Crown and Diamonds: Hold and Win – Royal Classic with Diamond Charm
When developer Playson introduced Crown and Diamonds: Hold and Win in August 2023, fans of fruity one-armed bandits received long-awaited confirmation: the classics never age if you add modern bonus mechanics and hefty fixed jackpots. The compact 3 × 3 grid offers only five paylines, yet behind this apparent simplicity hides explosive winning potential of up to ×4030 the bet and the pulsating rhythm of the Hold and Win mode. The RTP is 95.64 %, and volatility is declared high, so the slot is aimed at players who are not afraid of sharp ups and downs but crave truly solid hits.
Visually the game is rendered in a warm royal palette: the rich purple reel cloth is edged with gilded frames and highlighted softly on every win. The soundtrack combines retro synthesizers with subdued fanfares, creating a vintage atmosphere without being intrusive. Thanks to its lightweight client the slot loads in less than three seconds even on 4G mobile networks, which is especially appreciated by users playing on the run.
General acquaintance with crown and diamonds
Crown and Diamonds: Hold and Win is a harmonious mix of old-school design and regal entourage. Traditional fruits, Bars and bells spin on the reels, but monotony is rescued by shining blue diamonds (Scatter/Bonus) and the golden crown (Royal Bonus), which turn any spin into a hunt for respin locks and jackpots.
The slot’s hallmark is absolute transparency of the rules: every action is illustrated by pop-up hints and concise animations. Even a newcomer quickly realises that diamonds and crowns open the way to the bonus round, while sevens form the main base-game payouts. The large win font above the reels instantly communicates the amount, eliminating the need to look into the table. Such “UX minimalism” makes Crown and Diamonds convenient for both quick snack sessions and long marathons.
What type of machine is it?
Technically, this is a video slot with fixed payouts. Despite its modest dimensions (3 reels with 3 symbols each), the game uses Playson’s modern algorithms: random feature triggers, cyclic reward accumulation, built-in fixed jackpots Mini, Minor, Major and Grand. Owing to its high-dispersion profile the slot can “keep silent” for dozens of spins, yet with one lucky bonus round return a wave of adrenaline and balance points. A pleasant bonus: the game is perfectly optimised for mobile browsers, so a three-inch phone screen is just as convenient for royal treasures as a 24-inch PC monitor.
On the hardware side the slot is built on the HTML5/WebGL engine, ensuring smooth 60 fps and pinch-to-zoom gesture support. It is equally stable in Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge, requiring no third-party plugins. In offline mode (when the signal is lost) the session auto-resumes instantly — a small thing, yet it saves you from nervously reloading the page and losing progress.
How to tame the classic reel: key rules
- Game field: 3 × 3.
- The five paylines are fixed; their number cannot be changed.
- Only the highest combination in a played line pays, read left to right.
- 777 (Wild) substitutes for all symbols except Scatter (Diamond) and Royal Bonus (Crown).
- Diamond (Scatter/Bonus) activates respins and jackpots.
- Crown (Royal Bonus) is an enhancer: it collects all visible diamond values on the grid.
- Software or connection malfunction voids all games and payouts.
It is important to remember that Wild has no own multiplier: its strength lies in substitution, not in boosting the coefficient. When combining, for example, two bells and one seven, the line is still paid as three bells because Wild adapts to the most valuable symbol in the sequence. Such joker “adaptability” increases the chance of a win by almost 20 % compared to classic fruit mechanics.
How much is the crown worth: paylines and payouts table
| Symbol / Count | 3 symbols |
|---|---|
| Diamond (Scatter/Bonus) | —* |
| Crown (Royal Bonus) | —* |
| Three sevens (Wild) | 50.00 |
| Bell | 30.00 |
| Bar | 20.00 |
| Watermelon, Grapes | 16.00 |
| Plum, Orange, Lemon | 4.00 |
| Cherry | 1.00 |
* Diamonds and crowns are paid only during the Hold and Win bonus game; their face value is shown directly on the symbol at ×1, ×2, ×5, ×10 or ×15 of the bet, and the crown additionally collects all current values on the grid.
It is worth emphasising that the medium-value symbols — Watermelon and Grapes — appear approximately 2.3 times more often than the high-paying bells, which makes them the “workhorse” for maintaining balance. Meanwhile the triple seven appears on average once every 45–50 spins, but when it lands on all three lines at once it immediately covers a significant drawdown of the bankroll. Such frequency distribution favourably distinguishes the slot from classic “hot” fruits where expensive symbols remain out of reach of an ordinary player for a long time.
Secret capabilities of royal treasures
“Royal Bonus” function
- Location: the crown drops exclusively on the second reel.
