3 Chillies and Joker: Hold and Win
Review setup
| Mobile Device | iPhone 14 Pro + Safari (v17) |
| Desktop Browser | MacBook Pro + Chrome (v131.0.6778.140) |
| Play Time on Mobile | 90 Minutes |
| Play Time on Desktop | 60 Minutes |
| Amount Bet | $150 |
| Final Result | +$31 |
3 Chillies and Joker: Hold and Win is a classic fruit slot with a jalapeño twist for players who like a little spice in their spins. It came out earlier this year from Playson. They’ve pretty much become tied to the Hold and Win mechanic, where symbols lock in during respins to line up payouts. This one, however, goes a step further. There are layered modifiers and jackpot potential that build the longer you stick around.
Below, I go more in-depth on this slot, reviewing all the different elements so that you can determine if it’s worth your time.
First impressions with 3 Chillies and Joker: Hold and Win
There’s just something about classic slots that sticks. Simple gameplay, familiar symbols—somehow it all still hits, even after decades of evolution.
3 Chillies and Joker: Hold and Win plays into that legacy with a layout and design that clearly nods to old-school fruit machines. That said, the name had me thinking there’d be more going on under the hood. And, sure enough, once the Hold and Win feature kicked in, it felt like the game was trying to push past the usual formula and do something fresher.
As I moved forward, I was intrigued if the combination would offers enough to give it an edge.
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Visuals and presentation: 4.3/5
Visually, 3 Chillies and Joker: Hold and Win takes the chilli theme and runs with it—pretty much everything’s on fire. The background glows in this deep red-orange burn, and every chilli you see, whether it’s part of the design or spinning on the reels, is lit up. Plus, there are subtle flickers of flame that keep moving.
The symbols stay grounded in retro territory, but they’re sharper and a lot more detailed than anything you’d get with an older title. You’ve got lemons, cherries, plums, oranges, plus watermelons, grapes, bells, BARs, and the Lucky 7. All of them are drawn in a shiny cartoon style with bold outlines. Then, there are the Wild symbols and the three overlapping modifiers introduced by the Hold and Win bonus.
As you’d expect from modern online slots, the interface is nothing less than -friendly, with the reels taking center stage and everything else being super easy to spot. In fact, the credit, bet, and win meters sit neatly at the bottom. The autoplay button, marked with a looping arrow, is up on the right on the desktop, just above the bright orange spin button. Then, on the lower right, there are quick access tabs to the info and sound/settings menu. Feel free to adjust your bet using the plus and minus icons positioned center-bottom, right below the reels.
The role of sound: 4.4/5
The sound design of 3 Chillies and Joker also leans into classic fruit slot territory with familiar spin noises and light clicking sound effects.
In the background, it kind of feels like a boy band is playing low-key. I actually liked this at first, though it started to loop a bit too much after a while.
I did enjoy how wins come with celebratory chimes. And every time a chilli drops in, there’s this smooth swoosh as it glides over to line up with its modifier. Once the bonus round kicks in, the whole track picks up pace and gives the game a bit more energy, which I also enjoyed.
Gameplay journey: 4.8/5
Playson has built 3 Chillies and Joker: Hold and Win on a standard 5×3 layout and 10 fixed paylines. All wins pay left to right on consecutive reels, with the bet range starting at $0.20 and going up to $100.
The max win is 1,000x your stake, which is surely not the highest out there, but it’s pretty standard for a classic-style slot. As for the payouts listed on the paytable, the fruit symbols start at 1x and go up to 12.5x for five of the same kind. Then, you’ve got the bells, BAR, and Lucky 7 for the higher-value icons, which start at 2x and can reach up to 50x if you land five 7s.
Special symbols don’t come with separate payout values outside of their functional roles. Wild symbols (the Joker) appear only on reels 2 to 5 and substitute for everything except Bonus, Chilli Bonus, and Jackpot symbols. The bonus symbols (the chillies) can trigger the bonus game at any time (more on how that round works below).
With $150 to start, I mostly kept it at $1 a spin. There wasn’t much info on volatility in the game itself, but chatter online pointed to something around medium to high. So I figured averaging about 0.7% per round should hold up well. I ultimately came out a little ahead, so my strategy paid off (modestly).
