Dave Dealer
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I always play classic pokies when I get tired of all the top-notch features. Want to join me?
Intro to Online Classic Slots
A lot of people get surprised when I tell them that I do love to play pokies for real money in the classic genre. You know, I’m an experienced gambler and make my living by betting, so why would I even play these “plain” games that can’t offer me a thousand of paylines and a couple of mini-games? Well, the fact is, I often get tired of all those bright and loud video pokies and just want to easily spin the reels while enjoying the old-school casino vibes with bonuses similar to 100 free spins casino. And this is when classic pokies are just perfect for me.
It upsets me a lot that classic games are so underestimated by many players, and I’d like to change it with the help of this guide. Later on this page, I’ll tell you what makes classic pokies so good, and what you can do to find the perfect game right for your needs and personal preferences.
What’s the Difference Between Classic Pokies and Video Pokies?
Some people think that classic pokies are all the same video pokies but with the less number of advanced features or more basic graphics. But classic pokies and video pokies have much more differences than the quality of animations or the number of free spins. Below, I’ll tell you more about the unique characteristics of classic games so you don’t mistake them with anything else anymore.
Number of reels
If you are looking for a classic pokie or want to play video slots — just count the reels. While video pokies usually have 5 reels or even more, classic pokies can only offer you 3.
Old-school game symbols
If you are a fan of video pokies, you know how creative the developer can get when it comes to game symbols. Animals, flowers, movie characters, vampires — and it’s only the start of the list of what you can sometimes find on the reels. In classic pokies, you’ll play with a limited set of symbols that are more or less the same in every game, i.e. diamonds, bells, fruits, BARs, and lucky 7s.
A lot of video slots pay out SOMETHING more frequently than reel machines. Because video slots will often pay you back a fraction of your original bet back, whereas, on most reel machines, the minimum win on a spin is 2x your bet (like a classic cherry). So it's not unfair to say video slots pay out more frequently, but that's not the whole picture.
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Basic features
Not only the graphics and game symbols are pretty simple in classic pokies, game features are too. Don’t expect any advanced bonus rounds, mini-games, or whatever else you usually come across in video pokies — in classic games, there is nothing more than a Scatter and a Multiplier. And the best thing is that it doesn’t make classic games less entertaining or lucrative, it just makes them simpler.
Limited number of paylines
As video pokies have more reels and more game features, they respectively have a higher number of possible paylines. In some super-advanced games, this number can reach a thousand. Due to the simplicity of classic pokies, you’ll hardly find one with more than 5 paylines, while most of them only offer 1-3.
Choosing the Best Classic Pokie (GUIDE)
You know how a classic pokie looks and how it works, now it’s time to learn how to distinguish a good game and play it in the safest and the most lucrative way. To do it, you’ll need to follow 5 simple steps.
I can’t say it’s a complicated process, but it’s definitely a time-consuming one. So if you are short of time and want to start betting immediately, feel free to pick a classic pokie out of my list and play it in fair and secure online casinos.
Step 1.Find your favourite providers
If you have a favourite provider of gambling games, there is a chance there are classic pokies in its collection as well, as they are quite popular among the gamblers of all ages, genders, and locations. Even the companies like Microgaming gambling that specialize in state-of-the-art video pokies have a dozen of old-school titles in the list.
So, to find a classic game created by a provider of your choice, tick the respective box in the filter on the right side of this page. You’ll see all the games sorted by providers and any other characteristic.
Step 2. Look for a higher RTP rate
I repeat this in every guide, so you probably already remember the rule, but I can’t help to emphasize it once again — checking the RTP of the game before you start playing it is one of the most important factors to ensure a pleasant and rewarding gambling experience.
As pokies are generally the games with the highest RTP, there won’t be a problem in finding a classic pokie with 99% RTP or even higher. I don’t recommend games that offer less than 94-95% RTP, though some exceptions might occur.
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NetEnt
NetEnt
Step 3. Play a demo first
Of course, we all play casino games to win money, not just to have fun. But there are moments when you really need to play a game for free — to see how it works, to master your betting strategy, or to choose among several games of the same providers. This is when free demos will come handy.
Here on my website, you can find a variety of classic pokies available to play for fun without registration and any downloads. Just hit the “play for free” button and enjoy the game free of charge until you are ready to move forward and play it for real money.
Step 4. Pick the right website
There is no point in finding the best classic pokies if you don’t have a good casino to play it. So your next step is to check all the casino quality factors which include the valid license, the choice of banking options, the bonus wagering requirement, the security standards used, and so on. It’s especially important when you are in Australia, where online gambling is considered to be a slightly shady activity.
