Paytables hide in plain sight. Most players ignore them completely, diving straight into spins without checking what symbols actually pay or how features trigger. This blind approach wastes money on games offering terrible value compared to alternatives sitting right next to them. Paytables reveal everything about how a game pays. Symbol values, bonus mechanics, special feature rules, and theoretical return percentages. Smart comparison takes maybe five minutes but potentially saves hundreds by steering clear of stingy games, favouring better-paying alternatives. Every slot game includes important paytable information, and when users claim free credit rm50, they can experiment with different strategies, learning optimal betting approaches efficiently and safely.
Find paytable access
Every legitimate slot includes paytable information somewhere, though the location varies wildly by developer and game. Look for buttons labelled info, help, paytable, or question mark symbols, typically positioned along screen edges or in game menus. Some games hide paytables behind settings menus requiring extra clicks to reach. Developers should make this information easily accessible, but reality shows inconsistent placement, forcing players to hunt through interfaces. Demo modes let you examine paytables without risking money. Open games in free play, locate the paytable, screenshot or note relevant details, then compare across multiple games before deciding where actually to deposit and play. This research phase costs nothing but time, eliminating terrible value games from consideration before they touch your bankroll. Casinos want you to play immediately without analysis. Resist that pressure.
Compare symbol values
Paytables list what each symbol combination pays relative to your bet. These differences compound across hundreds of spins, affecting long-term results. Focus particularly on high-value symbol payouts since these create important wins, offsetting smaller losses.
Key comparison points include:
- Highest paying symbol combinations and their multiplier values
- Mid-tier symbol payouts determining base game returns
- Lowest symbol values showing how often small wins land
- Wild symbol multiplication effects and substitution rules
- Scatter symbol values and bonus trigger requirements
Games with generous high-end payouts but terrible low-end values create volatile experiences. Games with balanced payouts across all symbol tiers deliver steadier action. Match these characteristics to your preference for big, rare wins versus frequent, smaller hits.
Check RTP percentages
Return to player figures show theoretical long-term payback. A 94% RTP game keeps an extra $2 from that same hundred. This gap seems small in the short term, but compounds massively over extended play. Always pick higher RTP when choosing between otherwise similar games. RTP location varies. Some games display it prominently in paytables. Others bury it deep in help screens. Certain games hide RTP completely, forcing you to research the number externally through game reviews or developer websites. Games concealing RTP raise red flags. Transparency suggests confidence in fair returns. Secrecy suggests something worth hiding. When RTP information proves impossible to find, skip that game.
Bet structure matters too. Games using payline systems allow adjusting lines and bet-per-line separately. Ways-to-win games typically use fixed bet structures. Bet adjustments affect potential winlps comparing value across different mechanical formats. A 20-line match at $0.05 per line equals $1 total bet. A 243-ways game might require $0.50 minimum for all ways active. These structural differences impact how far your bankroll stretches across different games.
