Black Knight Slot Machines

The black knight has long been a symbol of villainy, and the term has even come to be shorthand for someone who’s wicked or without honor. Despite the negative connotations, this figure hasbecome a popular element in many works of fiction, perhaps because he provides the hero with a dangerous challenge and forces him to dig deep in order to complete his quest. The same can be saidof the 5-reel, 30-payline Black Knight slot machine from WMS, as the heroic player must battle a series of obstacles (and Lady Luck herself) in order to fill their coffers with riches.

In this review, it’s my goal to present a solid synopsis of the game. From the symbols found on the main screen to their associated payouts, I hope to provide you with enough information to sitdown and begin play immediately. While the following text isn’t guaranteed to make you a winner, it should help save time and allow players to make the most informed decisions possible.

While slot machines can differ when it comes to bonus rounds and payout amounts, most have a common series of rules that govern their basic operation. In this section, we’ll be looking at thefundamental elements of the Black Knight slot.

• A win can occur on any or all paylines.
• Only the highest winner is paid per winning combination.
• Line pays must occur on adjacent reels, beginning with the leftmost reel.
• The wild symbol substitutes for all others, but it only appears on the second, third, and fourth reels.
• The paytable reflects the current bet configurations.
• A game malfunction voids all pays and plays.
• Only active paylines can register wins.
• Wins on multiple paylines are added together.
• The total line bet must be divided equally between each active payline.
• The total bet is the number of lines multiplied by the cash bet on each line.

The game has 30 paylines, and the player has the option to wager on any number of them. Choosing a single payline obviously decreases your chances of winning, but it also allows players on abudget to get lots of entertainment value at an incredibly low price.

If the lowest denomination of 0.01 is selected, and all lines are activated, the player can spin the reels for only 0.30. High rollers, meanwhile, can wager up to 5.00 per line, which results ina total wager of 150.00 per spin when all lines are active.

The payback percentage of a slot machine is an expression of how much money the customer can expect to recoup from their initial wager. This is given in percentage form, so a 97% paybackpercentage (also known as “return to player”) means that a $1.00 wager returns $0.97 (on average).

Like almost all slots, the Black Knight is made of a virtual reels that are adorned with multiple symbols. When these icons fall in the proper combination, the player receives a payout based onthe size of their wager. In this section, we’ll take a look at all the symbols from the base game, as well as detail their largest and smallest payouts.

• Black Knight

  This fearsome warrior is clad in dark armor and well-versed at using implements of war such as the sword, shield, lance, mace, and dagger. Unfortunately, he often lacks honor and chivalry,which generally casts him in the role of the villain. While this icon alone doesn’t offer a payout, it does serve as a wild symbol when found on reels two, three, and four. It substitutes forall other symbols in the game.

• Black Knight Crest

  This shield shows the family crest of the Black Knight, and it also acts as the game’s scatter symbol (which can trigger the free spins feature). If this symbol makes up a winningcombination, and the player wagers the 0.30 minimum to activate all paylines, then available prizes are as follows: 0.60 for three matches, 3.00 for four, and 15.00 for five. If, however, theplayer chooses to activate all paylines at the maximum amount of 150.00, then the available prizes increase to the following: 300.00 for three matches, 1500.00 for four, and 7500.00 for five.

• King

  Until the 19^th century, this was the most common form of government in the world. That’s changed dramatically in recent decades, although there are still 44 sovereign nations thathave a monarch as their head of state. If this symbol makes up a winning combination, and the player wagers the 0.30 minimum to activate all paylines, then available prizes are as follows:0.02 for two matches, 1.00 for three, 5.00 for four, and 20.00 for five. If, however, the player chooses to activate all paylines at the maximum amount of 150.00, then the available prizesincrease to the following: 10.00 for two matches, 500.00 for three, 2500.00 for four, and 10,000.00 for five.

• Queen

  A queen regnant actually rules over the land, while a queen consort is simply the wife of the current ruler. At the time of this writing, the only queen regnants on the planet are ElizabethII of the United Kingdom and Margrethe II of Denmark. If this symbol makes up a winning combination, and the player wagers the 0.30 minimum to activate all paylines, then available prizes areas follows: 0.20 for three matches, 2.00 for four, and 5.00 for five. If, however, the player chooses to activate all paylines at the maximum amount of 150.00, then the available prizesincrease to the following: 100.00 for three matches, 1000.00 for four, and 2500.00 for five.

