Every pokie on the market ships with a paytable, yet most players skim it for ten seconds and go straight to spinning. That habit costs money. The paytable is the only document that tells you, in plain terms, what each symbol pays, which combinations trigger features, and how volatile the game really is. Learning to read one properly takes a few minutes per title and pays off across every session you ever play. Check out additional details at richardcasino.
Australian players have access to thousands of titles through venues and online platforms, and the structure of paytables is remarkably consistent once you know what you’re looking at. This guide breaks down each section so you can assess a game before committing a single dollar to it.
Symbol Values, Wilds and Scatters
The core of any paytable is the symbol payout grid. Low-value symbols , usually card ranks from nine to ace , pay modest amounts, often 5x to 15x your line bet for five of a kind. High-value symbols, typically themed characters or objects, can pay 50x to 500x for the same five-symbol combination. Knowing the gap matters: a game weighted heavily toward premium symbols behaves very differently from one where royals dominate.
Critically, most paytables list payouts as multipliers of the line bet, not your total stake. If you’re betting 50 cents across 20 lines, that’s 2.5 cents per line. A “100x” payout on a line bet returns $2.50, not $50. This single misunderstanding is the most common error players make, and it makes games appear far more generous than they are.
Wild symbols substitute for other icons to complete winning lines, and their paytable entry usually shows whether they also carry their own top payout. Some wilds only appear on reels two, three and four, which significantly affects hit frequency. Scatters are different again , they pay anywhere on the reels and typically trigger free spins or bonus rounds. Their paytable entry will state both the scatter payout and the number needed to activate the feature.
Check whether wilds are expanding, sticky, multiplier-bearing or random. That single detail can shift a game’s return profile more than any other element.
Paylines, RTP and Volatility Explained
Paylines define which symbol patterns count as wins. Older pokies use fixed lines; modern ones often offer 243, 1024 or “megaways” configurations where any adjacent symbols on consecutive reels form a win. More paylines generally means more frequent but smaller wins, because the same total return is spread across more combinations.
Look for the published return-to-player percentage, usually buried in the info screen or help menu. Online pokies typically sit between 94% and 97%, while some land-based machines in Australia are configured considerably lower. A 96% RTP means the game returns $96 for every $100 wagered over millions of spins , it says nothing about a single session, but a two-percentage-point difference compounds heavily over time.
Volatility is the other half of the equation and is often stated directly. Low-volatility games deliver frequent small wins; high-volatility titles can go 200 spins without a meaningful return before landing a 1,000x payout. Neither is better , they suit different bankrolls and temperaments.
Here’s a quick comparison of what typical paytable entries tell you:
| Element | What It Tells You | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|
| Top symbol, 5 of a kind | Maximum line payout | 50x-500x line bet |
| RTP | Long-term return | 94%-97% |
| Scatter requirement | Feature trigger difficulty | 3-5 symbols |
| Volatility rating | Win frequency vs size | Low to Very High |
If a paytable doesn’t disclose RTP or volatility, that’s a red flag. Reputable operators publish both, and platforms like Richard Casino make game information readily accessible before you spin.
Bonus Features and Practical Reading Tips
Bonus rounds are where most of a pokie’s value is concentrated. The paytable will outline how free spins are triggered, whether they carry a multiplier, and whether retriggers are possible. Look specifically for multipliers during free spins , a 3x multiplier on a 20-spin bonus changes the maths dramatically compared to a flat feature.
Also check for expanding symbols, sticky wilds, and any pick-a-prize mechanics. These determine whether the bonus is a genuine value driver or just decoration.
Practical habits that help:
- Read the paytable before your first spin, not after a losing streak
- Confirm whether payouts are based on line bet or total bet
- Note the minimum scatter count for the feature
- Check the RTP figure and compare it against similar titles
- Look for the maximum win cap, which some games set surprisingly low
Reading paytables properly transforms pokies from a guessing game into an informed choice. Two minutes of scrutiny tells you whether a title suits your bankroll, your risk appetite and your session length , and that knowledge is worth more than any hot streak.