How to Play and Win 5 reels slots remain a popular choice with players, so if you’re interested to learn more about them or want some tips and advice on how to play and win on a 5-reel slot, you’re in the right place.
There are thousands of online slots, and they all have various bonus features and reel mechanics. The number of reels they have is something else that can vary from one title to another, with five reel slots being the most common you’ll find.
What Are 5-Reel Slots?
As the name suggests, 5-reel slots are online slot games that have 5 reels. Alongside games with 3 reels, the 5-reel format is the most common you’ll see in the lobby of an online casino. Some slots can have 6, 7, or more reels, but they’re rarer than their 5-reel counterpart.
Usually, 5-reel slot machines have 3 or 4 rows. These are the positions on each reel where symbols appear – the more reels and rows, the more symbols that land on every spin.
One of the advantages of 5-reel slots, compared to those with 3 reels, is that they can have more paylines. You can find titles with anything between 3, 5, 9, 20, 40, 50, and even 100. Also, many 5-reel crypto slots will use other reel mechanics instead of paylines. You can spin on slots using Megaways Slots, Ways to Win, Pay Anywhere, and Cluster Pays.
How to Play 5-Reel Slots Step-by-Step
If you’ve never played a slot machine before and want to learn how to play online slots, there’s nothing to worry about. It is easy, you don’t need any skill, and you just have to hope you get lucky.
- Choose your stake – Start low if it’s your first time playing.
- Select how many paylines you want to activate (if applicable).
- Hit the ‘Spin’ button to start the action.
- Wait for the reels to stop and watch for winning combinations.
That’s it. All you have to do is decide how many times you want to repeat the process.
Paylines, Symbols, and Payout Tables
How a 5-reel slot calculates wins depends on the reel mechanic it is using. While each is different, they all require a specific number of matching symbols to form a winning combination. However, some slots require these to land along a payline, others require clusters of matching symbols, and some can payout if the symbols land anywhere on the reels.
- Paylines: The most traditional reel mechanic, a payline slot requires an X number of matching symbols to land across a payline. It could move along consecutive reels horizontally or diagonally.
- Ways to Win: This mechanic removes pay lines. Instead, matching symbols can appear in any position on the reels as long as they are adjacent.
- Megaways: You receive payouts when matching symbols land on adjacent reels on a Megaways slot as well. However, the random reel modifier mechanic allows each reel to have a random number of symbols on it. These slots can offer as many as 100,000+ ways to win.
- Pay Anywhere: Matching symbols can land anywhere in view to create winning combinations.
- Cluster Pays: Symbols must land in clusters to form winning combinations. These are symbols connected to the left, right, above, or below.
As for how much you can win, that depends on the size of the winning combination and the value of the symbols. All slots have a paytable that shows you what you can win for specific combinations. To access the paytable, you usually have to click an ‘i’ or something similar.
Key Features in 5-Reel Slots
While some 5 reel slot machines can have no features, others can come packed with numerous bonus features, whether free spins bonus games, expanding wilds, mystery symbols, or multipliers.
Wild Symbols
One of the most common bonus features you’ll run into on 5-reel slots is wild symbols. These act like a Joker in a pack of cards, as they’ll substitute for all regular symbols when winning combinations are possible. There are different types of wild symbols as well, with some holding multipliers to boost payouts, while others can expand to fill their reels or roam across the reels.
Scatter Symbols
Scatter symbols are usually used as bonus symbols to trigger bonus games. For instance, you might trigger a free spins bonus if three or more scatter symbols land anywhere in view. Often, these symbols also come with a payout you’ll win if a certain number lands.
Mini Bonus Games
Some slots have mini-games that can bring increased winning potential. It could be a ‘Picking’ game where you pick from boxes to reveal prizes or something unique to the slot you’re playing.
Free Spins
One of the most popular features that’s found on thousands of 5-reel slots, is free spins. These are spins you trigger that do not cost a stake, meaning you can win payouts without any risk. Free spins bonuses can also come with additional features such as progressive multipliers or expanding wilds.