• Jester

  During the medieval and Renaissance eras, this profession was in demand among noble houses, although some jesters worked among the lower classes at markets and fairs. In addition to providingmusic and entertaining stories, this oddly-dressed individual would often juggle, perform acrobatics, and even give displays of magic. If this symbol makes up a winning combination, and theplayer wagers the 0.30 minimum to activate all paylines, then available prizes are as follows: 0.20 for three matches, 1.00 for four, and 5.00 for five. If, however, the player chooses toactivate all paylines at the maximum amount of 150.00, then the available prizes increase to the following: 300.00 for three matches, 500.00 for four, and 2500.00 for five.

• Crown

  This headwear is traditionally associated with royalty, and possessing such an item represents glory, victory, power, and legitimacy. One of the oldest known Christian crowns was the IronCrown of Lombardy, and legend says that its central iron band was beaten from a nail used in the crucifixion of Christ. If this symbol makes up a winning combination, and the player wagersthe 0.30 minimum to activate all paylines, then available prizes are as follows: 0.15 for three matches, 0.50 for four, and 1.00 for five. If, however, the player chooses to activate allpaylines at the maximum amount of 150.00, then the available prizes increase to the following: 75.00 for three matches, 250.00 for four, and 500.00 for five.

• Signet Ring

  This item serves as decorative jewelry, but it can also be pressed into hot wax to create the personal seal of the wearer. Although rarely worn today, the practice of using the signet ringdates all the way back to ancient Egypt. If this symbol makes up a winning combination, and the player wagers the 0.30 minimum to activate all paylines, then available prizes are as follows:0.10 for three matches, 0.20 for four, and 1.00 for five. If, however, the player chooses to activate all paylines at the maximum amount of 150.00, then the available prizes increase to thefollowing: 50.00 for three matches, 100.00 for four, and 500.00 for five.

• Map

  Kings and warlords of the Middle Ages used maps to keep track of their domains, and this hasn’t changed all that much over the centuries. If this symbol makes up a winning combination, andthe player wagers the 0.30 minimum to activate all paylines, then available prizes are as follows: 0.05 for three matches, 0.20 for four, and 1.00 for five. If, however, the player chooses toactivate all paylines at the maximum amount of 150.00, then the available prizes increase to the following: 25.00 for three matches, 100.00 for four, and 500.00 for five.

• Globus Cruciger

  Latin for “cross-bearing orb,” this Christian symbol of authority has been around since the Middle Ages. The cross represents Christ, and its position indicates the dominion of Jesus over theworld (symbolized by the orb). When a king held this artifact in his hand, it was meant to indicate his position as an earthly ruler. If this symbol makes up a winning combination, and theplayer wagers the 0.30 minimum to activate all paylines, then available prizes are as follows: 0.05 for three matches, 0.20 for four, and 1.00 for five. If, however, the player chooses toactivate all paylines at the maximum amount of 150.00, then the available prizes increase to the following: 25.00 for three matches, 100.00 for four, and 500.00 for five.

• Scepter

  Dating back several thousand years, the scepter is traditionally held by a ruling monarch to show their authority or divinity. If this symbol makes up a winning combination, and the playerwagers the 0.30 minimum to activate all paylines, then available prizes are as follows: 0.05 for three matches, 0.20 for four, and 1.00 for five. If, however, the player chooses to activateall paylines at the maximum amount of 150.00, then the available prizes increase to the following: 25.00 for three matches, 100.00 for four, and 500.00 for five.

This game has a single bonus feature, and it’s activated by getting three or more scatter symbols on adjacent reels. When this occurs, the crest of the Black Knight flies into the center of thescreen and awards the player with seven free spins. Once the player has clicked the “start” icon, these complimentary games are resolved immediately.

During the bonus round, an alternate set of reels are used. However, winning combinations for these reels are identical to those found on the base game.

If the wild Black Knight icon shows up on the reels, it becomes an expanding wild that remains for the rest of the free spins. This icon only appears on reels two through four, but its presencecan greatly increase your winnings. For example, I recently achieved three expanding wilds during a bonus game, and I walked away with a win of 37.20 (on just a 0.30 investment).

The bonus feature continues until all free spins have been completed (it cannot be re-triggered). When this occurs, the game reverts back to the main screen.

If you consider yourself a high roller, you’ll find a number of other slot machines that allow for larger wagers on a per-spin basis. For those on a budget, however, the Black Knight slot machineis an ideal option that offers a decent return on even miniscule bets. It’s also easy to operate, so even a novice to the world of online gambling can be spinning the reels like a pro withinminutes.

This game has proven popular with online gamblers, which should come as no surprise when you consider that it was designed by WMS. Once you’ve given this game several thousand spins, you may alsowant to check out the sequel, which is known as Black Knight II.