You’ve checked in on time, made it through security, queued to get on the plane, struggled with the overhead lockers and finally settled back into your seat. But it’s just not taking off yet, the captain says you haven’t got a slot. So what is a slot and why can’t you take off as soon as you are ready?
Slot is a word that you may have heard in the news but do you know what it really means? Here are a few definitions that may help you understand the word better.
A position or place in a group, series or sequence:
In computer science, a slot is a hardware configuration that surrounds a set of execution units to make them easier to upgrade. In very long instruction word (VLIW) computers, a slot is sometimes called an execute pipeline.
A slot machine is a casino game that pays out winning combinations with varying probabilities. In the United States, only licensed casinos can operate slot machines. The games are regulated by state gaming control boards, which ensure that the machines are fair and honest.
While slots are a game of chance, players can increase their chances of winning by playing responsibly. This means reading the rules of a particular slot, learning how to play it and even trying out the free version before spending any real money. Psychologists have also found that people who play video slots reach a debilitating level of involvement with gambling three times faster than those who play other casino games.