3-Line Slots
A typical 3-line slot machine is a flexible game. You can find the three payline mechanic in both so-called classic slots and fruit machines, and video slots. While you may believe that having so few paylines on a screen would result in a reduced chance to win, this is not necessarily the case, as you will see.
Most modern slots come with far more paylines, with older, retro games opting to stick to the classic three-line mechanic. Games that heavily feature fruit, sevens, dollar signs, bars and bells will regularly serve up three lines. If retro gaming is your forte, then three-line slots will likely be the types of games you want to play.
Best 3-Line Slot Machines
What Are 3-Line Slots?
As we have discussed above, 3-line slot games can be either video slots or classic slots and fruit machines. In most cases, they will form the latter. What is a three-line slot at heart, though? Irrespective of whether you are playing with three reels or five reels, there will be three main paylines stretching across the reels.
Unlike slots with a greater number of paylines, these lines will not zig-zag or criss-cross one another. In fact, they will never meet. What you end up with here are three paylines that run horizontally across the reels. Most three-line slots will feature three rows of symbols. The first payline will run straight through the first row of symbols across the top of the reels. The second payline will run across the bottom of the reels through the third row of symbols. In most cases, the third payline stretches straight through the middle row of symbols on the reels.
How Does Having 3 Lines Affect RTP, Volatility and Hit Frequency?
Most 3-line slots can be played for free online, and this is handy. It allows you to practice playing them and learn how they affect RTP, volatility and hit frequency, amongst other things. Truth be told, a typical three-line slot will not impact these aspects very much, but it is worth examining them all the same.
- RTP: Three-line slots have little impact on RTP in games. In most cases, the Return to Player rate will be set by the software provider, with paylines having little to do with it. Therefore, it is possible to find slots with three lines and those with 243 ways to win (for example) offering the same RTP rate.
- Volatility: Volatility is an entirely different issue, but again, this is something that the software provider typically sets. There is not much of a standard when it comes to volatility in 3-line slots. Some are low variance games, meaning that they can deliver frequent wins, while others are highly volatile, paying out bigger prizes albeit less frequently.
- Hit Frequency: Hit frequency is in part determined by the volatility level in slots with three paylines. However, the number of symbols that appears on the reels of a three-line slot can play a part, too. The more symbols there are, the less likely you will land hits as you spin the reels. Classic slots and fruit machines tend to have better hit frequencies than video slots with three lines, as there are often fewer symbols featuring in the game.
