Name: Pop O’ Gold
Item: Pop O’ Gold
Rating: 7.5
Author: Nigel Hall

Casino Bonuses

Provider	AvatarUX
Reels	5
Rows	7
Paylines	16,807
Bonus Rounds	1
Bet Range	0.20 - 100
Volatility	High
Max Win	20,000x
Bonus Buy	Yes
RTP	96.00%
Our Rating	7.5

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Game Overview

Did you ever hear the myth about the farmer and his wife who were granted one wish by a Leprechaun they captured? Unfortunately, their greed got the better of them, and whilst reeling off dozens of wishes, the Leprechaun, in exchange for his freedom, told them a tale of a pot of gold hidden at the end of the rainbow which would make all their wishes come true. Legend has it they still seek it to this day. Keeping such folklore alive is game provider AvatarUX and their slot titled Pop O’ Gold, which comes with 16,807 paylines, an RTP of 96%, and a maximum win of 20,000x bet.

Avatar’s Pop series of slots are historically packed with features, and that trend is set to continue here. First off is the Sticky Pop mechanic, where all winning symbols remain in place during a spin cycle. Then we have the Split Symbols, where one or more randomly selected symbols can receive a multiplier of up to x3. Boosted Reels enhance this modifier further, with up to 5 reels having the chance of receiving a split multiplier. Finally, triggering the main free spins feature will require you to land at least three scatter symbols in the base game, but if you can’t wait for this to happen organically, then a bonus buy option can be utilised for 100x the bet.

I’ve managed to introduce you to the game without using a single Irish pun which is impressive. I even checked over the intro twice to be sure to be sure. Yep, I’ll get my coat. In the meantime, why not try out the free demo slot of Pop O’ Gold for yourself, it’s available below.

Pop O’ Gold Slot Theme, Stakes, Pays & Symbols

Pop O’ Gold slot paytable

Irish-themed slots are undoubtedly one of the most common you’ll come across, almost so much so that you pull a funny face when you see yet another one has been released. I guess my first experience with an Irish slot, like most others, was Barcrest’s Rainbow Riches, which I still play now and again in the arcades if the pots are at a decent level. As for the iGaming industry, there are so many titles to choose from in this genre, with some just being purely created as portfolio fillers, whilst other games like 4ThePlayers 3 lucky Leprechauns are well worth a look. So which camp will Pop O’ Gold fall into? Let’s find out, shall we?

The paytable is split into three sections, and the most valuable symbols are the Leprechaun and the pot of gold, who will both pay you 2.5x for a five of a kind win. Next, we have the medium pays, which are the tankard of coins, a shield, the hat, and a hook, with each of these symbols paying 1.5x bet for a completed line of five. Last but not least are the low pays, which are represented by the royal symbols Ace, King, Queen and Jack. Hit any five of these, and you’ll receive a total of 0.6x your bet.

Rather impressively, on AvatarUX’s behalf, there’s a comprehensive selection of bet sizes you can choose to play from. The lowest starts at just €0.20 a spin, with the maximum stake hitting €100. Depending upon the casino you are playing at, there are up to seventeen different options between these amounts, so there is plenty of scope, no matter what size your initial bankroll is.

Base Game & Modifiers

Pop O’ Gold slot base game

Initial gameplay on Pop O’ Gold begins on a 5×3 reel set with 486 active paylines. As we will look at shortly, this can be increased by creating winning combos with the maximum reel size on the game being able to reach 5×5 with 3,125 ways to win in the base game and 7×7 with 16,807 ways to win during the free spins feature.

Stickypop

Any symbol that makes up part of a win will become sticky and remain in place as all other reel positions spin again. Furthermore, each winning symbol will cause the reel it is on to expand by one position, therefore increasing the number of ways to win.

Split Symbols

Randomly on any spin, either a single or multiples symbols, can have either a x2 or x3 multiplier added to them. The split multiplier increases the value of the symbol by the number shown.

Boosted Reels

At the beginning of any spin, there is a chance that between 2 – 5 reels can become boosted. Any symbol that lands on a boosted reel will have a split multiplier applied to them.

Base Game Unlock

Unlocking each reel to 5 positions high will trigger an initial global win multiplier of x2. Each win that follows will increment the multiplier by a further x1 in value. Once you fail to hit a new winning connection, the reels will reset to their default format.

Ante Bet

Playing with the Ante Bet option will increase the size of your current stake by 25% but will double the chance of the free spins feature being triggered.

Pop O’ Gold Slot Bonus Features

Pop O’ Gold slot free spins feature

Activating the main free spins feature on Pop O’ Gold will require you to land three or more of the scatter symbols. This is a game where the more scatters you trigger the bonus round with, the better, as highlighted below.

3 Scatter Trigger: Awards 5 free spins.
4 Scatter Trigger: Awards 8 free spins.
5 Scatter Trigger: Awards 12 free spins.

* Before the feature begins, you can risk your current spin total on the gamble wheel. There are also two special golden sections on this that can award 10 and 14 free spins, respectively. But be careful. If you land in a losing section, the bonus will end, and you’ll be returned to the base game.

Free Spins

The bonus round begins on a reel set of 5×4 with 2,048 paylines in play. Just like the base game, you’re aiming to increase the size of the reels by hitting winning combos. However, in the free spins, if all reels reach a height of five, for example, they will not reset to the default amount when you hit a losing spin.

If you can fully unlock the bonus feature by achieving seven positions high on each reel, you will be awarded 2 additional spins and a starting global multiplier of x2. This will increase by x1 for each win you achieve thereafter and will not reset at the end of a losing spin.

Bonus Buy

Players residing in a location where the bonus buy menu is active can choose from any of the three possibilities if they wish to bypass the base game.

Magic Bonus: Awards 5 free spins and costs 100x bet.
Enchanted Gamble Wheel: Gamble for up to 14 free spins, costs 100x bet.
Max Magic Bonus: Awards 12 free spins and costs 400x bet.

Pros

Great selection of bet sizes.
Maximum win of 20,000x bet.
Features the StickyPop mechanic.

Cons

Overly used theme in iGaming.

Final Thoughts

AvatarUX is continuing to make good use of their Popwins mechanic, and although this is "another" Irish-themed slot, at least the developer has been a little creative with it and shown the dark side of the leprechaun rather than the happy-go-lucky character that most providers opt for.As for the overall gameplay, it's not a bad slot at all, and if you're lucky enough to unlock the free spins feature fully, then you're going to be in with a real shout of getting near that max win of 20,000x bet. Well, you might need a little luck of the Irish, but surely that's a given.

7.5

Decent

Author Bio

Article by Nigel Hall

23 years Gambling Industry Experience

About Nigel Hall

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