Bier Haus Slot Machine

If you travel to Germany, you’re likely to see plenty of establishments displaying the words “bier Haus” over their front doors. This translates to “beer house” in English, and it indicates aplace where patrons can relax and drink a frosty mug of ale (or other type of barley-based beverage). If you’re lucky, you might even get to ogle a blonde barmaid with ample cleavage.

The designers at WMS, one of the leading creators of virtual slots, have recognized the near global passion for alcohol and beautiful women, and they’ve combined these two elements in their BierHaus slot machines. This allows you to enjoy the ambience of a German pub without ever leaving your home, and nobody will be the wiser if you decide to forego a quality draught in favor of cannedswill such as Busch.

In the following text, I’ll take a close look at the most important elements of the game, from the paytable to the bonus game. Each symbol is discussed in detail, with some interesting trivia andhistorical facts thrown in for good measure.

In this section, we’ll be looking at the paytable for the basic screen of the Bier Haus slot machine. Payout values are listed for both the minimum and maximum wagers, although a number ofin-between options also exist.

• Wild

  This symbol acts as the wild icon, and it takes the form of three glasses of beer. It substitutes for all symbols except the Feature and Gold Feature, and looking at it for any length of timeis bound to make you thirsty.

• Feature

  If there’s one thing that men like better than beer, it’s busty blonde women. This icon shows a big-breasted barmaid in all her glory, and she’s even wearing her hair in pigtails to furtherenhance the fantasy. This symbol doesn’t offer any payouts, but it does allow the player to activate the free spins feature. In order to accomplish the latter, you need to get a combinationof five or more Feature or Gold Feature symbols.

• Gold Feature

  This icon still features the chesty German barmaid, but it ups the ante by including several mugs of beer. Everything a heterosexual male could ever want is epitomized by this symbol,although it doesn’t lead to any payouts by itself. Instead, like the Feature icon, it allows the player an opportunity to activate the bonus round.

• German Man

  German men come in all shapes and sizes, but this icon presents a more stereotypical version. This semi-alcoholic bar patron has a huge moustache, a cheerful smile, and he’s even dressed intraditional Bavarian lederhosen. When the minimum bet of 0.40 per spin is made, the following payouts are available to the player: 0.20 for three matches, 1.00 for four, and 5.00 for five.When the maximum wager of 40.00 per spin is made, the potential payouts increase to the following amounts: 20.00 for three matches, 100.00 for four, and 500.00 for five.

• German Castle

  The German landscape boasts about 20,000 castles, and most of them are at least a few centuries old. Perhaps the most famous is Heidelberg Castle, a ruined structure and tourist attractionthat was originally constructed in 1214. When the minimum bet of 0.40 per spin is made, the following payouts are available to the player: 0.15 for three matches, 0.50 for four, and 1.50 forfive. When the maximum wager of 40.00 per spin is made, the potential payouts increase to the following amounts: 15.00 for three matches, 50.00 for four, and 150.00 for five.

• Keg of Beer

  Germans love to drink, which is why they make sure to always keep plenty of beer on hand. While old-school beer barrels held around 50 gallons of liquid, more modern European kegs hold anaverage of 50 liters (13.2 gallons for my non-metric friends). When the minimum bet of 0.40 per spin is made, the following payouts are available to the player: 0.15 for three matches, 0.50for four, and 1.25 for five. When the maximum wager of 40.00 per spin is made, the potential payouts increase to the following amounts: 15.00 for three matches, 50.00 for four, and 125.00 forfive.

• Beer Stein

  The perfect container for drinking beer, the stein usually holds a half liter to one liter of liquid. Germans, however, don’t call it a “stein,” as that word means “stone” in their nativetongue. Steins are notable for their lids, and it’s believed that these were introduced in the era of the Black Plague to prevent possible infection from disease-riddled fleas. When theminimum bet of 0.40 per spin is made, the following payouts are available to the player: 0.15 for three matches, 0.50 for four, and 1.00 for five. When the maximum wager of 40.00 per spin ismade, the potential payouts increase to the following amounts: 15.00 for three matches, 50.00 for four, and 100.00 for five.

• Accordion

  These box-shaped musical instruments are loved by both German beer hall musicians and song parody master Weird Al Yankovic. When the minimum bet of 0.40 per spin is made, the followingpayouts are available to the player: 0.10 for three matches, 0.25 for four, and 1.00 for five. When the maximum wager of 40.00 per spin is made, the potential payouts increase to thefollowing amounts: 10.00 for three matches, 25.00 for four, and 100.00 for five.

