Win Both Ways Slots (Highest RTP/Payouts): Guide + Full List
Last updated: September 5, 2022
Normally, to get you a winning per line, slot symbols must form some pattern which is called a payline. Moreover, there is a rule regarding in what succession paying symbols must land on the reels. Nine times out of ten, they have to appear from the leftmost to the rightmost to become an eligible win per line.
Win both ways feature, on the other hand, erase the “from the leftmost to the rightmost” rule, making succession from both sides eligible to get you a winning per payline, as the name of the feature suggests.
Best Paying (RTP) Online Slots Paying Both Ways
Full list of slots paying both ways
With that being said, I assume it is also worth discussing:
What make Win both ways feature special
Best 5 Win both ways slots of all time (in my humble opinion)
Win both ways’s impact on RTP, Volatility and Winning hit frequency, along with some other questions you may ask
More on Win both ways feature
First thing first, let’s take a look at how Win both ways feature work (let’s give credit to Yggdrasil which has done a good job illustrating the feature in their info section).
Win both ways feature is actually very straightforward one, and there is not much to say about it, except for that winnings are eligible in any succession (from the leftmost to the rightmost and from the rightmost to the leftmost). However, this is what distinguish it from other slot features:
Arguably more fun to play as now you can get a winning from an unexpected pattern.
It used to be implemented fairly often in some land-based casinos, to beat the competition, alluring players with the “pays twice more” slogan, which is absolute bullshit obviously.
In some slots, Win both ways principle is only applied to special situations. For example, Bonus symbols form an eligible payline pattern in any succession, whereas other payline winnings pay only from the leftmost to the right.
In some slots, for example, Nicola Tesla’s incredible machine, during base game symbols pay only from leftmost to the right, while during Free spins round that pay both ways.
Best 5 Win both ways slots of all time
Secrets of Atlantis (Netent)
Play Secrets of Atlantis for real money
Secrets of Atlantis is a perfectly made Netent product (the absolute leader of the industry by the way). The slot looks great, and, what I believe is more important, it has an outstanding RTP of 97.07 %. I am sure everybody agrees, not so many products on the market can boast with such numbers.
RTP: 97.07% Volatility: Low Paylines: 40 Free spins: Yes Multiplier: No
Maximum possible win: x1,600 (of your total stake)
Toki Time (Thunderkick)
Toki Time was released by Thunderkick back in 2014. Nevertheless, the slot looks quite modern even years later. The main reason I include it in the rating is very high RTP (97.1%). Toki Time also has a good balance between volatility (medium) and maximum possible win (x2,400 of total bet).
RTP: 97.1% Volatility: Medium Paylines: 10 Free spins: No Multiplier: No
Maximum possible win: x2,400 (of your stake)
Dark Vortex (Yggdrasil)
Play Dark Vortex for real money
Dark Vortex is a Yggdrasil product, and, as we can always expect from this team, it is absolutely amazing. The slot has 243 ways to win feature implemented. On top of that, you can test your luck trying to hit the local jackpot, which is quite an exciting experience. Moreover, you can buy bonus game and get it right away paying x80 of your stake.
RTP: 96.5% Volatility: High Paylines: 243 Free spins: Yes Multiplier: yes
Maximum possible win: x73,180 (of your stake)
Invisible Man (Netent)
Play Invisible Man for real money
Invisible Man is a movie based Netent slot. It has amazing graphics and sounds (as usual when it comes to Netent). The game has a rather High volatility level as it allows players to compete for super thrilling x10,000 of your bet.
RTP: 96,3% Volatility: Medium-High Paylines: 20 Free spins: Yes Multiplier: Yes
Maximum possible win: x10,000 (of your stake)
Nicola Tesla's Incredible Machine (Yggdrasil)
Play Nicola Tesla's Incredible Machine for real money
Nicola Tesla's Incredible Machine is designed by Rabcat studio which is known for its collaborations with Disney. As a result the slot looks great. The RTP level is a bit lower than the previous slots from the rating have. Anyway I feel like it fully deserves its place here as it is actually powered by Yggdrasil, and we can be sure that the declared RTP is actually there.
RTP: 96,2% Volatility: Medium-low Paylines: 25 Free spins: Yes Multiplier: No
Maximum possible win: (of your stake)
How does Win both ways affect RTP, Volatility and Winning hit frequency
Win both ways’ impact on RTP
There is no either correlation or causation between this feature and RTP (opposite to what some shady websites claim). As a result there are many products on the market with high RTP and low RTP as well (use a rating above where slots are filtered by RTP).
Win both ways’ impact on Volatility
The same is true when it comes to Volatility. You can easily come across Win both ways slots with full spectrum of volatility levels.
Win both ways’ impact on Winning hit frequency
Win both ways feature does not affect Winning hit frequency at all. However, this is a less obvious point, so let’s elaborate on. It may seem that Win both ways should pay twice more frequently as they pay both ways, but this is a quite widespread misunderstanding. Why? because software providers obviously keep this moment in mind and adjust Winning hit frequency so it is not any different than on average (which is around 20-30%).
