A narrow notch, groove or opening, such as a slot in a machine for accepting coins or a time slot on a calendar. Also: A space or position in a group, series, or sequence (as in the slots on an ice hockey rink). In computing, a logical or virtual place for an expansion card, such as a graphics card. The term is derived from electromechanical slot machines, which had a mechanism for accepting paper tickets that could be inserted in the machine’s slit-like coin opening.

The number of possible combinations of symbols on a slot machine’s reels is limited by the fact that the reels must spin to select each symbol. The appearance of symbols on a payline, however, is determined by the computer program that weights particular combinations. This means that a winning combination will appear more frequently on the visible part of the reel, even though it may actually occur randomly at any point during the many cycles of a single game.

Picking machines based on what you like to increase your enjoyment is important, but luck plays the biggest role in slot success. So, if you see someone else win a jackpot, don’t get discouraged by the odds that you will hit it next. The reality is that the person who won had to be at the machine in exactly the same split-second as the winner, and that person was lucky enough to be there when the winning combination appeared.