What Is a Slot?
A slot is a position in a group, series, or sequence. A slot can also be a location on an aircraft that allows for the flow of air over the wings and tail.
A computerized slot machine uses a random number generator to generate combinations of symbols on a physical reel. When a winning combination appears, the machine awards credits according to its paytable. Depending on the machine, the player can insert cash or, in “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, a paper ticket with a barcode. The machine then activates the reels by means of a lever or button (either physical or on a touchscreen). Each symbol on a reel has a different probability of appearing, but the overall odds of a winning spin are based on the number of stops and the distribution of symbols across multiple reels.
In a slot game, players place bets by selecting coins or paper tickets that correspond to the value of each symbol on the screen. Afterwards, the reels are spun to arrange symbols in a row according to the paytable. The symbols in a winning row are then rearranged to create new winning combinations, and the player receives credit based on the paytable. The paytable is a list of all the possible combinations and their associated payouts.
Traditionally, slots have had a very high house edge, but the advent of new technologies such as random number generators has changed this, making many online versions more like traditional casino games. Many of the same strategies can be applied to online slots as to land-based machines.
The amount of variation in a slot game is a key indicator of its quality. If wins are frequent but small, the game is considered to be low-volatility. If successes are rare but significant, the game is high-volatility. Some casinos even provide a tool called Slot Check, which analyzes historical performance and compares it to the expected return to player (POP).
Each slot has a set of settings that determine its behavior in simulation. These are displayed in the Configure Slot dialog as shown in Figure 6.10. For example, a slot can be configured to warn if values set during simulation are out of bounds. This is useful in preventing the loss of data while a simulation runs.
In addition to setting these parameters, the Configure Slot dialog shows information on the selected slot including its name and status. The Selection Info area also displays statistics on the selected slot including sum, average, median, min, max, range and difference. If Compress Repeated Values is enabled, editing a repeated value will change all the related numbers in the slot to that new number.
When a slot is selected, its key areas are highlighted in yellow. There are icons and buttons used to show/hide display compression, to show notes for the slot, and to Plot the slot. The datetimes are shown as the row headings, and the data values are displayed in the cells. The slot’s timestep is indicated by a label, and there are separators placed between timesteps if the slot has more than one (1 Day, 1 Month, etc.).