Rogues Draw Slot by Playtech

Rogues Draw isn't really a slot at all, and that's the point. There are no reels, no paylines and no spinning symbols. Instead you're at a candle-lit thieves' table where cards are dealt onto a cross-shaped layout of 12 positions, arranged in four columns of 2, 4, 4 and 2. It's a Playtech game from the Rare Stone studio, and the whole thing runs on one simple idea done well.

Each round plays in two steps. First a handful of value cards drop onto random positions, then the hooded-rogue Bandit cards drop. Any position that ends up holding both a value card and a Bandit card pays out that value card's prize, and wins from every covered card are added together. The value cards come in three cash tiers: green pays 1.2x to 2x your bet, blue 3x to 4x, and red 5x to 10x. It's a medium-variance game with frequent small hits rather than big swings.

Two special cards lift it. A gold crown card, when a Bandit covers it, reveals one of three jackpots: Minor at 20x, Major at 100x or the Grand at 500x your total bet. These are fixed prizes rather than networked progressives, so, unlike most jackpot games, they actually pay out here in the demo. The Grand's 500x is also the game's max win. A silver crown card triggers the Free Games, awarding 3, 5, 8 or 10 rounds played on a bigger 16-position board, and the gold jackpots can strike inside the feature too.

It's a refreshing change from the usual reels, and the two-step cover mechanic is easy to follow. Just go in knowing the ceiling is modest: 500x is a low top prize by slot standards, and the 95.9% default RTP can be run lower by some operators, so check the paytable for real money. As a novelty Western demo from Playtech, though, it's well worth a few draws.