Another option is to use my list of the best australian casinos available for Australian players. There, you’ll find only the licensed and pre-checked casinos that I had personal experience with or got plenty of positive reviews from other players.
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Step 5. Take care of your bankroll.
This is not something you’ll read in online casino blogs as the main goal of any casino is to make you spend as much money as possible. Alternatively, my goal is to teach you how to spend your money reasonably and always win more than you lose. That’s why you always need to manage your bankroll before betting. Set the limit of the money you can afford to lose today/this week/this month, and try to never exceed it. Plan your betting scheme and define whether you are ready for larger wagers or you’d prefer to play with the smaller ones.
Once you are done with financial planning, you can finally make the final step and launch a classic pokie in one of the safe casinos to get the perfect old-school experience and the wins, if luck is on your side today.
Best Classic Pokies Chosen By Me
If you are now thinking that all the classic pokies are the same, you are right and wrong at the same time. Yes, the layout of the reels and the game symbols are pretty much the same in every classic pokie, but there are also games that stand out thanks to their quality, graphics, gameplay, etc. I picked out 10 of such classic pokies and put them in my top-list — make sure to pick one of them if you are a newbie and don’t know where to start.
✅ Irish Gold by PlaynGo. There are many Irish-themed pokies, and Irish Gold is one of the best of them, at least among the classic ones. It’s a cartoonish game with 3 reels, 5 paylines, 95.42% RTP, and funny leprechauns serving as game symbols.
✅ Hot 27 by Amatic. Amatic is a less known developer though it often creates the games worth playing, one of them being Hot 27 — a 2D classic pokie with traditional fruit symbols and 96% RTP.
✅ Track & Field Mouse by Microgaming. This game is a combination of a classic and a video pokie. Even though it has a 3-reel layout and 1 payline, it’s slightly more diverse than a typical classic pokie and offers several bonus features and rounds.
✅ Couch Potato by Microgaming. It’s not like Couch Potato pokie has some unique features or sophisticated outlook, but it’s just a good classic game created by one of the industry leaders, so give it a try.
✅ Bermuda Triangle by Playtech. This is the game for those who like mysteries and classic pokies at the same time. Expect wrecked ships, missing planes, and various water creatures as game symbols, and, of course, 5 paylines and 96.73% RTP.
✅ Wacky Panda by Microgaming. No fruits and 7’s here, just the cute pandas challenging you in a battle for wins. As always, Microgaming is second to none when it comes to graphics and gameplay.
✅ Jackpot Jester 50,000 by Nextgen Gaming. Even though Jackpot Jester is a classic pokie, it has quite an unusual layout of reels. Add 99.9% RTP and you’ll get the game that is worth checking immediately.
✅ Alchemist Lab by Playtech. In this 3-reel 1-payline pokie, you have a chance to brew a potion that will make you reach. Regardless of your potion-brewing skills, the 96% RTP significantly increases your chances of winning.
✅ Ocean Princess by Playtech. Ocean Princess is a 5-payline pokie with 99.07% RTP that will catch you fancy if you like ocean-themed games. Or if you are a princess.
✅ Wild Melon by PlaynGo. This is the game that you need if you are on a hunt for a simple yet high-quality fruit-machine.
History of Pokies
If you’ve ever been interested in the history of pokies and the long way this game made from “what this machine even is?” to the most popular casino product in the world, here are some quick insights to the matter.
The first pokie-machine was invented in 1891 by Sittman and Pitt in New York. It was nothing like modern pokies as it used cards and paid out non-monetary prizes like drinks and cigars. Charles Augustus Fey modernized this machine and in 1895, the first pokie-machine that paid real money was invented.
This started the long history of one-armed bandits that became more and more sophisticated and reliable. The latter aspect especially increased their popularity among gamblers.
In 1996, the first video pokie was created. Now it featured a bonus round and started to resemble the games that we are all playing now in offline and online casinos. At that time, pokies were already the most popular casino games and took up to 70% of floor space in almost every brick-and-mortar casino.
At the end of the ‘90s, the era of online gambling started. Since then, the industry moved from simple and classic fruit machines to the advanced video pokies with lots of features.
Conclusion
Some people might think that playing classic pokies is weird when there are tons of much more advanced and sophisticated games, but I’m totally sure they will find their audience — and you can be a part of it. Both beginners and experienced gambling connoisseurs love classic pokies for their atmosphere and total simplicity — exactly what you need when you are tired and don’t want to go into the twists and turns of video pokies.
Ready to start? Just pick a game from my selection of the best classic pokies. Try a free demo first to make sure you love it and get redirected to a reliable online casino once you are ready to bet the real money.
