How to read the paytable and forecast payments

1) Where to start: the structure of the "i" window

1. RTP (exact number) and volatility (Low/Med/High/Very High).
2. Max Win (multiplier ceiling to bet).
3. Payout type:

• Lines (fixed/adjustable lines).
• Ways to Win (243/1024/, etc., adjacent drums are paid from left to right).
• Cluster Pays.
• 4. Symbols and their value (Low/High/special symbols).
• 5. Wild/Scatter: where they drop out, what they replace/trigger, whether they pay themselves.
• 6. Power-ups/freespins/mechanics: cascades, multipliers, retriggers, Hold & Win, drum modifiers.
• 7. Rate and Par: Payouts are in xTotal Bet (to the total rate) or in xLine Bet (to the line rate). It's critical.
• 8. Ante/Bonus Buy options (extra charge to the back, separate RTP for purchase).
• 9. Jackpots (fixed/progressive/Must Drop) and RTP contribution (if specified).

2) Payments: "on the line" versus "on the rate"

xTotal Bet - most modern slots: all numbers in Paytable - multipliers to the total bet (easier to compare).
xLine Bet - classic/some retro: multiplier applied to bet per line. Then the line total:

• $$
• ext{Win(line)} = ext{Paytable Multiplier} imes ext{Bet per Line}
• $$

Total gain is the sum of all lines/combinations. With an equal total bet, more active lines = less bet/line = less payout for the "same" combination, but higher chance of hits. It is usually more profitable to hold a maximum of lines and reduce the bet/line.

3) Lines, ways and clusters - how it changes "frequency"

Lines: need specific line geometry; only the highest combination on the line is paid, different lines are summed up.
Ways (e.g. 243): any position on adjacent reels (usually from left to right). It is considered as the product of the numbers of matching characters on each reel. The frequency of lines is higher, the payment for a "single" win is lower, the profile is smoother.
Both Ways: sleva→napravo and sprava→nalevo payments (higher frequency).
Cluster: payments for a group of touching characters (N +). Often associated with cascades and removal of low-cost.

4) Symbols: Low/High and special symbols

Low (A-10/fruit): frequent, pay little; "soften" the base game.
High (thematic): less often, pay noticeably more; give "peaks."
Wild: replacement (except Scatter/Bonus), there are Sticky/Expanding/Walking/Multiplier - specify where they fall out (sometimes only on 2-4 reels).
Scatter/Bonus: freespin/bonus trigger; sometimes they also pay "in xTotal Bet." Clarify whether Scatter wins and linear wins can be obtained at the same time (usually yes).

5) Multipliers and modifiers

Line multipliers (on Wild/on reel/global) - directly scale the payout.
Progress factors in cascades/freespins → make the tail of the distribution "thicker" (more often large factors), increase volatility.
Modifiers (random Wild, reel extension, removal of low-characters) - increase the frequency of events, "smooth" the base.

6) Bonuses/freespins: what to deduct from Paytable

Check:

• Trigger threshold (3 Scatter/clusters/coin collection).
• Selection options (more spins vs high start factor).
• Retryggers (is there a limit).
• Where RTP "sits": if there is a large share in the bonus, the base can feel "tough."
• RTP\_ buy for Bonus Buy (may differ from base).
• Ante/Double Chance: how tapes/odds change and whether RTP is growing.

7) Payment forecasting: practical formulas and estimates

The exact probabilities of the characters are hidden (weights/ribbons are not published), so use rough estimates:

• 7. 1. Spin bonus contribution

$$
EV_{b/ext{spin}} \approx \frac{ABP}{BF}
$$

where ABP is the average bonus payout (in xBet), BF is the average backs per bonus. Get from demo (see § 10).

