A narrow opening or groove, especially one used to hold coins.
A slot in a schedule or program. He reserved a time slot for the appointment.
The area in the hockey rink right in front of the goaltender and between the face-off circles is known as the high slot or low slot. In video games, a slot is the amount of space on the screen that can be occupied by other characters or objects.
When people talk about “loose” or “tight” slots they are referring to the machine’s payout percentage. Loose machines tend to pay out more often, while tight ones don’t. It’s important to read a machine’s pay table before playing to understand the probability of winning. Many modern machines also have a HELP or INFO button that will explain the various payout levels, number of pay lines and jackpot rules.
It’s also a good idea to avoid multi-tasking while playing slot machines. If you’re on a busy casino floor, it’s best to stick with one machine at a time to avoid ruining someone else’s experience with your greed or inability to concentrate. Getting too greedy or betting more than you can afford to lose are the two biggest pitfalls of slot playing, turning what could be a fun, relaxing experience into something that will make you want to pull your hair out.