• Acorns

  While acorns have nothing to do with alcohol production or consumption, they are associated with the fall months, and they therefore have a loose tie-in with the annual event known asOktoberfest. When the minimum bet of 0.40 per spin is made, the following payouts are available to the player: 0.10 for three matches, 0.25 for four, and 1.00 for five. When the maximum wagerof 40.00 per spin is made, the potential payouts increase to the following amounts: 10.00 for three matches, 25.00 for four, and 100.00 for five.

• Clubs, Hearts, Spades, Diamonds

  Most slot machines use some form of poker icons to round out their symbols, and Bier Haus is no exception. When the minimum bet of 0.40 per spin is made, the following payouts are availableto the player: 0.05 for three matches, 0.15 for four, and 0.75 for five. When the maximum wager of 40.00 per spin is made, the potential payouts increase to the following amounts: 5.00 forthree matches, 15.00 for four, and 75.00 for five.

While respectable wins can be obtained during the base game, it’s the bonus round that gives players a chance to rack up some major prizes. And for those who detest complicated slots, you’ll beglad to know that this extra feature is simplicity itself.

In order to trigger the Free Spin Feature, you’ll need to get five or more scattered Feature and/or Gold Feature icons on the reels during the base game. If the minimum requirement is met foractivating the round, then the player receives five complimentary spins. For each required symbol above the initial five, the player gets an additional five free spins (with a maximum of 80). Ifa Gold Feature icon is involved in triggering the round, it morphs into a persisting wild and locks into that reel position for the duration of the bonus round.

As the extra spins play out, a counter on the screen keeps track of the remaining number. Once all spins have been used up, the player’s total winnings are tallied up before returning the gamblerto the base game.

Most online slot developers tend to put the same controls on all of their games. This makes it easy for longtime players to jump from title to title with little difficulty, although newcomers maystill experience a learning curve. In order to make your transition to Williams Gaming products as simple as possible, this section details the various game controls found on the screen.

• Balance – Located at the top of the screen, this field displays the amount of money currently available in the player’s casino account. If this number ever drops to zero, theplayer must make a deposit in order to continue.
• Options – Before you press the autoplay button to initiate that feature, you’ll want to come here and fine tune the various details. The automatic games can be programmed tohalt once a certain amount of time has elapsed, a specific amount of money has been wagered, or when any single win exceeds a certain total. Several other options are also available.
• Sound – In order to turn off the game’s music and sound effects, just click on this icon. If you later change your mind, clicking again reverses the process.
• Question Mark – At first glance, this icon might seem to present some manner of great mystery. When you click it, however, you’ll be disappointed to find that it simply listssome of the game’s more basic rules.
• Paytable – This icon brings up another screen where details such as symbols and their payouts are displayed. A graphic also shows all payline configurations, although not muchattention is given to the bonus round.
• Autoplay – Pressing this button activates the autoplay feature, which allows the game to conduct spins on the player’s behalf. Once the feature has been activated, it can becancelled at any time by once again pressing the button.
• Classic Panel – The more traditional style of betting display, this classic version allows players to select the bet per payline. The options range from 0.01 per line to 1.00.Please note that all 40 paylines are always active.
• Quickbet Panel – If you select this option, the betting panel is changed to a more streamlined appearance. Instead setting the number of paylines and choosing a denomination,you simply click on the total amount that you wish to wager each spin. Options range from 0.40 to 40.00.
• Win – When the player is fortunate enough to get a winning combination, their total payout is displayed in this field.
• Spin – Clicking this virtual button sets the reels in motion for the next spin. Like all slots from WMS, the standard “Spin” display has been replaced by a circular arrowthat’s moving in a counter-clockwise motion.

Whether you’re a fan of beer or gambling (or both), you’ll find a lot to like in the Bier Haus slot machines from WMS. The design is clean and simple, and even a novice to online gaming should beable to jump right in with little difficulty.

One of the biggest selling points is the diversity of available wagers. Low to mid-range players should be especially pleased, as they can activate all 40 paylines for as little as 0.40. Moreambitious gamblers can risk up to 40.00 per spin, so even high rollers can enjoy this game without feeling like they’re wasting their time.