Hold and spin pokies turn a feature into a collection round. Qualifying symbols remain on the screen while the empty positions respin, giving the feature its familiar lock-and-respin appearance. New symbols can add value and extend the round, but the exact trigger and counter are different from one title to another.
Use this guide to follow the feature from entry to settlement: what stays held, what resets the counter and how the final prize is calculated. Official game examples show why the name alone is not enough to tell you the rules.
How a hold and spin feature works
The common idea is straightforward: a qualifying combination activates the feature, selected symbols are retained and the remaining positions are evaluated through a limited number of respins. The game may replace ordinary symbols with a special feature set containing money symbols, modifiers or blanks.
1. Trigger
The game checks for the specified symbols and count in the permitted game state. A qualifying trigger can retain those starting symbols for the feature.
2. Hold and respin
Retained symbols stay in place. New qualifying symbols can occupy empty positions and change the counter according to the title’s rules.
3. Settle
The feature ends when its stopping condition is reached. The game calculates the held values and any additional award under the paytable.
This is a description of the general format, not a universal rulebook. A feature might add rows, introduce collection symbols, alter values or use several grids. Check the exact game rather than carrying a counter rule from a different title into it.
The basic round and stake are covered in how pokies work. For ordinary winning paths outside a feature, see paylines and ways to win.
Hold and spin game examples
The descriptions below use official provider pages checked on 18 October 2026. They explain specific feature designs; they do not establish availability at the casinos in the separate welcome table.
Joker’s Jewels Hold & Spin
Pragmatic Play states that three or more money symbols trigger the feature with three initial spins. Its description retains money symbols, uses money symbols and blanks during the feature, and resets the counter when a money symbol lands.
The provider describes a separate full-grid award. Read the exact game’s settlement rules rather than assuming every held symbol pays again on each respin.
Hot to Burn Hold and Spin
The official description uses five or more money symbols to enter and four initial respins. Its summary specifies a reset to three when another money symbol lands, illustrating why the starting allocation and reset value need separate checks.
Filling every position leads to a Big Money Wheel feature in the description reviewed. That differs from assuming a full grid always awards a progressive jackpot.
Lightning Link family
Aristocrat’s regional Lightning Link page describes Hold & Spin jackpot features across several themes, alongside other game-specific free-game features.
This is a provider example of the mechanic, not a claim that a land-based or regional version is available online in Australia. The exact title and approved implementation matter.
Names such as hold and win, cash collection or respin bonus can describe related ideas without identical rules. Compare the trigger, counter, values and final award rather than grouping everything under one familiar animation.
Reading the respin counter
The counter tells you how many opportunities remain under the feature’s current rules. An empty respin may reduce it; a qualifying new symbol may reset it or add a different amount. The information screen specifies which events count.
An illustrative three-respin sequence
Start at 3. A blank result reduces the counter to 2. A second blank reduces it to 1. A qualifying new symbol then locks in and resets it to 3, if that is the game’s rule.
The example explains a counter. It does not predict when a new symbol will land or how long a feature will continue.
Do not assume that a counter reset means you have received another cash prize immediately. It can extend the feature while the displayed collection remains part of a total that is settled later.
One empty position is still an uncertain result
A nearly filled grid can look close to completion without providing the probability of the final symbol. A visible empty cell does not create an obligation for the next respin to fill it. Treat the remaining counter as the rule state, not a promise about the next outcome.
Some features change their behaviour as the grid develops. If the game uses such a rule, it should be read in the feature instructions. Do not infer it solely from a rising sound effect, a flashing frame or an animated prize label.
Coin values, multipliers and the final total
Held symbols can display currency, credits or multiples of the triggering stake. Establish the units before adding them. A symbol marked 10x is not the same as a symbol marked $10, and neither should be interpreted without the game’s rules.
For a simple illustrative collection, values of 2x, 3x and 5x total 10x. At a $0.40 triggering stake, that would equal $4 if the rules award their sum with no additional adjustments. A collector, multiplier or replacement award could change the calculation in a real game.
Read whether a modifier affects one symbol, a row or the entire collection. Also check whether values already include an applied multiplier. Counting the same adjustment twice can make a feature look more valuable than the credited result.
What happens when the grid fills?
A full grid can trigger a fixed award, a progressive, an extra wheel or a different stage. It may add to the collected values or replace part of the ordinary total. These are title-specific decisions in the paytable.
Prize labels such as mini, minor, major and grand do not establish a shared pool or a fixed amount. Use the jackpot pokies guide to distinguish fixed prizes from local and network progressives. Check the account currency as well as the displayed dollar symbol.
Casino welcome packages
These four rows compare general deposit-based promotions. They do not confirm that the provider examples above are available or eligible for bonus play at those casinos. Check the live game catalogue and the exact coupon before depositing.
| Casino | Welcome package | Bonus code | Offer page |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 300% + 50 free spinsCash Bandits 2 · minimum deposit $20 | 300-WELCOME | View offer |
 | 400% up to $4,000 + 20 spinsCash Bandits 3 · deposit bonus | 400CB20 | View offer |
 | 400% up to $4,000 + 100 spins40× rollover · no maximum cashout | BANDIT4000 | View offer |
 | 100% up to $1,000 + 40 spinsFortunate Buddha · min $20 · 30× · 48 hours | RC400 | View offer |
18+. Affiliate links: we may earn a commission from qualifying referrals. Full coupon terms apply. Affiliate disclosure.
