Online pokies are the digital version of the poker machines you find in Australian pubs and clubs. You choose a bet, press spin, and the reels stop on a random result. If the symbols line up in a winning pattern, the game pays you according to its paytable. This guide explains each part of a pokie so you know what you are looking at before you play.
Most pokies have five reels (the vertical columns) and three or four rows. A payline is a path across the reels that counts as a win when matching symbols land on it, usually starting from the leftmost reel. Classic games have 9 to 25 fixed paylines. Many newer games use a "ways" system instead — for example 243, 1024 or 4096 ways — where any matching symbols on neighbouring reels pay, no matter which row they land on.
Your total bet per spin is shown at the bottom of the game. In most modern pokies you set one total amount and the game spreads it across all lines. Wins in the paytable are usually shown as a multiple of your bet, so a bigger bet gives bigger wins and bigger losses at the same rate. A sensible starting point is a bet that lets you make at least 100 spins with the amount you planned to spend.
RTP (return to player) is the share of all money wagered that a game pays back over millions of spins. A 96% RTP game is designed to return about $96 for every $100 wagered in the very long run — it says nothing about a single session. Volatility describes how wins are spread: low-volatility games pay small amounts often, high-volatility games pay rarely but can pay much more. Read more in our RTP and volatility guide.
Every studio has its own style. Here are the pokies studios on FRENZY96 with a public game list, and how many games each has right now:
| Studio | Games |
|---|---|
| KA Gaming | 846 |
| BNG (Booongo) | 211 |
| JILI | 172 |
| ACE333 | 158 |
| Pegasus | 142 |
| EVO888 H5 | 138 |
| Spadegaming | 138 |
| CQ9 | 126 |
| XE88 | 111 |
| JDB | 95 |
| PlayStar | 91 |
| FastSpin | 80 |
| 2J | 78 |
| 888King | 78 |
| Rich Gaming | 72 |
| AceWin | 71 |
| Fa Chai | 67 |
| BeSoft | 58 |
| Apollo | 55 |
| NextSpin | 55 |
| CrowdPlay | 39 |
| WOW Gaming | 38 |
| AI Gaming | 37 |
| Fuma | 36 |
Decide how much you are happy to spend before you open a game, and stop when it is gone. Pokies results are random: there is no pattern to follow and no way to make a machine "due" to pay. Our budget guide has simple ways to stay in control.
They work in a similar way: random results, reels and a paytable. Online pokies usually offer more themes, more ways to win and features such as free spins and bonus buys.
No strategy changes the result of a spin, because each spin is random. What you can control is your bet size, which game you choose and how much you spend.
Choose a bet that lets you make at least 100 spins with your session budget. For example, with $20 to spend, a bet of 20 cents or less gives you a long enough session to learn the game.
No. Games run in your phone or computer browser, and you play in Australian dollars.
No. A pokie does not remember previous spins, so a game is never "due" for a win after a losing streak.
18+ only. Gamble responsibly.