These days, 5-reels appear to be the gold standard for most slots out there. For some reason or the other, both leading developers and complete unknowns tend to design 5 reel slots as a practice.
Such slots usually have more in the way of paylines and are normally packed to the rafters with bonuses. As well, unlike the classic 3-reel slots, 5 reel slots gives more room for developers to experiment and try out a wide array of features and mini-features. Slots with 3 reels, on the other hand, do not have much room for growth and are a little limited in what they can offer today’s players in search of the wildest fun to be had.
5 reel slots overall have the perfect balance of practicality, convenience and both currently available and prospective features.
5 Reel Slots – A History
The classic slots of the period found in physical casinos usually had a trio of mechanical reels. However, slots with five reels are not a new invention.
In fact, the poker machine that was crafted by Sittman and Pott in 1891, which is the foremost ancestor of slots everywhere had five mechanical drums, on which a total of 50 playing card values were displayed. Wins were accomplished when players successfully lined up a predetermined combo of hands.
Prominently featured in the Barney’s Casino, Nevada is a mechanical monster called “Big Irish Luck.” This is nearly bigger than Mount Everest and is loaded to the limit with oranges, bells and four-leaf clovers.
While the first video slots of the 1970’s all had three reels, this was boosted as the microchip evolved and matured, with designers being then able to cram in more and more icons into the reels. Video slots, of course, lack actual mechanical reels, with this feature boosting their ability to handle the increased workload.
When online slots took off in the middle and later part of the 1990’s, these slots were elevated to a gold standard of sorts and are the predominant sort of reels to be found on slots from then till now.
Basic Features Of 5 Reel Slots
Usually, 5 reel slots have from three to four rows of icons, with these forming a 3×5 or 4×5 grid set. With more of these icons come a greater number of paylines, with the usual stretching from 10 to 50.
Some developers endow their slot with a win both ways feature and ways to win that can reach to 1,024 and above. These type of slots can form winning combos even if just a couple of the featured icons are connected.
5 reel slots also have scatters and wilds. The former pays out wins regardless of where exactly on the reels they appear, while the wild icon replaces other icons so as to help wins along. Most of these slots also have nifty extras like stacked icons, the Gamble function and an Autoplay mode.
Bonus Features In 5 Reel Slots
5 reels slots normally have a face-melting array of bonus features, with more varieties being invented daily. These bonuses include the Expanding Wilds feature that stretches across whole reels and boost winning chances, as well as Replicating Wilds that take the place of other icons on the reels.
There’s also the scatter icon, which can trigger an Instant Win bonus, a Free Spins mode and others too lengthy to be enumerated.
5 Reel Slots And Their Benefits
Slots with three reels as usually have limited scope and functionality, and fewer features, bonuses and payouts than their five-reel counterparts. The latter category is much more diverse and has an uncountable array of themes, features and bonuses.
Also, it bears noting that most of the progressive jackpots in existence are awarded on slots with 5 reels. These slots have more than 20 paylines, with the progressive jackpot being awarded once players arraign the jackpot icons on the 20th payline.
Once this is accomplished, a positively gargantuan payout is made. While it might be difficult to trigger progressive jackpots, it is not impossible and such hefty awards found in progressive jackpots are simply not viable on the simple reels that most 3-reel slots come with
While slots with a greater number of reels have an equally greater number of paylines and features, not all slots are the same. Some slots are of low variance, with wins effectively dribbling in. Others though are of high variance and permit big wins now and then. Slots also have different jackpots and RTPs. With that in view, it would be advisable to do some research on the slot you want to spin up a storm with, before actually paying in real money.