The Classic Simplicity of Traditional Slots

Playing the slots is a fun pastime for many people. It is a way to gamble at a casino without having to worry about your strategy the way that you have to at the blackjack or poker table. Slot machines can be played by people young and old. You get the thrill of taking a gamble, but you have the ability to bet as little or as much as you want on each round of play.

Today, there are so many different kinds of online slot machines. Most of them are video slot machines which are really just like playing a computer game. While these new slot machines can be very interactive, they are missing the simplicity of traditional slot machines. Fortunately, casino owners recognize that many people like to pull the level and watch the reels turn and so they keep a bank of traditional slots around for gamblers who crave nostalgia.

The Composition of Traditional Slot Machines

Slot machines were first manufactured for gambling purposes in the 1880s. At first some of them have five reels, but eventually a three reel design with five different pictures was settled on as the easiest to monitor and maintain. If you are new to the world of gambling parlance, a reel is the circular piece that spins around inside of a slot machine. Each reel has those iconic pictures of coins and cherries on them.

Traditional slot machines are operated by a large lever, usually found on the right hand side of the machine. When the lever is pulled the coin drops into the machine and the reels start to spin. There is a mechanism in the machine that can read the composition of the reels when they are done spinning. This determines how much money you are paid out if you win. The same mechanism also determines how often each combination comes up. It can be calibrated to give the house a greater or lesser advantage. Most casinos, however, maintain a house advantage in the single digits or they would lose too much custom in the long run.

Some of the Original Slot Machines

The Liberty Bell slot machine is the first slot machine that we would recognize as a traditional slot machine. It had three different reels with five different pictures on it: horseshoes, spades, diamonds, hearts, and the Liberty Bell. This machine paid out in cash and the biggest prize was ten nickels. Because of the simplicity of the game and the symbols it is still the basis for online slots with a nostalgic feel.

Another early slot machine that influenced modern design was made by the Bell-Fruit Gum company. This machine actually paid out in gum and other sweets in order to get around state gambling laws. It had pictures of fruit on it, as well as the “Bar” symbol that was part of the company’s logo. You can still see the same Bell-Fruit cherries and melons on slot machines today.

With their old-timey feel and their simplicity of play, traditional slot machines are here to stay, regardless of what flashy gimmick video slots come up with next.