A narrow opening, especially one for receiving coins or a letter, in a machine or container. A slot may also refer to:
A place in a series or sequence; an allocation or position; a time-slot
She slotted the filter into the machine.
The narrow opening in a computer’s case into which a processor is placed, or the socket to which it is fitted.
In a computer, a slot is a location where a processor can be inserted to upgrade its memory and other internal components. Originally, slots were used to hold large mainframe computers, such as the CDC 7600. Later, as personal computers grew in popularity and required more memory and speed, slots became more commonplace.
On a slot machine, a player inserts cash or a ticket with a barcode (on “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines) into a slot, which activates the reels. When the symbols line up on the payline, the player receives credits according to a payout table. The symbols vary by machine, but classics include fruit, bells, and stylized lucky sevens. Most slots have a theme, and bonus features align with the theme.
A time-slot is an allotted period of time in which a specific activity may take place. For example, a student might be assigned an hour-long class on Tuesday afternoons. A worker might be scheduled to work three hours a day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
If a person is at the front of a queue, they are in the slot, or lane. If someone is a few spots ahead of them, they are in the second slot. A person or machine that has cleaned out two players before them is in the third slot, or hole.
A random number generator in a slot machine generates a sequence of numbers every millisecond. This number is compared to the paytable, which lists winning combinations and their payoffs, to determine if any of the reels have stopped in the correct position to award a jackpot. Originally, the number of possible combinations was limited by the mechanical limitations of the spinning reels, but modern slot games use electronic random number generators that have exponentially greater possibilities.
In the past, a slot machine had only one pay line, which ran down the center of the reels. A win was only possible when all the symbols lined up on this single line. Now, many slot machines have multiple pay lines that form intricate patterns across the reels. These extra lines allow players to wager more money on each spin, which increases their chances of winning.
Some slot machines have jackpots that can reach millions of dollars. These large jackpots are based on the fact that nobody can predict when the winning combination will appear. However, this doesn’t mean that people can’t get lucky and walk away with a huge payday. It just means that a machine must have cleaned out two players before you for you to be in the right place at the right time.