Lions Share Pokies
According to the dictionary, the lions share is the larger part of something, particularly if it’s a disproportionate amount of the total, and the Lions Share pokie from Microgaming gives players who make bigger wagers on the game a disproportionate amount of the jackpot prize.
But as they only need to stake 0.75 per spin to qualify for the jackpot, it’s not too much to ask and with a reward of 8000x the coin value, the payoff could be well worth the small risk.
As expected, this game features lions, although being a fairly simple 3-reel, single payline game, players shouldn’t expect to see amazing animations and loads of pictures of the big cats and their adventures. However, it’s got a bit more than the basics, with players having a decent bet range, wild substitutions that can improve the win ratios and multiplier payouts of 2x or 4x when the wild symbol makes up winning lines.
While Lions Share may not have particularly innovative gameplay, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it’s proved to work over the years and really doesn’t need to be changed.
Lions Share
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Roaring into the Game
Lions Share is laid out in much the same way as other 3 reel pokies from the same developer, with the game title and an image to go with it, in this case a happy looking lion sitting on a pile of cash, and the reels above taking up the left side of the game.
There’s also a little information about how wild substitutions and multipliers work, and then to the right side is the payout table that details what players will win for each winning line that they spin up.
Beneath the main game we find a series of control buttons that are used to set the amount staked per spin, with players able to activate 1, 2 or 3 coins and place a value of between 0.25 and 5.00 on each for a maximum bet of 15.00. With the exception of the jackpot, the amount won is at the same ratio to the amount staked, so players wishing to play with 1 or 2 coins can do so, they just won’t win as much if and when the jackpot combination lands.
A look at the paytable reveals that with a single coin in play landing 2 examples of the cherry symbol on a line will pay 1x the coin value, while 3 cherries right across the line is worth 2x. Most of the rest of the symbols are the equally traditional Bars and should any combination of them stop across the line, players are paid 5x.
If the single bar symbols fills the line then the reward is equal to 20 coins, with the double bar being 50 coins. The triple bar is the highest valued regular symbol and it pays 100 coins when landing across the reels. Next up is a pile of coins which is worth 300x, but by far the most rewarding symbol is the lion’s head.
This has a couple of uses, with the one players will see the most being the wild substitutions that it will make. If for example, the line has 2 of the single bar symbols and the wild on it, the wild will act as another single bar and the player will win a prize. Just to be extra nice, the value of the payout will be doubled, while 2 wilds and any symbol will result in the prize being quadrupled in value.
But the real fun comes when the lion lands across the reels on its own, because that’s how the jackpot payouts are won. If a single coin is in play, the reward is 2000x the value of it, while anyone who has activated 2 coins will get paid at the same ratio which will be 4000x.
However, there’s an incentive to play with all 3 coins, which can be done for as little as 0.75 per spin, as the prize for getting him across the reels is 8000x the amount each coin is worth.
Taking Pride in this Game?
While Lions Share might not be the most innovative pokie in the world, it’s got a popular theme and the potential for some decent payouts. It’s lifted above many others by the inclusion of the wild multiplier feature, which can be a real boost to the number of winning spins that occur and the amount that each one pays.
It’s a matter of personal preference whether or not to activate all 3 coins, as the jackpot payouts are going to be a fairly rare event, but anyone who is looking to stake at least 0.75 per spin should certainly spread it across 3 coins rather than just use 1 or 2 at higher values each.