Why read the help if the game shows what I won anyway?
Because the screen only shows the result, while the help shows the rule. The displayed win does not explain why it is that amount or what a different position would have paid. The help lists what each symbol is worth, which positions count, the theoretical return and where the ceiling is.
Most ‘the machine cheated me’ moments come from someone assuming different rules from the ones written down.
If reels, wilds and scatters are still unclear, skim the lesson on slot basics first.
A small ‘i’ in the corner: where it opens and what is inside
The help usually opens from an ‘i’, a question mark or a hamburger menu near the spin button; on a phone it sometimes hides behind the gear icon. The content is almost always split into several pages:
- Symbol values – what each picture pays for how many of a kind.
- Special symbols and features – wild, scatter, free spins, multipliers.
- Line diagram or ways description – which positions form a win.
- General rules – RTP, maximum win, interrupted rounds, malfunction.
The fourth page gets the fewest readers, yet it holds the most important numbers.
Multiplier or euros? What the numbers next to symbols mean
Next to the symbols you usually see rows like ‘5 – 50, 4 – 20, 3 – 5’. This means what five, four or three matching symbols are worth – the only question is a multiple of what.
One approach shows multipliers of the total stake, the other of the line bet, i.e. the share of the total stake that falls on one line. On a 20-line game with a 1 euro stake the line bet is 0.05 euros, so a value of ‘50’ could mean 2.50 or 50 euros.
Many modern games show the amounts in euros based on your current stake. To check, change the stake and see whether the numbers move.
Line diagrams and ways: which positions count
On a payline game the help draws the paths in small diagrams. You win when matching symbols sit along one of these paths without a gap, starting from the leftmost reel.
Look for two rules in almost every help screen: usually only the highest win per line is paid, while wins on different lines are added up.
In a ways system (243 ways, for instance) there is no diagram, because every position on adjacent reels can connect – what matters is whether the symbol appears on each reel from left to right. The scatter is the exception in both systems: it counts anywhere.
Willy's Hot Chillies and 777 Strike: what to look for in two help screens
The figures come from the studios’ official pages (11 October 2026). The last column shows what each figure means once you open the help in the game.
| What you look for | Willy's Hot Chillies (NetEnt) | 777 Strike (Red Tiger) | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grid and lines | 5×3, 20 lines | 5×3, 10 lines | The total stake is split across this many paths. |
| RTP | 96.00% | 95.80% | The studio’s figure; the info panel shows the live version. |
| Volatility | Medium | High | The studio’s own word, not a shared scale. |
| Hit rate | 21.00% | 22.47% | Roughly one in how many rounds brings something. |
| Max win | 1,000× the stake | 2,830× the stake | A ceiling, not an expected value. |
| Special feature | stacked multiplier wilds, Willy's Hot Wheel | 3 scatters on reels 1, 3 and 5: 7 free spins, then Win Spins and Wild Spins, up to 21 in total | Read here what triggers the bonus and what happens inside it. |
| Bonus buy | none | none | Without one, the bonus is reachable only by spinning. |
Notice: the two games have almost the same hit rate, yet their ceilings differ nearly threefold. Why these are separate questions is shown in the lesson on volatility and hit rate.
The last help page: RTP line, ceiling, interrupted round
The RTP line typically reads: ‘the theoretical return of this game is 96.00%’. The key word is ‘theoretical’ – it is an average over many millions of rounds, not your evening. A studio can offer several RTP versions of one game, so on Dukat.bet what counts is always the info panel opened inside the game, not an outside site or the lobby’s ‘High RTP’ tag. What this means in money is worked out in the lesson on RTP and house edge.
For the maximum win, also find out what happens when a round hits the ceiling. In many games the feature ends at once – whether that applies to a given title, the rules will tell you.
This page also covers interrupted rounds – more on that in the questions below.
‘Malfunction voids all pays and plays’ – the smallest print
Almost every help screen contains this line, in English or translated: a malfunction voids all payouts and plays. Put simply: if the software demonstrably malfunctioned, a win shown in that round is not owed to you.
It is rare, but worth being ready for.
If a round behaves oddly – the picture does not match the balance, or a feature freezes – take a screenshot, note the time and the game’s name, and contact the casino’s support. The decision rests on the server log, so the exact time is valuable.
Four common misreadings of the help – and the correct reading
| What many people believe | What is actually true | How to check it |
|---|---|---|
| The table’s numbers always refer to the total stake. | They can be line-bet multipliers; the gap can be twentyfold. | Change the stake and see what the table shows in euros. |
| If the help says 1,000×, I can win that on any evening. | That is the ceiling, and most players never reach it. | Compare the ceiling with the hit rate and volatility. |
| Every combination on a line is paid. | Usually only the highest win per line is paid. | Find the ‘highest win per line’ or a similar line in the rules. |
| The malfunction line is a mere formality. | It decides what happens to the win from a faulty round. | Read it on the rules page and know what to document if you ever need to. |
An invented table, three rounds: how much does it pay?
Practice exercise with made-up numbers – not Dukat.bet data:
An invented machine has 20 lines, and the table shows line-bet multipliers: three cherries 10×, four crowns 50×. The wild substitutes and doubles the win of the line it sits on. Total stake: 1 euro, i.e. 0.05 euros per line. How much do the three rounds pay?
- Round 1: three cherries on each of two lines.
- Round 2: four crowns on one line, one of them replaced by a wild.
- Round 3: three cherries on reels 1, 2 and 4, on one line.
Solution. Round 1: 2 × 10 × 0.05 = 1.00 euro – exactly the stake, net zero, even though the game celebrates a win. Round 2: 50 × 0.05 × 2 = 5.00 euros. Round 3: 0 euros, because reel 3 was skipped and the line broke. In total, 6 euros for 3 euros staked – an invented lucky streak that says nothing about the next three.
What to copy from the help into your own notebook
- Line-bet multiplier or total stake? One word next to it is enough.
- The RTP you saw in the info panel, with the date.
- The max win as a stake multiple, and what happens when a round reaches it.
- What triggers the bonus: how many scatters, on which reels.
- The rule on interrupted rounds and malfunction, in one sentence.
The best practice ground for this is demo mode: there you can open the help without staking anything and compare the description with what happens on the reels. Continue with the lesson on demo play.