RacingBetter News
	Tuesday 2nd August 2022

Slot Machine or Fruit Machine: What’s the Difference Anyway?

Slot machine or fruit machine? Confusing isn’t it? When you play slots online, these games might look the same when you first see them but there’s actually a difference between the two. The first is more focused on chance while the latter is more on skill.

To start with, all fruit machines are slot machines but not all slot machines are fruit machines. The nature is that a fruit machine is just a category of the slots which features a set of spinning reels and a minimum of 1 payline. Basically that’s just the feature of it and nothing more. All you have to do is press the button or pull the handle manually or virtually, determine the combination and if it’s a match then you win. With Fruit Machines it’s more than just pressing a button and waiting for the reels to stop to get a combination of symbols. The game can often have other features where skills can be used and bonuses are added.

There are basic elements of a fruit machine that you need to recognize: nudge, hold, cash ladder and bonus trail. With these elements, you’ll be able to change the odds depending on the skill that you have in order to control these features.

Nudge – taken from the word itself, you can use this element to nudge a specific reel with the hopes of making a better combination. Basically you’re trying to push a reel further in the reel. This feature is typically triggered randomly so it is up to you if you want to use this feature or not to increase the odds of making a good combination of symbols in the reel. If you see the reels normally getting a good combination then there’s definitely no need to use the nudge since you already have a good result. Never use this if the odds are already good because it might do more harm than good so just leave the reels the way they are.

Hold – this feature is just like the nudge but the difference with this one is that instead of pushing a reel, you’ll be holding a certain symbol from the reels. Depending on the casino that you’re playing at, you can hold 1 or more from the reels that are still around the following spins. Using this feature will give you more chances of winning since you can choose which symbol to hold so if you make a good choice then the probabilities of getting a good combination are certainly increased.

Cash ladder – this element will give you the option to earn more. Featuring a ladder, you will be able to move up by simply getting a specific symbol on the reels. Aside from this, the game will also give you a set of values which will be lit up and as it goes up and down in sequence. All you have to do is hit the one with the maximum value to win that specific reward or amount. The movement of the lights is actually not that fast so if you have skill for hitting a particular target within a short time frame then this can be used to easily hit the light with the best value.

Bonus trail – this is arguably one of the most exciting elements of the fruit machines. Also called a bonus board, this fruit machine component features a trail surrounding a board but it may vary depending on the casino that you’re playing at. One way to play to get around the trail is to get a specific symbol on the reel for you to inch forward. Another way is similar to the cash ladder wherein there are lights flashing quickly around the board and what you need to do is to press a button or hit stop upon seeing the light reach a spot or position that is favourable to you or where you will get the best value. Instead of cash values, the spots on the trail offer different rewards but also pitfalls so you need to be very skillful in stopping the light in the right spot to get a reward such as a nudge or a cash multiplier.

So what’s it going to be? If you simply want to play a game of chance then slots are for you but it you want to use some skill then fruit machines are definitely the better option. Either way, these games are both exciting to play as it brings the thrill and excitement as you spin the reels of fortune.