If you’ve ever played a slot machine, you know that the odds of lining up a particular set of symbols on the reels vary. The more likely you are to hit that combination, the higher your payout will be. But what you may not realize is that the odds of hitting a particular symbol decrease on each successive spin. This is because each reel on a slot has different “weighting,” which affects how frequently the symbol appears on the screen.

In the days when slots had less complicated, three-reel mechanics, they would often display a chart that showed what each symbol paid. This chart, or pay table, was a simple graphic that could be printed on the front of the slot machine. As games became more complex and had multiple reels, this information was contained within the game’s help screens. Today, most video slot machines display their pay tables on giant HD computer monitors.

When playing a slot machine, make sure you have a clear plan for how you’ll handle your winnings. Many players lose track of their profits, and end up losing the whole amount they won in a short period of time. To avoid this, decide in advance how much you’re going to spend on each play and stick to it. Also, remember that every spin on a legit online or land-based slot machine is random, and there’s no way to predict future results based on previous ones.