A slot is a thin opening or groove that you can fit something into. You can use it to put letters and postcards in, for example. A slot is also a type of gaming machine, often found in casinos and arcades.

A pay table is a guide to how slots payout on certain combinations and what symbols are more valuable. While these used to be prominently displayed on a machine’s exterior, they are now more likely to be available on the game’s video screen or even as an information button in some cases. Understanding these terms can help you play more successfully and potentially increase your chances of winning bigger prizes.

In a traditional pay table, you’ll find rows and columns that show different combinations and their payouts. Typically, the highest combinations are at the top and decrease vertically to the lowest ones toward the bottom. However, in some games such as Zeus II, a pay table may not take the form of a conventional table and instead scroll down like a menu or other on-screen feature.

Other key terms that you’ll want to familiarize yourself with include paylines, which outline winning combinations; symbols, the icons on the reels; scatters, which trigger bonus games; and wilds, which can replace other symbols to form a larger combination. By becoming more familiar with these terms, you’ll be better able to understand how the random number generator determines winning and losing spins. You’ll also be more aware of what other types of wagers you can make, including side bets, when playing slots.