A slot is a position that wide receivers line up in, just behind the line of scrimmage and slightly toward the middle. Slot receivers are smaller than many other wide receivers, but they often have tremendous speed and agility. This makes them extremely effective on quick outs and slant routes, as they can stretch the defense with their speed. They are also effective as blockers on run plays, as they can take on defenders and chip the outside linebackers and safeties.
Another task that Slot receivers do is to run routes and catch passes, just like other wide receivers. Typically, they will go in pre-snap motion to move from one side of the field to the other before running their route after the snap. This gives the quarterback time to get a good read on the defense, and it also puts the Slot receiver in a better position to find open space when they receive the ball.
Slots are also used to determine how much a player will win on a particular machine. Each slot has its own pay table, which lists the payouts and their probabilities. For example, a slot might have a symbol that pays out every 4,000 times, while other symbols might appear only once or twice in the same spin.
The pay table is displayed on the face of the slot machine, or in some cases, within a help menu. In addition to a list of payouts, it will also indicate the amount of credits that can be earned by matching combinations of symbols.