Ask the Slot Expert: Slot machines don't need no stinking paylines

As I wrote in my column on December 10, 2026, a change in the number of paylines is something to look out for when you change denominations on a slot machine.

I decided that I would bet $1.50 per spin on a Ramosis' Treasures machine. I had multiple ways I could make that bet. I could bet two credits per line at the one-cent denomination, one credit per line at the two-cent denomination, or one credit per line at the five-cent denomination.

How can a one-credit bet per line be $1.50 at both the two-cent and five-cent denominations?

Because there are 75 paylines at two cents and 30 at nickels.

I played all the options and settled on playing nickels after a particularly good session. That was followed by a bad session with infrequent hits. Symbols on consecutive reels that seemed like they were on a payline -- that probably were with 75 paylines -- paid nothing. I decided to drop down to one of the lower denominations to get the extra paylines and, most likely, higher hit frequency.

Even with 75 paylines, I got symbol combinations that looked like they had to be on a payline, but weren't.

The screen is 4 symbols high by 5 reels. Surely, matching symbols in the top left, one position down on reel 2, and back to the top on reel 3 must be on a payline. Apparently not. Slot designers aren't shy about gerrymandering paylines and these symbols are so close to each other, but they're not on a payline.

Seventy-five paylines seems like a lot. But with a 4x5 grid, there are 1,024 (That's a familiar number.) combinations you can make choosing one position on each reel. Suddenly, 75 doesn't seem like that many.

In the reel-spinning days, we had one payline, three paylines and five paylines. Maybe even nine. I don't think slots jumped to double-digit paylines until the Australian slot invasion around 2000.

The Aussies also took paylines to the next level by eliminating them entirely. The only thing that matters is having the symbols somewhere, anywhere, on consecutive reels. Aristocrat calls this Super Reel Power. A non-trademarked name is All Ways.

One advantage to an All Ways slot is that matching symbols on consecutive reels always pay. No more seeing matching symbols on consecutive reels but not getting paid because they're not on a payline.

The biggest advantage, however, is that detailing how you won what you won is much faster. How many times have you waited through an interminably long delay after a spin because the machine is still showing you what you won on each of the paylines you won on. (You can always press a button to end the tedious dsiplay.)

Let's make up an example. Because I've been playing a lot of Egyptian-themed slots recently, say you got a number of pyramid symbols on the screen. Two on the first reel, three on the second, one each on reels 3 and 4, and two on the fifth reel. Five pyramids pay 1,000 credits.

Instead of having to show what you won on each payline, which could be as many as 12 in this example, the machine might say something like "12 ways pay 12000" or "Pays 1000 (x 12 ways)".

If you won on multiple symbols, the display will just cycle through each symbol. That's still usually must faster than cycling through paylines.

I like All Ways machines because they eliminate not-on-a-payline frustration, but paylines versus All-Ways is not a deciding factor in my choosing machines. Game theme and game play are more important than paylines.

For all you classic movie fans, I know that no one in The Treasure of Sierra Madre ever said, "We don't need no stinking badges."

The real lines in the movie: "Badges? We ain't got no badges! We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinking badges!".

Just another movie misquote. What can I say?

Play it again, Sam.

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