How hold-and-respin rounds run
This is one of the most widely used bonus features in modern slots, and it behaves nothing like the base game. When it triggers, the special symbols already on the grid are locked in place and you receive a set number of respins, with the counter resetting each time a new special symbol lands. The round ends when the counter empties or the grid fills. Because the feature is usually tied to prize tiers displayed on screen throughout, it is also the mechanic that generates the most misunderstandings about what triggers what.
The sequence from trigger to finish
Four points below follow the feature in order, from the moment it fires to the moment it closes.
It triggers on a set number of special symbols
The round begins when the count of special symbols on the grid reaches the game’s threshold, commonly six. Those symbols are held in position and the rest of the grid respins. The exact threshold sits in the paytable and differs between titles even where the mechanic looks identical.
The counter resets whenever a new symbol lands
You typically start with three respins, and every new special symbol sends the counter back to three. The round therefore continues as long as fresh symbols keep arriving, which is why one round ends in seconds and the next runs for a long stretch.
Each held position carries its own value
Locked symbols normally display a figure or a prize tier, and the payout at the end is the sum of those values, sometimes multiplied. That is different from the base game, which pays for symbol combinations. Here the prize accumulates visibly in front of you, position by position.
The top tier usually requires filling the whole grid
A great many titles attach the highest prize to the condition that every position on the grid is filled, rather than to any ordinary combination. That condition is rare and the paytable states it plainly. Do not read the tier displayed on screen as a routine outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Does the stake affect the prize tiers in this feature?
In many titles it does, either because tiers are scaled to the current stake or because a minimum stake is required to qualify for certain tiers. This appears only in the game information panel and is the detail players miss most often. We have not verified the thresholds for individual games in the lobby.
The feature has not triggered in a long time — is it due?
No. Each spin is independent, so the number of spins already played does not make the next one more likely to trigger. This misreading is unusually strong with this family because the screen displays large prize tiers continuously while you play.
Is buying the feature directly worthwhile where the game allows it?
Buying trades a fixed sum for immediate entry. It does not improve the return figure, and in many titles the bought version carries a separate figure which is stated in the information panel. What it certainly does is accelerate spending, since one purchase costs as much as dozens of ordinary spins.
