A position in a group, series or sequence; especially, one in an organization or hierarchy. Also: A position on a football team’s roster, usually the third-string receiver who plays on passing downs and specializes in receiving short passes. A slot receiver is also sometimes called a ‘zoo’ receiver.

A computer-generated random number sequence determines a machine’s results, not the machine’s “memory.” Each possible combination is assigned a number, and when the random-number generator receives a signal (anything from a button being pressed to the handle being pulled), it selects that number. The computer then causes the reels to stop at their respective locations.

When the computer selects a symbol, the pay table displays that symbol’s payout value. In addition, you’ll typically see how many paylines the slot has – which are lines that matching symbols need to land on in order to form a winning combination. In most cases, the more symbols that land on a payline, the higher the payout.

The pay tables of video slots tend to be more complicated than those of traditional machines. This is because most video slots feature representations of five or more reels, and each reel may have multiple stops. In addition to paylines, you’ll also find that many video slots have additional patterns – V’s, upside down V’s, zigs and zags – that can trigger various bonus rounds or ‘scatter pays.’ Some of these bonus features are free, while others require a minimum bet amount to activate.