Pokies are the beating heart of Australian gambling culture. With more than 190,000 gaming machines spread across pubs, clubs and casinos nationally, it pays to understand exactly what you’re looking at before you press spin. Two numbers matter more than any flashy animation: the paytable and the return to player rate, or RTP. Learn to read both and you’ll make sharper decisions with every dollar you feed into the machine. Read more about this at skrill casino.
What a Pokie Paytable Actually Tells You
The paytable is the rulebook. It lists every symbol, explains what each one pays and shows how many matching symbols you need to land a win. On older machines it’s printed above the reels; on modern video pokies it’s hidden behind an info or “i” button. Either way, spend two minutes reading it before you play.
Start with the highest-paying symbol. That’s usually the game’s logo or a wild, and it might pay 500 to 1,000 credits for five of a kind. Low-value symbols like playing card icons pay far less, often 10 to 50 credits for five. This spread tells you where the value sits.
Next, check the wild and scatter rules. A wild substitutes for other symbols to complete a win. A scatter typically pays anywhere on the reels and triggers free spins. Pay particular attention to whether wilds multiply your win, and whether a scatter pays in any position or only left to right.
Finally, look at paylines. A 25-line pokie requires you to stake across all 25 lines. If the machine lets you choose fewer lines, you’re also reducing your chance of hitting a win. Most Australian players stick with all lines active, betting the minimum per line if the budget is tight.
Understanding RTP and Volatility
RTP is the percentage of all money wagered that a pokie returns to players over its lifetime. An RTP of 96% means that for every $100 fed in over millions of spins, $96 comes back as wins and $4 is kept by the operator. It’s a long-term average, not a promise for your session.
In Australia, land-based pokies in pubs and clubs typically sit around 85% to 90% RTP, because state governments tax machine revenue heavily. Online pokies, by contrast, commonly run from 94% to 97%. That gap is enormous. A pokie at 87% versus one at 96% gives back nine extra cents per dollar over time.
Volatility describes how wins are distributed. Low-volatility pokies pay small amounts frequently, stretching your bankroll. High-volatility pokies pay rarely but can deliver huge multipliers. Match volatility to your budget: if you’re playing with $50, low volatility keeps you spinning longer.
| RTP Range | Typical Setting | Player Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 85% – 90% | Pubs and clubs | Lower long-term returns |
| 90% – 94% | Some club machines | Moderate returns |
| 94% – 97% | Licensed online pokies | Best long-term value |
Practical Tips for Reading Paytables Smartly
Check the RTP in the game’s help menu before you bet. Many online pokies publish it openly. If a machine doesn’t disclose it, treat that as a warning sign and move on.
Compare paytables across similar games. Higher maximum bets on the top symbol usually signal a higher-volatility design. Also watch for stacked symbols and expanding wilds, which change how often wins land.
Remember that RTP applies over millions of spins, not your next twenty. Use it to compare machines, not to predict individual results. Combine that knowledge with sensible limits, and you’ll get far more enjoyment from every session at the pokies.