Read the individual guides to Fair Go, Ozwin, Uptown Pokies and Ripper Casino for the checked codes and spin games actually named by their offers. A welcome allocation is not a choice of any hold-and-spin title.
How to compare hold and spin pokies
- Trigger: identify the required symbols, count and game state.
- Counter: read the initial number, blank-result treatment and reset conditions.
- Value units: establish whether symbols show currency, credits or stake multiples.
- Modifiers: check collectors, multipliers, expanding grids and other special symbols.
- Settlement: find out what ends the feature and how the final award is calculated.
Then compare the base game. A feature may occupy only part of a session, so the ordinary paytable, total stake, RTP and volatility remain relevant. A large possible feature award does not establish the frequency with which it is triggered.
RTP and volatility are separate checks
RTP describes a theoretical long-run proportion of stakes returned as prizes. Volatility concerns the distribution of those returns. The presence of locked coins or a full-grid prize does not supply either figure by itself.
Use published RTP comparisons and read the exact version’s information screen. The high-volatility and low-volatility guides explain different result patterns. Neither label forecasts a feature or a positive session.
Optional modes and feature purchases
Some games offer an enhanced mode or a direct feature purchase. Read the full cost and any separate rules before selecting one. Buying entry does not guarantee a return equal to the amount paid, and an enhanced mode should not be assumed to preserve every base-game setting.
The total stake must remain clear after an option changes. A familiar coin denomination or an unchanged spin-button design does not establish that the round still costs the same amount.
Hold and spin, free spins and bonus wagering
A hold-and-spin feature commonly retains symbols and evaluates remaining positions. An ordinary free-spin feature may spin the full reels under different rules. Promotional free spins are a third category: an account allocation under a casino offer.
Keep the coupon separate from the game feature. A welcome promotion can restrict titles, modes or feature purchases, apply a maximum stake and impose wagering or cashout conditions. The game being in the lobby does not establish its eligibility.
For example, at 50% contribution a $10 eligible stake adds $5 to qualifying wagering. A prohibited game can create a terms breach instead of merely contributing less. Read the free spin guide, use the wagering calculator for turnover arithmetic and check any withdrawal cap.
Following the feature on mobile or in a demo
On a phone, make sure you can read the counter and symbol values without losing sight of the total stake. Use the help panel to check how the collection is settled. If the device changes orientation, verify the controls before starting another round.
A compatible browser version may run without a separate casino app. Our no-download guide and mobile hub cover device and loading checks. If a cash round is interrupted, use game history and support to establish its result rather than assuming a frozen animation cancelled the stake.
A demo can help explain the sequence where a practice version exists. It cannot predict how often features will occur in cash play, and virtual credit has no withdrawal value. See free pokies and real money pokies for those separate modes.
For other mechanics, compare classic reels and Megaways layouts. The pokies hub brings the game and feature guides together.
For Australian readers: game availability or an overseas licence does not establish Australian authorisation. ACMA identifies online casinos and online pokies as prohibited interactive gambling services for customers in Australia. Read the official ACMA guidance. Support information is on our responsible gambling page.
Hold and spin pokies FAQs
What are hold and spin pokies?
Hold and spin pokies include a feature in which qualifying symbols stay in place while remaining positions respin. New qualifying symbols can lock in and extend or reset the counter. The trigger, counter and prize calculation depend on the exact game.
Does every hold and spin feature start with three respins?
No. Three is common in some titles, but it is not a universal rule. Read the initial allocation and the reset value separately; they can differ within the same game.
How do I trigger a hold and spin feature?
The paytable specifies the required symbols, count and game state. Some titles need three money symbols, while others require five or use another trigger. A similar feature name does not establish the same rules.
Are held coin amounts paid after every respin?
That depends on the feature. In many designs, held values form a feature total paid at the end rather than being newly paid after each animation. Read the settlement rules to avoid counting the same symbol repeatedly.
Does a nearly full grid mean the final symbol is due?
No. An almost-complete display does not establish that the next respin must fill the remaining position. The game’s probability rules still apply.
Is a full-grid prize always a progressive jackpot?
No. It can be a fixed multiplier, a bonus wheel, a progressive prize or another award. Read what the specific game grants and whether it adds to or replaces the held-symbol total.
Is hold and spin the same as free spins?
Not exactly. A hold and spin feature retains specified symbols and usually respins the remaining positions with a counter. An ordinary free-spin feature may spin the full reels under different rules. Promotional free spins are a separate casino offer.
Can I change my stake during the feature?
Follow the exact game rules. Features often use values linked to the triggering stake, but no universal adjustment rule should be assumed. Check the displayed units and paytable before entering.
Are the casino offers confirmed for the example games?
No. The table compares general welcome packages. It does not confirm that the cited Pragmatic Play or Aristocrat examples are available or eligible for those coupons. Check the live catalogue and promotion rules.
Can I practise a hold and spin feature for free?
A compatible demo may be available for a particular title. It can help explain counters and symbol values, but virtual credits cannot be withdrawn and a demo result does not predict a cash session.