Bonus features through my eyes: 4.7/5
As I hinted earlier, 3 Chillies and Joker: Hold and Win doesn’t shy away from bonus features despite its very traditional style. You’ve actually got three in play, and a few of them might just have you reaching for a glass of milk. Here’s the role each one plays:
| Feature | Description | Impact on Gameplay |
|---|---|---|
| Chilli Bonus Game | The Hold and Win Chilli Bonus can trigger whenever one or more chilli symbols land in the main game. The chillis come in three different colors, with each one connected to a different effect: ● Yellow gives you an Extra chance before spins reset. ● Purple triggers a second grid ● Green activates the multiplier feature Each colored chilli at the top keeps track of matching chilli symbols that land on the reels. At some point, the game randomly kicks off the Bonus Round and applies the effects tied to the specific color or colors you’ve hit. You can trigger just one of these boosts, but you can also trigger two or even all three at once. |
As with any slot, the bonus rounds are the most lucrative and thus, the most exciting aspect of the game. Here's a bit more about how you can win: Once the bonus begins, you get 3 respins to start with, during which only Bonus symbols appear. However, it’s 4 if the Extra feature is active. Every new Bonus symbol you land during the round resets your respins back to 3 (or 4 in case of the Extra feature). Eventually, when you run out or fill the screen, the round ends and all Bonus values are added up and paid. If you’ve triggered the Double feature, you'll be able to see a second game grid during the Bonus round. Bonus and Jackpot symbols copy over to this new grid, and both fields have their own separate respin counters. The Multi feature works separately on each board. The Multi feature randomly adds a 2x, 3x, or 5x multiplier to Bonus symbols. Only one multiplier lands per symbol per spin, and all are applied at the end of the Bonus round. It is possible to have the multiplier hit the same symbol twice. |
| Bonus Game Jackpots | Randomly landing Mini, Minor, or Major Bonus symbols during the Bonus Game awards the respective fixed jackpots: 15x, 30x, and 100x. You can also claim the Grand Jackpot of 1,000x by filling all 15 cells during the Bonus Game—or win it twice if both reel sets are filled when the Double feature is active. |
This helps add quite a real long-shot potential and a reason to stick with the feature, especially when Double is active and two Grand Jackpots are on the line. |
| Buy Bonus | You can instantly trigger the Bonus Game with 1 or 2 random chilli features for 70x, or purchase a Super Bonus with all 3 for 200x. | The buy bonus comes at a relatively high cost, but it also gives you direct access to the slot’s most impactful mechanics. This means you get to by the base game entirely. Personally, I'm always a fan of giving players the chance to control gameplay by buying a bonus. But while I played, I rarely won as much as it cost me to buy these. I actually hit the bonus round enough times during the base game that I didn't feel the need to buy it. |
Balancing risk and reward: 3.9/5
Playson hasn’t released the official RTP or volatility figures for 3 Chillies and Joker: Hold and Win, so I was kind of going in blind on that front. That said, from my own experience, plus what other s say online, I’d peg it around medium to high, although the kind of swings you get from extended play could push it beyond that range.
There were sessions where I spun 10–15 times at $1 each and barely cleared $5, which told me quick wins wouldn’t come easy. But then I’d hit a Bonus round with both the Double and Multi modifiers, and that’s when things would really turn around.
As for RTP, I played the game over at Stake.US where they’ve got it showing a 4.5% house edge, which puts it at 95.5%.
This RTP is a bit below average for online slots, and the volatility is certainly not for the faint of heart. Obviously, I found the risk/reward ratio to be pretty good, since I came out ahead. But there are a lot of other options out there that give you a better chance of finding a profit.
The good and bad of 3 Chillies and Joker: Hold and Win
- The Chilli Modifiers (Extra, Double, and Multi features) completely change the Bonus Game dynamics.
- You can skip straight to the action by buying the Bonus round with.
- Activating the Double modifier opens a second reel set and effectively doubles your bonus potential and jackpot odds.
- The bet range of $0.20 to $100 is very accessible for both casual players and high rollers.
- Playson hasn't shared official RTP or volatility info.
- There's little action in the base game since most of the excitement is locked behind the bonus features.
- The Grand Jackpot is capped at just 1,000x, and even with modifiers, you won’t break that ceiling unless Double is active.
Final Thoughts on 3 Chillies and Joker: Hold and Win
I’d say 3 Chillies and Joker: Hold and Win is a great fit if you’ve got a soft spot for classic slots but still want some modern bonus action.
The setup hits the nostalgia right away, with fruits, bells, BARs, and that Lucky 7 doing exactly what you’d expect. But I loved how once you land those chilli modifiers and unlock the Bonus Game, everything shifts into something much more involved. And in my opinion, that’s where the real character of the game shows up.
That said, it’s definitely one for players who can handle a bit of swing. If long dry spells wear you down, it might test your patience. But if you’re the type who’s fine waiting for that one big hit to turn things around, you’ll get what this game’s going for.
Would I play it again? Yes, but only sometimes. Without a huge max win or much variety outside the bonus round, it’s not one I’d reach for every time. Still, there’s more spice going on under the surface than it lets on.
Final Score: 4.4/5
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