A slot is a narrow opening or groove that allows something to pass through it, such as a mail slot at the post office. You can also put money into a slot machine to win prizes. Slots have a lot of different payouts, symbols and bonus features. You can find out all about them by reading the pay table.
A pay table is a guide that shows players how combinations of symbols and winning spins payout on a slot machine. It typically lists all the possible combinations and shows the higher-value ones at the top and lower-value ones toward the bottom. It may also include information about additional side bets and how to trigger certain game bonuses.
Although today’s slot machines do most of the work when it comes to displaying a winning spin and paying out winnings, the pay table still remains an important resource for players. They can learn how to decode payout information, understand how different symbols pay out, and recognize other key symbols like wilds and scatters.
Pay tables usually take the form of a traditional table, but can be found on the machine’s exterior for older slots and on the screen for video or online slots. They can sometimes be scrolled through to reveal more information. For example, the Zeus II pay table above includes several pages that you can click through to read more about the game’s rules and symbols. It also gives a breakdown of the various payouts for each combination and the odds of winning.