in 3, 9 and 20 paylines formats and offers a 15 free games bonus.

King Of The Nile – A more recent version of the blockbuster “Queen of the Nile”. This game only comes in the 20 line format. The manufacturer added a twist here, the player has a second chance option at the end of a free spin: play again, take the win or go for a mystery prize.

Indian Dreaming – This popular game can be found in land based casinos all around the globe. It features a native American theme. The sound effects of an Indian dance, a buffalo horn, and Indian drums are part of its attraction. Indian Dreaming offers 243 different ways to win 5, 10 or 20 free bonus games with X3 and X5 multipliers also available.

5 Dragons – 5 Dragons features an Asian theme. There are lot’s of ways to win in this game. having three or more “coin” symbols aligned left to right awards the player a free game bonus, where the player can choose from a wide range of free game options and possible win multipliers.
50 Lions – This game enjoys huge popularity with its wild African Safari theme. 5- Lions is the first ideo slots game on the market to offer 50 payliens. The screen of 50 Lions looks different from the start, as 20 symbols are displayed on the screen instead of the normal 15.

Payout Percentages

Pokies, like any other type of computerized slot machines, are pre set to follow a fixed payout percentage which is achieved (in the long run) through complex mathematical formulas which dictate symbol placing on the reels.

In Australia Pokies are required by law to feature payout percentages of at least 87%. Most machines are preset to 90 – 93%. The fixing of payout percentages is done by the manufacturers; the operators of Pokie machines cannot change these settings. The set percentage refers to the long term performance of the machine. That is, for example, over a long time, a machine set to 95% will payout 95% of the intake.

Absolutely All Chance

A common misconception concerning Pokies is that a player can somehow influence the outcome of a spin of the reels. Some players believe such an influence can be achieved by changing bet levels at just the right time, by touching the machine at opportune moments, by pressing the machine’s buttons at a certain sequence and so on. All such beliefs have no grasp in reality; the outcome of each and every spin of the reels of a Pokie machine is purely random.

Another misconception is that Pokies that have paid out a lot lately are less likely to continue paying out while Pokies which have not paid out in a long time will probably begin doing so at any moment. Again, the truth is that every spin is random.