A narrow notch, groove, or opening, such as a keyway in a piece of machinery or a slit for a coin in a vending machine. Also: A position in a series, sequence, or group; a particular spot or position on an object or on the body of an animal. The word is also used to refer to a particular position in an activity or schedule, such as one’s time slot on a TV show.

In a slot game, the symbols that appear on the pay table are matched against a set of probabilities to determine the outcome of a spin. A winning combination of symbols awards credits based on the pay table, which may vary between machines. Usually, the symbols align with the theme of the game. Classic symbols include objects such as fruits, bells, and stylized lucky sevens. Modern slot games often have a storyline, characters, and bonus features that are aligned with the theme.

On older mechanical machines, the pay table was printed on the face of the machine above and below the area containing the reels. On modern video machines, it is generally located within a help menu along with information on other features of the machine.

To slot something into another is to insert it so that it fits snugly or easily. He dropped the CD into a slot in the player. The car seat belt slotted into place easily.

The term slot also applies to the position or lane in a road where vehicles are allowed to travel. The traffic flow in Europe has improved dramatically since the introduction of central flow management, allowing slots for passenger and freight vehicles to be filled at all times, without delay or congestion.

When the word slot is used in a figurative sense, it means to fill someone or something into an available space. The company hired several employees to fill their open slots.

In slot theory, a logically consistent system of rules for determining the number and type of combinations that can be produced by a slot machine is called a slot hierarchy. The complexity of a slot hierarchy is proportional to the number of possible combinations, which can be calculated from the probability of each symbol appearing on a reel. The payout odds, which are displayed in the slot’s pay window, are inversely proportional to those probability values, and they are typically expressed in either an odds format (for example, ’50 to 1′) or as multiplication coefficients (for example, ‘x50’). They may also be displayed as a percentage of a player’s stake. The higher the payout odds, the greater the potential jackpot for a slot machine. The lower the payout odds, the more difficult it is to hit the jackpot. However, it is still possible to win big prizes on a low-variance slot machine.