Cashing out a pokie machine and putting the money back in does not reset the machine.

Often the main graphic on the top box will feature a character with an attractive pair of eyes staring (or winking) right at you. This technique is used by designers to grab your attention and pull you into the machine.

This houses the game and comes in a variety of types or themes to keep you interested.

Each machine has been created by up to 300 experts (from artists to script writers, mathematicians, marketers, musicians and engineers) and can have more than individual parts!

Game developers design pokies to keep a rhythmic pace. Each spin carries a degree of risk for the player, but a steady tempo of clicks and music gives an illusion of predictability. A constant soothing tempo can give the player an impression that they have a degree of control over the machine when they really don't.

You can play pokies much faster than other types of gambling. You don't have to wait for horses to run, a dealer to shuffle or deal, or a roulette wheel to stop spinning. As players grow in experience, there can be a tendency to increase the speed of play. However, unlike other skill based games, speed of play is not a sign of mastery. It just means you are likely to lose faster.

Designers have come to realise that forcing gamblers to play faster or slower than their natural tempo creates frustration. To get around this some machines are sophisticated enough to adjust their tempos to match the player's preferred groove.

Pokie machines are tailored with different graphics to appeal to different players. Whether the theme is motor racing, farming, adventure or fantasy, the animations play like "mini movies" - pulling you into the world of the pokie machine.

All games start their lives as a spreadsheet, and that's basically what you are playing. The computer/microprocessor behind the scenes generates random numbers all the time, even when the machine is not being played.

The random number generator (RNG) comes up with approximately combinations per second. When the player presses "play" or "start" the software "polls" the RNG, selecting whichever numbers it happens to be cycling through at that exact moment. These generated numbers, of which there are typically between one-to-four billion possibilities, are then fed through a set of rules that converts them into stops on the microprocessor's "virtual reel". 

It doesn't matter what the previous outcomes of the machine were. Each button push is completely independent of the last one.

You're not the only one! Old school pokie machines had only one payline. New machines allow you to bet on more than one payline at a time. These paylines may run horizontally across the screen, diagonally or even in zig zags! 

In , some machines introduced 50 paylines. In they introduced 100 lines! This complexity makes it difficult (some would say impossible) for players to keep track of the logic of winning. If you choose to play multi-lines, the odds are that the games will pay out more frequently but usually for less than the amount of the initial bet. This gives you the sense that you are winning all the time. But are you really? You're putting in $2 and getting back $1.50. You're putting in $4 and getting back $2.50, over and over.

Machine designers space out the buttons on the console ergonomically so that you don't even need to move your hand to push the buttons. Incidentally, this results in faster play!

It may come as a surprise for some people that there are no mechanical reels spinning around the modern pokie machine. Behind the scenes is a random number generator (RNG) which then uses a program to map onto virtual reels. The stops on the virtual reels are then mapped to reel graphics you see on the video screen.

Many of your wins on a modern pokie machine are actually net losses. This is enabled by multi-line betting. For example, you might wager $2 and win back 80 cents, giving you a net loss of $1.20. However, the machine is likely to celebrate that win with positive graphics and sounds.

Machines commonly use positive sounding music in a major key to hold your attention. This may lift your spirits and provide an escape from negative thoughts. 

With a win you're likely to hear coins dropping or people celebrating.... but when there is a loss, there will be no corresponding negative sound. This is because game designers do not want to reinforce a loss that could cause you to rethink how much you are losing and whether or not you should continue to play.

The presence of multiple machines in a venue produces a continuous chatter of winning sounds. These may condition your brain into thinking a win is on its way, even though it's just as unlikely as the last spin.

A range of buttons allow you to select the number of pay lines and the number of coins you bet on each line. These options give you an interactive experience and can give you the illusion of skill. The truth is that no combination of button pushes will increase your odds of winning.

Stores all coins in the machine and releases wins to the coin tray.

Records all game data including how much money is paid in and how much is paid out in winnings.

The odds of winning the top prize on a pokie machine may vary from 1 in 40 thousand to 1 in 33 million. For example, take the game Black Rhinos – if you are playing one line at a time it would take 6.7 million button presses and cost nearly $330,000 to have a 50% chance of getting five rhinos!

Each machine is programmed to take in more that it pays out. So the longer you play, the higher the chances are that you will lose. In other words, you’re likely to be better off playing pokies for 10 minutes than playing for an hour.

Each machine is programmed with a return-to-player rate. The return-to-player is the percentage of your bet you would expect to get back for each spin. The New Zealand Gaming Machine National Standard requires the return-to-player rate in class 4 gaming machines (pokies) to be between 78% and 92%. 

So for example, if the return was 92%, then on average you could expect to lose around 8% on each spin. The outcome of each spin is random. So in the short term, you could take a bigger win or experience a bigger loss. But on average, if you inserted $1, you could expect to have 66 cents left after 5 spins. The more time you spend playing, the more likely it is that your money will gradually reduce to almost zero.

Used to insert coins or notes into the machine.

A note validator checks the authenticity of all inserted notes.

Your brain is wired to spot patterns. Normally this works in our favour because it helps us make everyday decisions. We can often spot the best waves at the beach before they break, and we can choose the best time to drive to work based on what's happened in the past.

But when playing pokies, this strength becomes our weakness. The outcome of each spin is random, meaning past spins don't have any bearing on the result of future spins.

Your brain may start spotting patterns that don't exist!

A sound to alert staff to a door on the machine being opened.

To find out how randomness works, check out this video.

Collect refunded or winning coins from the coin tray.

Players who are physically and psychologically comfortable will occupy their seats for longer periods of time. This encourages you to gamble for longer and risk losing more money.