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Reading a Hold and Win round
Rounds that lock symbols and respin only the empty positions go by many names, but the skeleton is similar. Here are the lock, the respin counter and the tier labels, in order.
Lock, then respin the rest
A Hold and Win style round starts when enough of a particular symbol lands — usually coins or orbs carrying a value. Those symbols lock in place and only the other positions respin. The key difference from a normal spin is that play moves position by position rather than reel by reel.
At the end, a common structure pays the sum of the values on the locked symbols, usually stated as stake multiples. Studios call it Hold and Win, Link, Respin or Cash, among other names, but the rules screen often shows the same skeleton.
The respin counter and its reset
The round shows a counter of remaining respins. A common convention starts it at three and resets it to three whenever at least one new symbol locks. Each respin without a new symbol takes one away, and the round ends at zero or when every position is filled.
That is a common convention, not a universal rule. Some games start from a different number, add respins instead of resetting, or use special symbols to extend the counter. The counter rule has to be read from each game's own rules screen.
Tier labels and a full screen
Some locked symbols carry a label such as Mini, Minor or Major instead of a number. The label points to a prize tier the game defines, and whether that tier is fixed or progressive depends on the game. Awarding the top tier for a completely filled screen is common, but it too is not universal.
A label is an order within one game. One game's Major is not implied to match another's. Tier names are covered in more detail in the article on jackpot structures.
Hold and Win in this catalogue
This site's classifier puts 103 titles in the Hold and Win family, and all 103 are from Booongo — the studio uses the format across its catalogue and names it that way in the format line.
Widen the net to any format line mentioning hold, respin or link and the count is 136, adding 13 from Microgaming, 12 from Pragmatic Play, 6 from PG Soft and 2 from Habanero. Microgaming's four Link and Merge titles form a family of their own in the classifier. Whatever the name, splitting a round into lock, counter and labels makes titles easier to compare.
Terms used here
- Hold and Win
- A feature round that locks certain symbols and respins only the empty positions.
- Respin counter
- The respins left in the round. Resetting it when a new symbol locks is common.
- Reset
- The convention of returning the counter to its start value on a new lock. Not universal.
- Tier label
- A prize-tier name such as Mini, Minor or Major carried by a locked symbol.