Pokies remain the most popular form of gambling in Australia, with around 190,000 machines spread across pubs, clubs and casinos nationwide. Yet many players feed notes into a machine without ever studying the paytable. That’s a costly habit. The paytable tells you exactly what the game pays, how often, and under what conditions. Learning to read it takes five minutes and can meaningfully change how you choose where to play. Read more about this at crypto casinos australia.
What a Paytable Actually Contains
Every pokies machine has a paytable, usually accessible via an on-screen menu button. It displays the symbol combinations, the credits each combination pays, and the relationship between your bet and the payout. On land-based machines in NSW and Victoria, payouts are typically expressed in credits rather than dollars, which lets the same table work at any stake level.
The table is usually divided into two tiers. High-paying symbols , often themed icons , pay more for three, four or five matching symbols. Low-paying symbols, frequently card values like 9, 10, J, Q, K and A, pay less but appear more often.
You’ll also see the return to player (RTP) figure, though not always prominently. Australian machines must display RTP information under state regulations, and most sit between 85% and 92%. That means for every $100 wagered over time, the machine returns $85 to $92 in prizes. The gap is the house edge, and it’s why pokies are a form of entertainment rather than an income strategy.
Paylines, Ways and Bet Structure
Traditional machines use fixed paylines , you might see 20 or 25 lines, each requiring matching symbols in a specific pattern. Modern video pokies often use “ways to win” instead, where any symbol appearing on consecutive reels from left to right counts. A 243-ways game, for instance, pays far more often than a 20-line game, but individual wins tend to be smaller.
Check whether your bet covers all lines. On many machines, reducing lines reduces your chances proportionally. A $1 bet across 25 lines means 4 cents per line; a $1 bet across 5 lines means 20 cents per line. The second configuration pays more per hit but hits far less often.
Reading Volatility and Bonus Features
Volatility, sometimes called variance, describes how a machine distributes its payouts. Low-volatility pokies pay small amounts frequently. High-volatility machines pay rarely but can produce large sums. The paytable hints at this: if the top prize is enormous relative to your bet, you’re likely looking at high volatility.
Bonus features deserve close attention. Free spin rounds, scatter symbols and multipliers are listed in the paytable, along with trigger conditions. Some games require three scatters; others need four. Some free spin rounds come with expanding wilds or retriggering mechanics that dramatically change the maths.
Progressive jackpots appear on some machines, and the paytable will explain how the jackpot triggers and whether a side bet is required. On linked progressives, a small portion of every wager feeds the prize pool , which reduces the base game RTP slightly. That’s not a reason to avoid them, but it’s worth understanding.
Practical Checks Before You Play
- Find the RTP figure and compare it across machines , a 92% game is materially better than an 87% one.
- Note the maximum bet and whether all paylines are covered at that stake.
- Read the bonus trigger conditions so you know what you’re chasing.
- Check the top prize relative to your bet to gauge volatility.
- Confirm whether the machine is state-regulated, which guarantees published payout percentages.
Australian law requires pokies in licensed venues to meet minimum payout standards set by each state. NSW mandates a minimum 85% return for venues with more than one machine, while Victoria sets similar thresholds. These rules exist to protect players, and the paytable is where that information lives.
Spending a few minutes with the paytable before your first spin won’t guarantee a win, but it will help you choose games that suit your budget and playing style. Treat the numbers as information, set a limit, and keep pokies in the entertainment column where they belong.