Payline (slot definition and examples)
A payline is a line across a slot's reels where matching symbols pay. Why more lines do not mean better odds, with Sun Temple's three lines.
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A payline is a line that crosses the reels of a slot machine. If the symbols along it match in the way the paytable describes, the line pays. A slot may have one payline or several hundred, and a symbol that sits off every active line does nothing.
How paylines work
On a classic three-reel slot the single payline runs across the middle. Video slots have a grid, usually five reels by three rows, and several lines that zig-zag across it. A win normally needs matching symbols on adjacent reels starting at the leftmost reel, though some games pay both directions.
Your total bet is divided across the active lines. If you play 20 lines at 100 coins in total, each line carries 5 coins, and a win on one line is paid on that line's share.
Example: Sun Temple's three lines
Sun Temple has five reels and three rows. It has three paylines, one along each row, and each pays from the left. Your bet covers all three lines. A win needs 3, 4 or 5 matching symbols in a row from the left, and two gems (Turquoise and Carnelian) also pay for a pair. The published prizes are multiples of your bet:
| Symbol | 3 in a row | 4 in a row | 5 in a row |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lapis Gem | 0.5118x | 1.5356x | 5.1186x |
| Ankh | 2.0474x | 6.1424x | 20.4747x |
| Pharaoh Mask | 8.1899x | 30.7121x | 153.5608x |
Because the rows are separate lines, one spin can pay on more than one line at once, and the line wins add up.
More lines does not mean better odds
The payout table is tuned so that the whole game returns its stated RTP, whatever the number of lines. In Sun Temple the lines plus the bonuses together return exactly 97 percent, and the lines provide about 48.6 percent of that. A game with 50 lines can have a lower RTP than one with three. More lines mean more frequent small wins, which can make a spin feel more active while costing the same on average.
Other ways to win
Some slots use ways to win instead of fixed lines: any matching symbols on consecutive reels pay, whatever their row. A five-reel, three-row grid has 243 such ways (3 to the power 5). Paylines and ways are two ways of counting the same thing, which is how many combinations are allowed to pay.
Common misconceptions
- "I can pick the line that will win." Lines are fixed positions, and results are drawn at random.
- "Playing fewer lines increases my chance." Each active line adds winning chances proportionally, and the paytable is built for the full game.
- "A near miss on a line means a hit is close." The result is drawn in advance; the reels only display it.
Coins are virtual and have no cash value. See Wild symbol (slot definition) and Scatter symbol (slot definition) for symbols that interact with lines, and the Odds page for the full table.