A slot is a narrow opening into which something else may fit, for example, a hole into which you place coins to make a machine work. The sense of a time slot or position in a schedule or program is attested from 1917; that of “an office, berth, job, or timetable” is from 1942.

The pay table is a page or window that shows the symbols in a particular slot game and how much you can win for landing three, four, or five of them on a paying line. Usually, a slot’s pay table also includes information about special symbols, such as Wild or Scatter. A good understanding of these is helpful, as it can help you maximize your enjoyment and chance of winning.

Many slot games have several reels, and some even have multiple paylines. You can see the different paylines on the screen by looking for a row of colored boxes at the top or bottom of the screen. Those rows represent the paylines, and each color indicates a specific symbol. The colors also indicate the amount you can win if you land matching symbols on that payline. Pay tables vary between slots, but they are generally easy to find on a slot machine. Some machines have the pay table printed above and below the reels; others hide it in a help menu or within a scrolling banner at the top of the screen. Some online casinos also display a pay table.