7. 2. 'Price of an hour'at your pace

$$
\ text {Expected flow/hour }\approachext {Rate }imesext {Spin/hour }imes (1 - RTP)
$$

7. 3. Line vs ways (top mark for spin)

Lines: sum of all winning lines; figure out the directory of lines in Paytable (often a separate tab).
Ways: roughly, "how many combinations × payout per combination"; combinations grow with the number of matches per drum (but the exact frequency without weights is unknown).

Practical conclusion: Paytable gives the scale of payments (how many × for 3/4/5 of the same), and we estimate the frequency with demo statistics (HF/BF). This is enough to understand the risk/value.

8) Volatility: how to read it from Paytable without a number

Signs of high volatility in the description/table:

• Max Win ≥ x10 000;
• rare/strict bonus trigger (BF is usually high);
• powerful multipliers (× 25/ × 50/ × 100), Sticky/Expanding Wild in freespins;
• strong imbalance "top symbol" vs average payouts.
• Signs of low/medium: frequent mini-features, clusters/cascades, many "paths" to the event, Scatter with wide locations.

9) Frequent Paytable pitfalls

"Payments in currencies" instead of xBet - see footnote: to the total rate or to the line rate?
"Only the senior combination on the line." Two 3OAK on the same line do not add up, a 4OAK is taken, if any.
Wild does not replace Scatter/Bonus (almost always).
Position cap: some special characters fall out only on 2-4 reels - this reduces the realizability of the top combo.
Both Ways/Pay Any: Changes payout rules - check if Scatter is covered.
RTP variants: the same slot has 96/95/94% - the operator can have a lowered one.

10) Mini-protocol of slot evaluation via demo (30-60 minutes)

1. Base (300-500 spins, no Ante/Buy):

• HF (% of spins with any payout).
• Number of bonuses, ABP (average bonus payout in xBet).
• BF (backs/bonus) and EV₍b/spin ₎ = ABP/BF.
• Max Drawdown, P (≥20×, ≥50×, ≥100×).
• 2. With Ante (300-500 spins): Does BF/RTP change by "i"? Is the surcharge worth it?
• 3. Bonus Buy (20-50 purchases, if relevant): RTP\_ buy ≈ ABP/C.
• 4. Conclusion: profile (even grind/frequent features/" skid hunt ") and the required bank.

11) How to quickly "read" a specific paytable (checklist)

Payouts listed by xTotal Bet or xLine Bet?
Lines/ways/clusters and "Both Ways"?
Where can Wild/Scatter (which drums), does Wild replace special characters?
Multipliers: global/on Wild/progress on cascades?
Freespins: threshold, retrievers, options (more spins vs high ×).
Max Win and "where RTP sits" (base/bonus).
Ante/Buy: markup, separate RTP.
Jackpots: RTP contribution, rate threshold for participation.
Notes: "only the highest on the line," "wins are summed up on different lines/clusters," "Scatter pays anywhere."

12) Paytable reading errors

Ignore what the multiplier is applied to (total bet vs line bet).
Confuse "ways" with lines and overestimate the price of a single combination.
Do not take into account the limitations of special character positions (Wild "only 2-4").
Draw conclusions about the frequency without BF/HF from the demo.
Enable Ante "out of habit" without checking if RTP is growing/BF is declining.
Consider that "multiplier = high RTP": volatility ↑, but RTP can be ordinary.

Result

Paytable is a "passport of mathematics": it protects the scale of payments, the rules for the formation of winnings and the "levers" of volatility (multipliers, modifiers, retriggers). See: payout type (Lines/Ways/Cluster), symbol base, Wild/Scatter roles, bonus thresholds, how multipliers are applied, what payments are measured (xTotal Bet or xLine Bet), and what options (Ante/Buy) are changing the economy. Paytable does not directly disclose the frequency of events - get them with demo metrics (HF, BF, ABP) and evaluate the contribution of bonuses to spin (EV₍b/spin ₎ = ABP/BF) and the "price of an hour." Such a set gives a realistic forecast of the payment profile and allows you to make an informed decision: play, how to play and which bank.