Wild symbols are always a sight for sore eyes when playing any pokie, and the more of them you see on the reels, the better. That’s why there are few special features more exciting on poker machines than stacked wilds. Stacked wilds take the normal excitement of a wild symbol and multiplying it by placing them close together, making it possible for wilds to cover entire reels on a lucky spin.
Stacked wilds are wild symbols that are placed adjacent to each other on the same reel of a slot machine. This configuration means that if a reel stops at the right place, the wilds can cover multiple symbol positions on the same reel at the end of a spin. Note that this is different from an expanding wild, in which there is just one lone wild symbol, but it will expand to cover an entire reel if it shows up during a spin.
In terms of function, stacked wilds are the same as any wild symbol. If a stacked wild symbol shows up on screen at the end of a spin, it will substitute for every normal symbol on the poker machine, helping to make winning combinations wherever it can.
Stacked wilds, however, are designed to produce even bigger wins. Even on video pokies, each reel is typically made up of symbols that occur in a set pattern. On a typical poker machine, valuable symbols such as wilds will be spread apart from each other, making it impossible to hit more than one on the same spin.
On the other hand, stacked wilds are placed next to each other on each reel. This means that while it is possible to get just one if you only hit the edge of that stack, it’s also possible to line up the entire stack on the reels at once, filling that reel with wilds.
The sizes of the stacks can vary, though they are usually big enough to fill every position on the visible reel, meaning there are usually three or four wild symbols stacked in a row. Where these stacked wilds appear in a game can vary: some pokies use them right in their base games, while others include them as part of a bonus round.
If you want to learn about stacked wilds, it is probably best to go back to the first known pokie to offer the feature: IGT’s Wolf Run poker machine. This machine was originally found at brick-and-mortar casinos, but has since migrated to the world of online casino sites.
In most ways, Wolf Run is a pretty unremarkable pokie: there are 40 lines and a free spins bonus, but the game is otherwise a pretty straightforward poker machine. However, the game offers stacked wilds on every reel. The symbol, which depicts a wolf howling at the moon, occurs in groups of four on every reel, making it possible to cover an entire reel (or, in theory, even the entire screen) with wilds if your spin stops in exactly the right position. In the free spins bonus, additional stacked wilds are added to each reel to increase the chance of hitting them.
For a modern take on stacked wilds, you can take a look at Scarface, a poker machine offered by NetEnt. On this machine, there are three stacked wilds, each of which is large enough to fill up an entire reel. However, each one also comes with a special feature that is only activated if you hit the stacked wild in the perfect spot, covering the entire reel. One will nudge the wild out of the way after paying your prizes to reveal new symbols and a respin of the other reels (potentially awarding even more winnings), another activates a free spins round, while the third triggers a bonus game.
These are just a couple examples of the stacked wilds feature, one that can be found on a large number of different poker machines across many different online casinos. With the potential to help you score some massive wins, stacked wilds are one of the top special features to keep your eye out for when choosing an online pokie.