In computing, a slot is an arrangement of operations within a machine. In very long instruction word (VLIW) computers, the relationship between a slot and the operation it executes is explicitly expressed in hardware using a pipeline.
The simplest version of a slot is a single physical reel with printed symbols on it, but most slot machines today are computerized and have digital symbols that appear on a video screen. A player spins the reels by pulling a handle, and which symbols line up on the pay line determines whether and how much the player wins.
Modern slot machines have many different paylines and ways to win, including horizontal, vertical, diagonal, V-shaped, zigzag, and other patterns. Some also have special symbols that trigger bonus games or other features.
A player’s money is converted into “credits,” which may be worth pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, or dollars. Each credit has a specific value depending on the machine and its denomination. The amount of money a player bets per spin is often called the coin value or betting limit.
The random number generator in a slot machine assigns a unique number to each possible combination of reel stops. When the reels stop, the computer compares that number to a table of odds and decides if and how much the player has won. Between signals — anything from a button being pressed to the handle being pulled — the random number generator runs continuously, assigning a new number to each possible stop on each reel every millisecond.