Dark Waters III Power Combo: The Cursed Voyage

The top prize is capped at 5,000x your stake. On a $1 spin that is $5,000; on $0.20 it is $1,000. When the cap is reached the round usually ends immediately.

Multipliers are applied to wins as they land; in many games several multipliers add together or multiply each other, which is where the largest wins come from.

RTP is a long-run average across millions of spins. Any single session can finish far above or below it, especially on a volatile game.

Free spins

A bonus round of spins played at no cost to your balance, usually triggered by landing three or more scatter symbols. Wins during the round are added to your balance, and many games let you retrigger extra spins.

Ante bet

An optional extra charge on each spin, typically +25%, that increases the chance of triggering the bonus feature.

Bonus buy

Lets you pay a fixed multiple of your stake to enter the bonus feature straight away instead of waiting for it to trigger. It raises variance considerably and is not available in every country (it is banned in the UK).

Hold and win

Landing enough special cash or coin symbols starts a respin feature: those symbols lock in place, the respin counter resets each time a new one lands, and their values are collected when the feature ends.

Expanding reels

The grid grows during play, adding rows or reels and increasing the number of ways or lines that can pay.

Fixed jackpots

Jackpot prizes set at fixed multiples of your stake, such as Mini, Minor, Major and Grand.

Multipliers

Multipliers increase a win by a set factor, such as 2x or 10x. They can be attached to symbols, applied to a whole spin, or grow during a feature, and are a main driver of the biggest wins.

Wild symbols

Wilds substitute for regular paying symbols to help complete winning combinations. They do not normally replace scatter or bonus symbols.

• Understand the ante bet. It costs more per spin to trigger features more often; it does not change the game into a better bet.
• Bonus wagering: at 96% RTP, clearing $1,000 of wagering costs about $40.00 on average. Check the bonus terms, as some casinos exclude specific games. Run your numbers in the wagering calculator.
• Set limits before you spin. Decide your loss limit and session time in advance and stop when you reach either. No pattern or betting system changes the outcome of a spin.

More on this in slot RTP and volatility explained and bankroll management.