Australian players spend more per capita on pokies than almost any other nation, and the symbols spinning across those reels follow patterns that have barely changed since the mechanical machines of the 1950s. Understanding what each symbol pays and how often it appears is one of the simplest ways to get more value from a session. This guide breaks down the icons you’ll see on most local titles and the returns attached to them. Discover further information on Casino Bello mobile.
High-Paying Symbols: The Big Ticket Icons
Wilds and scatters sit at the top of the payout hierarchy. A wild typically substitutes for every other symbol except the scatter, and landing five on a payline can return anywhere from 500x to 1,000x your line bet. Scatters are even more valuable because they usually don’t need to sit on a payline to trigger , three or more anywhere on the reels often launches a free spin round.
Below the specials come the themed premium icons. In classic fruit machines these are the lucky seven and the BAR, paying roughly 100x to 200x for a five-of-a-kind. Modern video pokies replace them with characters, gemstones, or animals, but the maths stays similar: premium symbols deliver about 10 to 20 times the return of the low-value card icons over the long run.
It’s worth noting that payouts are expressed as multipliers of your line bet, not your total stake. A 100x symbol on a 25-line machine paying $1 per line returns $100 , not $2,500. Confusing the two is one of the most common mistakes new players make.
Low-Paying Symbols and Why They Matter
Playing card icons , 9, 10, J, Q, K, and A , are the workhorses of almost every pokie. They appear far more often than premium symbols, which keeps the reels spinning and delivers frequent small wins that extend playtime. A five-of-a-kind on a ten or jack might pay just 5x to 10x your line bet.
Don’t dismiss them. Because they land so frequently, card symbols typically account for a large share of the total return to player. On a typical Australian title with an RTP of 96%, the low symbols might contribute 40% of that figure, while the premium symbols and bonus features account for the rest.
| Symbol Type | Typical Five-of-a-Kind Payout | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Wild | 500x-1,000x line bet | Rare |
| Scatter | Bonus trigger, 50x-200x | Rare |
| Premium (seven, gem, character) | 100x-200x | Moderate |
| Card icons (A, K, Q) | 10x-25x | Common |
| Card icons (J, 10, 9) | 5x-10x | Very common |
Reading Paytables Like a Local
Every regulated pokie in Australia must display its paytable, usually via an info button or a printed card on the cabinet. Before you commit a dollar, scan it for three things: the wild multiplier, the scatter trigger requirement, and the maximum bet the machine accepts. Venues in New South Wales and Queensland cap maximum bets, which changes how quickly your balance moves.
Volatility matters just as much as raw payouts. A high-volatility title leans on big premium wins and may go dozens of spins without a meaningful return, while a low-volatility game spreads smaller, more frequent card-symbol hits. Matching that profile to your bankroll is far more useful than chasing the biggest advertised jackpot.
Finally, remember that symbols are cosmetic. The payout percentages are set by the random number generator, not by how recently a premium icon appeared. A machine that just paid a wild is no more or less likely to pay another on the next spin.