Multipliers
Multipliers are another popular and potentially lucrative bonus feature you’ll find on some 5-reel slots. These multiply your winnings, whether those from symbol combinations or the total winnings you get at the end of a spin. Some slots use multipliers on wild symbols, while others might have multipliers above the reels or a total multiplier that increases with every win on a spin.
How to Win at 5-Reel Slots: Strategy & Tips
While there are no guaranteed methods or strategies for winning when playing 5-reel slot machines, some online slot tips and tricks can improve your chances.
Understand Volatility
The first is to get a good understanding of volatility and what it means for slot games. Slots with low volatility will pay out more frequently, but wins are generally smaller. On the other end of the scale, high volatility slots offer rarer but bigger wins on average.
If you prefer fewer risks and are happy to win smaller amounts more regularly, low volatility is your option. However, if you’d rather risk long winless streaks in the hope of landing a big payout, high variance is the best bet.
Look for High RTP (Return to Player)
RTP (return to player) is a percentage given to slots that determines their long-term payout rate. Of all the money it takes, it is the percentage it pays out. For instance, a slot with a 97% RTP will return $97 for every $100 it takes.
How that money is paid out depends on the slot’s RNG and variance. A slot could go a week without paying much money and then the next paying more than usual.
As you have probably guessed, it is probably a good idea to choose high RTP slots as part of your strategy. They pay out more money.
Manage Your Bankroll
Another tip we always give to players of all experience levels is to employ a good bankroll management strategy. A session is unlikely to last long if you bet half of your bankroll on each spin.
Instead, you should set a bet size for your bankroll that will allow you to enjoy a longer session and that can sustain a few runs of bad luck. To achieve that, we suggest betting no more than one or two percent of your bankroll per spin.
Focus on Features
Bonus features can offer an alternative way of winning money on 5-reel slots rather than purely relying on symbol combinations to hit. We’ve already covered a few bonus features you can expect to come across when playing slots.
However, after a while, you will learn which of them suits your style best. When you do, choose slots to play that offer similar features. If you like free spins and multipliers, find slots that offer them and add them to your playlist.
Set Winning Goals
Another way to maximize winnings and minimize losses is to set limits before you play. Do this for both winning and losing. While you might not want to quit if things are going well, a losing streak can turn a good session into a bad one.
A good suggestion is to call it quits if you double your bankroll. Alternatively, you could take losses of half your bankroll on the chin before coming back to play another day.
Top 5-Reel Slot Machines at mBitcasino
At mBitcasino, we have many great 5-reel slots in our gaming library. In fact, there are so many that you might not know where to start. Fortunately, we have you covered with some recommendations for 5-reel slot machines that are massively popular with our players.
- Book of Dead (Play’n Go): Considering the most played slot of all time has 5 reels, its probably best to start with Book of Dead. The classic title has 5 reels and 3 rows, while there are just 10 variable paylines. The RTP isn’t the best at 94.25%, but the slot is renowned for its high volatility and a 5,000x the stake maximum win. Plus, fans will tell you the free spins bonus game is what makes Book of Dead so great. It features an expanding symbol that pays even on non-adjacent reels.
- Cash’n Fruits 100 Hold & Win (1spin4win): If RTP does matter to you, then the 97.2% of this classic-themed slot with fruit symbols will certainly appeal. On top of that, this 5-reel, 4-row slot boasts 100 paylines and an exciting Hold & Win bonus game with jackpots worth up to 1,000x the stake.
- Cash Pig (Booming Games): For a top option for players who like big wins and lots of bonus features, Cash Pig is our recommendation. The slot has 5 reels, 4 rows, and even a horizontal reel above the main grid. There are 30 fixed paylines, while Cash Pig is a medium variance slot with a 95.1% RTP. As for those bonus features, there are wild symbols, multipliers, and two superb bonus games. One is a Hold & Win bonus, while the other is an exciting free spins bonus.
Final Thoughts
Ready to put these tips to the test? Explore our top 5-reel slots and start spinning now! You don’t need to download an app to experience our exciting gaming library. Plus, you don’t even need to sign up if you don’t want to, as you can play the slots for free via their demos here at mBitcasino.