How to read a slot paytable.
A paytable explains which combinations pay and how their values are calculated. Start with the unit behind the number, then the winning pattern and any feature conditions. You can read these rules without making a spin. CGA’s free demos are for adults aged 18+ and use virtual credits with no cash value.
First ask: a multiple of what?
Look for the total stake and the explanation beside the symbol values. Does the paytable express a prize as a multiple of the total stake, a line stake or a number of coins? If it uses coins, also find the coin value. Do not silently replace one unit with another.
A display currency does not settle that question. USD in a practice player is not a dollar payment, a conversion into rand, cedis or shillings, or evidence of a local casino offer. Read our African demo access guide for more on currency displays and availability.
Why two “10×” figures can differ
This is a fictional arithmetic example, not the paytable of a CGA game. Suppose a total stake of 1 credit is split equally across 20 paid lines, making each line stake 0.05 credits.
| Stated basis | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Line stake | 10 × 0.05 | 0.50 credits |
| Total stake | 10 × 1 | 10 credits |
The multiplier is identical; the base is different. This example does not describe how every line game prices its bets. Use the exact player’s stated units and rules rather than dividing by a number simply because it appears beside “lines” or “ways.”
Then check what counts as a combination
Use the winning-pattern comparison for a side-by-side checklist and fictional grid exercise.
Find the symbol count and the position rule. Must symbols follow a listed line, connect into a cluster or appear anywhere? A screen full of similar symbols is not enough information to calculate a payout.
In the original Sweet Bonanza, eight or more matching symbols can pay anywhere on its grid. Jammin’ Jars instead uses connected clusters of five or more. Their paytables cannot be read using the same position rule. Our cluster guide shows the connection pattern.
For tumbling or cascading games, follow the complete round total after replacement symbols have finished falling. A sequence of drops can belong to one round. Check the rules before treating each drop as a separate paid spin.
Ways wins count combinations across reels
A ways game can count matching symbols in different positions on adjacent reels, rather than along a listed line. In the original Temple Tumble Megaways, the loaded rules require at least three adjacent reels from the left and multiply the number of matching positions on each reel. Winning symbols also clear neighbouring stone blocks, opening more positions.
This is a fictional three-reel counting example, not a payout from Temple Tumble. Suppose the same symbol occupies two positions on reel one, three on reel two and one on reel three. If the game’s rules count every such combination, there are 2 × 3 × 1 = 6 winning combinations. This does not mean six credits or six times the total stake: the paytable still determines the value and its unit.
A ceiling such as Temple Tumble’s 46,656 ways describes possible combinations across its reel area. It does not mean all those combinations win, or that each is a separately priced line. Read which reels must match, where the combination starts and how wild symbols contribute. For connected positions instead, compare cluster pays; for symbols without a connection requirement, see anywhere-pay games.
A symbol value may need another condition
Read the feature explanation alongside the symbol table. Ask when a multiplier applies, what it applies to and when it resets. A feature trigger, a multiplier value and the final round result describe different things.
In Sweet Bonanza’s free-spin feature, multiplier symbols are added together before being applied to the winning tumble sequence. In Jammin’ Jars, a jar’s multiplier applies to wins that the jar contributes to. Do not apply either rule to every number visible in another game. Read wilds, scatters and collectors for the different jobs special symbols can have.
Finish with the exact version
Check the title, RTP setting and round limit in the player you opened. Push Gaming lists more than one RTP configuration for Jammin’ Jars and directs readers to the game’s panel or loading screen. A studio page or a familiar thumbnail does not establish which setting another session uses.
A symbol payout, feature multiplier, maximum round limit and highest observed win are different figures. None is a promise of your next result. Our RTP and volatility guide explains those distinctions, while the edition checklist helps separate related titles.
If the help remains unreadable on your phone, stop and use the written guide. See mobile screen and loading tips. There is no need to keep playing until a feature appears to read its rules; set time and spending boundaries before opening free play.
Sources for the examples
Game examples use the official Sweet Bonanza page from Pragmatic Play, Jammin’ Jars page from Push Gaming and the official Temple Tumble page from Relax Gaming and its inspected game rules, together with the rules checked for CGA’s individual guides. The arithmetic and combination-counting examples are CGA’s own illustrations. The complete help inside the exact player takes precedence over a short summary.
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