A slot is a narrow opening, especially one for receiving something. It can also refer to a position or assignment in a sequence or series. In computers, a slot may refer to an expansion card such as an ISA (Industry Standard Architecture), PCI (peripheral component interconnect), or AGP (accelerated graphics port). It can also refer to the memory slots on a motherboard.

A casino slot machine is a type of video game that uses reels to display symbols and pay out winning combinations. Players can choose how many paylines to include in their spins and how much they want to bet per spin. The more symbols that match up along a payline, the higher the payout amount. Some slot machines also have bonus features that can be triggered by certain combinations of symbols.

While some players believe that certain slot machines are hot or cold, the truth is that all slot games reach their results randomly. This is because they use a computer that generates random numbers, determining the outcome of each spin. These numbers are then compared to the internal sequence table of the slot machine and mapped to each stop on the reels.

A player who is a slot in football is a smaller receiver who can stretch the defense with his speed. This type of receiver usually runs shorter routes on the route tree, such as slants and quick outs. Slot receivers are important for teams, especially those who run a lot of spread offenses. The New England Patriots, for example, are famous for using their slot receivers to make opposing cornerbacks uncomfortable. The reason is that the slot receiver can gain a step or two on the cornerback by standing off the line a little bit, making him harder to tackle. This type of player is also effective at running a variety of patterns that can confuse the defense and create big plays for the team.