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In computer hardware, a slot is an engineering technique for adding capability to a computer by providing a set of closely-spaced connections, called pinholes, into which expansion cards may fit. Almost every desktop computer comes with one or more slots for expansion cards, which allow the addition of specialized capabilities such as video acceleration or disk drive control. In the United States, a slot is also a legal term for a casino gambling establishment.

A slot is an area of the wing or tail surface of an aircraft that provides for air flow over it. Traditionally, these areas were designed as smooth surfaces, but they may be contoured to achieve specific aerodynamic performance goals. The slots may be shaped to reduce drag or to generate lift, or they may serve as structural members.

The Slot receiver is a very important position on the offense because, as its name implies, he lines up close to the middle of the field. He’s usually a little shorter and smaller than outside wide receivers, but he must be very fast and have top-notch route-running skills to excel at his job. On passing plays, he’ll need to master just about every route imaginable — in and out, deep and short. On running plays, he’ll need to block (or chip) nickelbacks and outside linebackers and safeties. On sweeps and slants, he’ll need to be especially good at blocking in the open field.

A progressive jackpot is an amount that increases each time a player places a bet on a particular slot machine game. The jackpot grows faster if the player makes higher bets. The jackpot will reset after a certain number of spins, but the player must still make a minimum bet in order to participate. Often, the amount that the player wins in a single spin is higher than the jackpot’s initial value.

Before you begin playing a slot machine, it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with its pay table. It will reveal how much you can win for each symbol, and if the slot has any special symbols that add additional bonuses. You can usually find the pay table on the machine’s rules page or information page, and many online casinos will list the payout percentages of their slot games on their website. Some of these websites also include a help section, which can answer questions about how to play a specific slot game. You can even chat with a customer support representative to get answers to specific questions about a game.