Slot Receiver
A narrow opening; a slit or groove; especially: a passage through the skin or body, as a vein or an artery.
In football, the slot receiver is a key position that helps the team run multiple routes. They are usually positioned between the tight end and the wideout, lining up a few yards behind the line of scrimmage. In recent years, the position has become increasingly popular as quarterbacks have learned to exploit the nuances of the slot.
An airport slot, or slot time, is a period of air traffic control time allocated to an airplane, either at an individual airport or across Europe, by Eurocontrol as part of its flow management process. The slots are awarded due to restrictions in airport or airspace capacity (for example, because of runway congestion), lack of staff/air traffic controllers, or weather conditions. Airlines compete for these slots, which can be traded and are a valuable commodity in the aviation industry.
Slots are also used to categorize the payout percentages of slot machines. Looser machines pay out more frequently and at a higher percentage than tighter ones, which pay out less often and at lower percentages. This is why slot players seek out the machines that give the best chances of winning.
Generally, slot machines are programmed to weight particular symbols more than others. This means that certain symbols will appear on the reels more often than others, and they may occupy several stops on a multiple reel machine. This is one of the reasons that slot machines have such a high house edge, though there are ways to reduce the odds of losing.
Most states have strict regulations on slot machines, with many prohibiting them entirely or limiting their locations to casinos and racetracks. Some states, however, allow slot machines to be operated on licensed riverboats or anchored barges. Some states even have laws that dictate the maximum jackpot amounts and minimum payouts.
In the United Kingdom, slot machines are often referred to as fruit machines or video poker machines and can be found in bars, clubs, and pubs. In addition to traditional mechanical devices, these machines are now available in a variety of electronic formats. The majority of these machines are operated by a coin or paper ticket with a barcode, which is inserted into a slot on the machine and activates the spinning reels. When a winning combination is produced, credits are awarded according to the paytable.
A T-slot table is a test bench that uses commercially available T-slot nuts to secure components that can’t be held by standard grips on a universal testing machine. Bolts, studs, or threaded rods can then be screwed into the nuts to hold the component in place for repeated or batch tests. The tables are also useful for locating the same spot on a piece of equipment for repeat testing, or when a sample needs to be placed in the same location for every test.