Megaways: 720 ways on screen, four paying combinations
In our illustrative example, the counter shows 720 Megaways, but only four combinations pay. We will check both numbers on the same layout: first the choices of positions, then the matches for one particular symbol. This explains why adding a symbol can sometimes change the ways counter and sometimes change the payout itself.
Where the 720 ways come from
Take an illustrative layout with six reels. Letters represent ordinary symbols; there are no wilds or scatters in this example. It is an original diagram for explaining the arithmetic, not a screenshot of an actual spin or a frequency table.
The letters on each reel are listed from top to bottom. In a ways system, their height on the screen does not define a fixed payline: the sequence of adjacent reels matters. The Dog House Megaways rules specify this order of evaluation — from left to right, starting on the first reel.
To count every possible choice of one position on each of the six reels, multiply their sizes: 2 × 3 × 4 × 2 × 5 × 3 = 720. Those choices can contain any symbols. The product alone does not tell us which symbols match.
| Reel | Symbols from top to bottom | Total positions | Positions containing A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A, A | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | B, A, C | 3 | 1 |
| 3 | D, A, E, A | 4 | 2 |
| 4 | C, A | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | B, D, C, E, F | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | A, B, E | 3 | 1 |
Sources: [2]
Why four combinations pay
Now count only A. There are two matching positions on the first reel, one on the second, two on the third and one on the fourth. That gives 2 × 1 × 2 × 1 = 4 combinations across four consecutive reels. In The Dog House Megaways, ordinary symbol combinations pay from three adjacent reels, so our four-reel sequence meets that requirement.
There is no A on the fifth reel, so the sequence ends. The A on the sixth reel cannot jump across that gap. It is visible on the screen but belongs to none of these four combinations. None of the other letters appears on the first reel, so our layout has no other ordinary left-to-right matches.
Do not multiply the four combinations by the five positions on reel five or the three positions on reel six. We have already found a paying sequence of length four; extensions with unrelated symbols do not create extra payouts for it.
For a numerical example, suppose one such four-reel combination pays 2 virtual credits before multipliers. Then 4 × 2 = 8 credits. The 2-credit value was chosen for this explanation; it is not taken from any game’s paytable.
Numbering the positions from top to bottom lets us list all four ways across reels 1 → 2 → 3 → 4:
| Way | Positions on reels 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 → 2 → 2 → 2 |
| 2 | 1 → 2 → 4 → 2 |
| 3 | 2 → 2 → 2 → 2 |
| 4 | 2 → 2 → 4 → 2 |
Change the layout: 1 008 ways, still four combinations
Add two positions containing other letters to reel five, keeping it free of A. The total number of ways is now 2 × 3 × 4 × 2 × 7 × 3 = 1 008. Nothing changes for A: its sequence still ends on reel four and still contains four combinations. In our illustrative example, its payout remains 8 credits.
Make a different change: return reel five to five positions, but replace one letter with A. The total number of ways is back to 720, while the A sequence now reaches reel six. There are still four matching combinations: 2 × 1 × 2 × 1 × 1 × 1 = 4. Their payout must now be read from the paytable entry for six matching reels.
Both changes are original examples. They show the difference between the grid’s size and the symbols in one particular combination. They do not tell us how often these layouts occur or the probability of the next result: the diagram contains no such data.
A longer combination does not pay again for each shorter part
When A appears across all six adjacent reels, we can also pick out the first three, four and five within that sequence. This does not mean four separate payouts for the same way.
The in-game rules of The Dog House Megaways state that only the highest win is paid for a winning combination on the same pay way. Wins on different ways are added together. Our modified example therefore pays four six-reel combinations, rather than four sets of payouts for lengths 3, 4, 5 and 6.
This rule has been checked for The Dog House Megaways. To analyse another title, read its own payout rules: the word Megaways does not describe every part of the calculation.
Sources: [2]
A wild has two roles: substitution and a multiplier
Our letter diagram contains no wilds. When a wild appears, first check whether it substitutes for the ordinary symbol you are counting and creates another choice on that reel. Only then consider the multiplier on the participating wild.
In the base game of The Dog House Megaways, wilds appear on reels 2–5 and carry ×2 or ×3. If several such wilds belong to one winning combination, their multipliers multiply together. For one illustrative way paying 2 credits with participating ×2 and ×3 wilds, the calculation is 2 × 2 × 3 = 12 credits. The initial 2-credit value is again hypothetical; the multiplication rule comes from the game rules.
This calculation applies to the combination containing both wilds. A badge outside it cannot simply be included in the product. To explain the whole spin result, check the participating symbols and multipliers for the other paying ways separately.
117 649 is not a universal limit for Megaways
In The Dog House Megaways, each of the six reels can have up to seven positions. This gives the upper limit: 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 = 117 649. It is the maximum for that grid structure, not a constant number of ways on every screen.
Other editions use different grid structures. The limits below are stated in Pragmatic Play’s official descriptions and apply to the full game titles listed in the table.
Even within the Floating Dragon series, the two stated numbers differ: 236 196 for Megaways Hold & Spin and 147 456 for New Year Festival Ultra Megaways Hold & Spin. The word Ultra is not a reason to transfer the previous game’s number or assume it has increased.
For New Year Festival Ultra, the provider also describes three randomly unlocked rows above the main grid and cascades after a win. Our example with six ordinary vertical reels cannot simply be applied to that screen: active extra positions must be counted according to that edition’s rules.
| Specific edition | Stated maximum ways | What to check separately |
|---|---|---|
| The Dog House Megaways | 117 649 | The number of positions on each of the six reels |
| Wild West Gold Megaways | 117 649 | Participating wilds and the bonus state |
| Floating Dragon Megaways Hold & Spin | 236 196 | Extra rows and that edition’s rules |
| Floating Dragon New Year Festival Ultra Megaways Hold & Spin | 147 456 | Active upper rows and the current cascade |
What to record when checking a particular demo result
One result with clearly visible symbols and a payout is enough for this kind of analysis. First record the full game title and mode: the base game or a particular bonus. Then note the number of active positions on each reel, including extra rows if they participate in the calculation.
Choose one paying ordinary symbol. Note its count on consecutive reels starting from the first, the length of the match, the participating wilds and their values. Check the product of the matching counts and the payout for that combination against the paytable. Analyse other paying symbols separately.
If that particular edition has cascades, capture the relevant stage before the symbols disappear: the final total may include several different layouts. The provider explicitly describes cascades for New Year Festival Ultra Megaways Hold & Spin. The name Megaways alone is no reason to assume that every game has them.
Sources: [5]
Questions and answers
Do four combinations out of 720 mean a probability of 4/720?
No. In the example, 720 counts the choices of positions, while four counts the matching combinations on an already specified screen. Calculating a probability requires data on how the game generates those screens; the diagram does not provide it.
If a match ends on reel four, do reels five and six count towards its number of ways?
No. For that match, multiply the counts of suitable symbols only on the first four adjacent reels. Unrelated symbols farther along do not multiply the payout for the combination already found.
Is the Megaways counter enough to reconstruct a payout?
No. You need the symbols, the length of each paying sequence, its paytable value and the multipliers applied to it. If the game has cascades, you also need to identify the stage to which the payout belongs.
Compare the counters in specific editions
Follow one symbol sequence in The Dog House Megaways. In the two Floating Dragon editions, compare the main grid with the extra rows above it. Each game has its own rules.
