Since the 60s there has been a consistent rise in popularity of 5-line slot machines, which in recent years has also held true for the online version. Today, all of the leading online casinos offer a wide range of line variations, with the different types of 5-line slot games – the 3-reel option and the 5-reel option – holding their own in the popularity stakes. What are the differences between the two? Let’s take a closer look…
Obviously, the one variant comes with three reels and the other one comes with five reels. But the main difference is the way in which the pay lines work. When it comes to the 3-reel version, you will usually have five varying, top-tier jackpots, depending on which of the lines you hit with a winning combination.
5 reel slot
On the other hand, with the 5-reel version, there is usually a fixed jackpot, irrespective of which line you score a winning combination on. Another noteworthy difference is in the hit rate. When you’re playing the 5-reel version, you will see that there are more winning combinations than on the 3-reel version. That’s because most of the combos are made up of between three and five symbols – in other words, you will find yourself hitting frequent, but smaller payouts, as opposed to one big payout every now and then.
While luck is always a major factor when playing your favorite game. It’s clear that the 5-reel version of the 5-line slots game has a much higher hit rate than the 3-reel variant. The effect though of a higher hit rate is that of course, the 5-reel version will therefore also come with a higher max bet than the 3-reel. In the case of a progressive jackpot game, a max bet is normally required.
3 reel game
That all said, many players still believe that it will be harder to hit those winning combinations playing on a 5-reel game than a 3-reel game. That is untrue, thanks to Random Number Generator (RNG) technology, which helps to ensure the fairness of the games. In clearer terms, both the 3-reel and the 5-reel slots games are set to pay out around 95%, which means the amount of reels makes no difference.
Ultimately, when it comes to which slots games you want to play, all will depend on you, the player. If it’s the instant millions you’re after, then the progressive jackpot titles are what you’ll need to focus on playing. And when it comes to choosing between the non-progressive 3-reel and 5-reel variants of 5-line slots games, we’d recommend giving the 5-reel a couple of spins – you may just never go back to the 3-reel if you do.
Simply register an account at any of the leading online casinos in the biz – they normally have great welcome bonuses, which you can use to play any of the games on offer, including the 5-line slots games.