Hold & Win slots confused me initially. I’d land 6 symbols, the screen would lock, and respins would start—but I didn’t understand what triggered bigger wins or how the mechanic worked. After playing 8 different Hold & Win titles and tracking 40+ feature triggers, I finally grasped why some games deliver massive payouts while others barely cover my bet.
Hold & Win mechanics dominate modern slot releases, appearing across multiple providers and themes. Bet&Play features numerous Hold & Win titles from BGaming and other developers in their Australian casino, with the mechanic accessible at AU$20 minimum deposits alongside their VIP cashback program for regular players.
How the Mechanic Works
Hold & Win triggers when you land 6+ special symbols (usually coins, gems, or money bags) anywhere on the reels. These symbols lock in place, and you get 3 respins. Each new matching symbol that lands also locks and resets your respins back to 3.
The round continues until either:
- You run out of respins
- You fill all positions (jackpot trigger on some games)
Each locked symbol displays a value—either a multiplier or a fixed cash amount. When respins end, all values get added together for your total win.
Sounds simple. But the devil’s in the details.
What Makes Hold & Win Volatile
I tested Buffalo Power 2, Royal Coins, Diamond Fortunator, and five other Hold & Win slots with €200 total (€25 per game, €0.40-0.50 bets).
Trigger frequency varied wildly:
- Buffalo Power 2: Triggered 3 times in 50 spins
- Royal Coins: Triggered once in 80 spins
- Diamond Fortunator: Triggered twice in 60 spins
Once triggered, outcomes ranged from 5x my bet to 87x my bet on the same game. The mechanic creates massive swings because:
You need symbols to keep landing to maximize wins. If you trigger with 6 symbols and no more land during respins, you get the sum of those 6 values—usually 10-20x your bet. But if symbols keep appearing and you fill 12+ positions, wins jump to 50x-200x+.
One Buffalo Power 2 session, I triggered with 6 symbols. Only one more landed during respins. Win: 12x my bet (€4.80 on €0.40 stake). Next trigger, symbols kept landing—I filled 14 positions. Win: 94x my bet (€37.60).
Which Games Handle It Best
After extensive testing, three titles stood out:
Buffalo Power 2 (Playson): Triggers frequently compared to competitors. Base symbol values are lower, but the trigger rate means you experience the feature often enough to enjoy it. Average win from triggers: 28x bet.
Royal Coins: Hold and Win (Playson): Less frequent triggers but higher symbol values. When it hits, payouts are substantial. One trigger gave me 76x my bet after filling 13 positions. Average win: 41x bet.
Diamond Fortunator (Booming Games): Balanced middle ground. Triggers moderately, pays moderately. Most consistent experience—rarely gave me wins under 15x, rarely exceeded 60x. Average: 32x bet.
Games like 15 Dragon Pearls and Rhino Hold and Win felt stingier. Lower trigger rates combined with lower symbol values meant long waits between features, followed by underwhelming 8-12x wins.
The Jackpot Element
Some Hold & Win games offer fixed jackpots (Mini, Minor, Major, Grand) that trigger when you fill all positions. During testing, I never achieved this—it requires exceptional luck.
But the jackpot presence affects base symbol values. Games with jackpots typically pay less per individual symbol because the jackpot potential compensates. Games without jackpots (like Buffalo Power 2) pay more per symbol since that’s your only winning avenue.
Neither approach is better—it’s preference. Do you want consistent medium wins or the chance at massive jackpots with lower regular payouts?
Strategy Misconceptions
Players searching for winning approaches often look for pattern-based methods, but strategies claiming to crack mechanics like those suggesting gates of olympus how to win approaches misunderstand that Hold & Win outcomes depend entirely on RNG—the symbols that land during respins are predetermined, making betting patterns irrelevant to results.
What does matter: bet sizing. Hold & Win features scale directly with your bet. A €0.20 trigger might pay €6. The same trigger at €1 pays €30. Unlike bonus rounds with fixed spin counts, Hold & Win multiplies everything by your stake.
When Hold & Win Suits Your Play
This mechanic works best for players who:
- Can handle volatility (triggers are infrequent but potentially rewarding)
- Prefer defined features over ambiguous bonus rounds
- Want quick resolution (features last 10-30 seconds, not minutes)
Hold & Win doesn’t suit players seeking:
- Frequent small wins
- Long, engaging bonus rounds
- Low-volatility grinding sessions
After testing eight titles, I’ve added Buffalo Power 2 and Royal Coins to my regular rotation. The mechanic delivers enough excitement to justify the waits between triggers, and when features hit, they pay substantially enough to extend sessions.