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The Ultimate Guide to Winning More Often on the Pokies

Pokie Machines

How Traditional Pokies Work

The Inside of a Traditional Pokie

If you have ever played a traditional poker machine or 'pokie' then you know how exciting the clanks and bings of this machine can be. We have become so intoned to this sound that we react to these sounds like Pavlov's dogs, drooling at the mere thought that a coin waterfall is about to stream out of the machine. However, while we all know the sound and results of our inserting a coin and pulling a lever, few people know how the traditional machines actually worked.

The Traditional Pokie

The traditional pokie was first installed in casinos to act as a way to entice less skilled gamblers into investing their money. They specifically targeted people who didn't like to play table games, or who where just walking by the casino. The pokie's shiny appearance and ease of use made it an irresistible toy that adults couldn't stay away from.

To work the traditional pokie the customer only had to insert their coin, pull the long lever, watch the reels spin, and wait to see if they won a small, medium, or large jackpot. It was a very simple process, on the outside. However, on the inside a series of gears, levers, and sensors were all working together to determine if this coin pull would deserve a payout.

The inside of a traditional pokie was a central metal shaft. This shaft was the framework on which the reels were supported. Attached to metal shaft was the metal lever that the gambler pulled after depositing their coin. This is what activated the movement inside of the slot machine. A sensor was located by the coin slot that verified a coin had been dropped and the game was authorized to initiate. A braking system was also installed to stop the spinning reels and another set of sensors reported where the reels stopped to the payout system. If the reel sensor reported a winning combination the payout system would release a predetermined number of coins. These coins would fall from the coin container inside of the machine into the external tray where the gambler could easily collect their winnings.

Over the years the manufacturers of pokies have played around with this original design improving its appearance, sounds, and functionality. They added more reels, more lines, and more payout options. Eventually the traditional pokie was advanced beyond its original limits, and the old heavy metal machines were eventually replaced with sleek electronic modern machines. And while most casinos have replaced all of their traditional pokies with newer models, there are still a few locations that keep operational traditional in their lobbies.