Best 5 software providers with Win both ways slots in the portfolio
The criteria I used to pick the best ones are the following: decent RTP on average, nice looking modern games and their RTP was properly tested by third-party companies. So these are going to be our champions:
Some other questions you may ask
Can I adjust the number of paylines in Win both ways slots? In the majority of them you can not, this statement is actually for online slots in general.
Does this rule apply to Scatter symbols? No, it does not. Scatters are very different beasts, and their main advantage is that they can appear anywhere on the reels (that’s why they are called the way they are).
Does Win both ways feature widespread in the industry? In my rough estimation, around 10% of online slots come with the Win both ways feature. So it is not prevalent, it is fair to say.
If now there are twice more opportunities to win, does it mean Win both ways slots pay better? Not at all! RTP of win both ways slots is usually what you can expect on average in the gambling industry (96-97%). So to speak, “the house always wins” speaking about Win both ways slots.
Where to learn in what succession a particular video slot pays? This aspect of the game is always covered in the “info” section, which every slot game has. Just click on “i” icon and scroll a few pages if it is necessary.
List of Win Both Ways slots
The playing field of any slot consists of 3 to 9 reels. These are vertical rotating sections. Together with 1-10 rows, they make up the playing field, on which symbols are dropped out in random order. The first payouts occurred on the lines. That is, to win or activate the bonus round (function) it was necessary to collect 3 or more of the same symbol on at least one of the lines. They had to be placed without interruption from reel 1 to 3, i.e. from left to right.
A little later, the providers decided to improve the payout system. So the Win Both Ways mechanic appeared. In it, fact, the chances of winning are doubled, because the formation of lines begins on both sides of the playing field. Well, do not forget that video slots - are a gamble. Their point is to keep the players in suspense until the last second. And it is just this system copes with this task better than others. The moment it first appeared, players were thrilled. Now, even the last reel could decide the outcome of the round, because the characters can go from left to right or from right to left. The main condition - they must not be interrupted. That is, for example, if you collect Wilds Symbol in a 5-reel slot, they must fall on the line at least 1, 2, 3 or 5, 4, 3 reels. This system can be found in hundreds of slot machines, including:
Cyrus the Virus
The Invisible Man
TikiPop
Crystal Sun
Wild Trigger.
As time moves on, slot payout systems are improving. Megaways, Cluster Pays, Hold and Win, Infinity Reels and many others have become familiar mechanics. In this variety, many users have started to forget the old, but still working system of Win Both Ways. If you still haven't come across games with these mechanics, be sure to try them out. They always have exciting gameplay, and ease of use, and just give you a new gaming experience.
How to play Win Both Ways slots
The first step towards winning is to bet with real money. As attractive as the free version of Win Both Ways is, it doesn't replace the excitement of the paid version. Choose your wager size. More often than not, video slots of this type will require a higher wager. To adjust the size, use the dedicated "Bet" or "Stake" button. You may also find a "Max Bet" button in some versions. This is designed just for those who like to risk the maximum. Your bet may be influenced, among other things, by how much the name has. If it is high, the chance of winning a spin only increases over time. If the volatility is low, it's time to play for higher amounts, because the winnings will be more frequent in this case.
Are you familiar with the Autoplay mode? It encourages you to spin the reels automatically the number of times the player chooses. If after each spin you change the bet size, according to its outcome, this mode will not suit you. If your strategy is to spin the reels a certain number of times without changing the bet, be sure to use it. It is very convenient. You just need to watch the outcome of each spin for as long as this mode is active. That's enough to trust your money to RNG and luck.
How to win playing Win Both Ways slots
Payouts in slots with this mechanic can take place under certain conditions. These conditions are just as simple as in regular slots with lines. You need to spin the reels in an attempt to get high-paying repeating symbols on three consecutive reels. The only difference is that in the system in question, the winning symbols follow each other from both the first and fifth reel. In effect, this gives users twice as many chances to win. Also, some symbols, like Wild and Scatter, can be the most valuable. Thanks to them, you can unlock additional options - Free Spins, Bonus Game, Multiplier, Free Spins Multiplier. In some games, these features offer particularly large payouts. Keep in mind, though, that RTP is rarely the same for all features in slots. For example, with an RTP of 95% in the Risk game it can be as high as 97%, in Bonus Game 96%, and in Buy Feature depending on the purchase price. Be sure to read the payout table when choosing a new game for you.
Ask an experienced player just one question: "How do you win at online slots? The answer may come as a surprise: "There is no way of predicting the outcome of the spins. No way has yet been devised to get your chances even close to 50%. The general rule is to treat the game as entertainment, do not spend all your money on a slot that shows consistently rare payouts, and your balance has almost dried up to zero. Choose a slot machine according to your capabilities, keep an eye on its payout and just relax.
Conclusion
Summing up, the Win both ways feature is only here to make gambling experience a bit more diverse, and that’s it. It does not make online gambling profitable in the long run so don’t fall for tricks of rogue casinos which might claim otherwise.
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