What are Paylines?

Paylines are the patterns across a slot machine's reels where matching symbols must land for you to win a prize. Traditional pokies had simple horizontal lines, but modern games feature paylines that can run horizontally, vertically, diagonally, or in zigzag patterns across the reels. You typically need to match 3 or more identical symbols along an active payline to win, starting from the leftmost reel. Some pokies have fixed paylines (you bet on all of them), while others let you choose how many to activate. Australian players should understand that more paylines generally mean more chances to win, but also higher minimum bets, so choose games that fit your budget and playing style.