What is win both ways in slots?
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Win both ways (also called all-ways or 1024-ways) is a payline format where matching symbols pay regardless of whether they appear left-to-right or right-to-left across the reels. This doubles the coverage of each reel position compared to a left-to-right-only payline layout.
How it expands winning opportunities
In a standard 5-reel left-to-right slot with 20 paylines, a matching symbol on reels 4 and 5 but not on reels 1-3 doesn’t pay. In a win-both-ways slot, if those symbols extend right-to-left from reel 5 through reel 1, a 5-of-a-kind right-to-left win still pays. This creates more frequent wins from partial combinations.
The bet sizing consideration
Win-both-ways slots typically cost more per spin than equivalent single-direction games since you’re covering more ways. Compare the base cost versus the number of active ways to win to understand whether the price increase is proportional to the added coverage.
Ben Barber got into the gambling industry through the poker rooms of London in the early 2000s. After building up a solid grounding in casino, sports betting and poker, he made the move to Malta where he spent close to a decade writing for some of the biggest affiliate networks in the region. A few years ago he relocated to Bali, which shifted his focus toward website strategy and affiliate marketing. The casino side never really left, though. He still writes reviews, how-to guides and in-depth pieces on everything from slots and live dealer tables to crypto casinos and sweepstakes sites. His approach is fact-first: help players understand how online gambling actually works before they deposit a cent.