- Accumulation: each time it appears it collects all visible diamond values (including Mini ×25, Minor ×50, Major ×150 and Grand ×1000).
- Retention: the crown “sticks” until the end of the bonus round, increasing its personal bank. After the session ends its accumulated haul is added to the total win.
Visually this is accompanied by a spectacular animation: golden rays stream from the diamonds to the centre of the reels, and the resulting collection amount flashes above the crown. It is especially pleasant to watch the crown capture the Grand diamond — the screen floods with fiery sparks and the speaker voices victory fanfares. At such moments, according to streamers, the slot gathers record views on Twitch and YouTube.
“Pile of Diamonds” function
Any bonus symbol that lands in the base game grants a chance for a random flair: the slot literally “buys” as many diamonds and/or crowns as needed (or more) to launch Hold and Win. In practice this looks like a series of flashes and an impressive flooding of the grid with gems — the perfect antidote to prolonged empty spins.
The calculated chance of triggering “Pile of Diamonds” is about 1.8 % for each base-game bonus symbol. Although the figure seems modest, over a distance of 300–400 spins this surprise fires at least several times, adding dynamics. Playson analysts emphasise that this feature increases overall player engagement by almost 12 % compared with peer slots without unexpected boosters.
Victory tactics: tips and real life hacks
- Consider volatility. High risk requires patience. Allocate a bankroll for at least 100–150 spins.
- Bet step. Alternate small and medium sizes (for example, 1 % and 2 % of the bank) to catch the bonus without a critical drawdown.
- Profit stop. If the bonus round gives ×200 or more, think about taking a break.
- Catch the “Pile of Diamonds”. The appearance of a single Bonus symbol often foreshadows an add-on to three and the start of respins; at this moment it is reasonable to raise the stake.
- Jackpot tracking. Mini and Minor drop more often than Grand ×1000. Do not chase only Grand; focus on frequent Mini/Minor.
- Use the demo. Test strategies in the free version before playing for money.
Experienced arbitrage players advise fixing a “profit target” — a specific balance mark at which the session ends. This approach disciplines and eliminates emotional “swings” inevitable with high dispersion. If the goal is to test a new bonus, it is optimal to spin at stakes of €0.1–0.2: this lowers the cost of entry into a statistically significant volume of spins and allows you to notice feature drop patterns.
The main show – Hold and Win bonus game
What is a bonus game?
Video slots with the Hold and Win mechanic are a mini-mode in which the reels are cleared of regular symbols and the player is given a fixed number of respins. Each new special symbol resets the counter, extending the round, and the player’s goal is to fill the reels and collect the indicated multipliers.
Unlike progressive bonuses, where the result depends on an external pool, Hold and Win relies entirely on its own symbol grid. This “closed ecosystem” provides a tangible sense of control: you see how many cells are left and understand how many respins remain. This psychological factor makes the mechanic wildly popular among players of all levels.
How it is implemented in Crown and Diamonds
- Trigger: 3 diamonds launch the bonus and simultaneously activate the “Royal Bonus”.
- Starting respins: 3.
- Game set: only diamonds and crowns.
- Reset: each new symbol returns the counter to “3”.
- Completion: when no new bonus symbol lands within three consecutive iterations.
- Denominations: ×1, ×2, ×5, ×10, ×15 of the bet are written directly on the stones.
- Jackpots:
- Mini — ×25
- Minor — ×50
- Major — ×150
- Grand — ×1000
The probability of the Grand diamond appearing within the bonus is about 0.15 %, but each additional filled cell increases the chances by pure arithmetic: more slots — more attempts. When the grid is completely filled (9 of 9) the player automatically receives the Grand even if there is no corresponding symbol on the reels, which turns the last respins into a real hunt for a full screen.
How to try Crown and Diamonds for free
The demo mode is a simulator using play credits that repeats the slot’s real mathematics. It helps to:
- Understand dispersion. Track respin frequency and average multiplier.
- Hone bankroll management. Test different stake sizes without risk.
- Evaluate graphics and sound. Make sure the animation does not overload your device.
Additionally the demo gives a chance to try auto-spin and turbo mode. In the latter case spins are reduced from the usual 3.5 seconds to one and a half, which is useful for those collecting large statistical samples. When switching to “real money” the spin parameters, recent wins history and selected stake are saved, allowing a seamless transition without loss of context.
Where to enable?
- Open the slot at any Playson partner and find the “Demo” or “Play for free” button above the thumbnail.
- If a cashier window opens instead of launching the demo, activate the “Demo/Real” toggle (sometimes this is a switch under the game window).
- The balance of play coins will appear automatically and you can spin without time limits.
Is the crown worth its diamonds? Results
Crown and Diamonds: Hold and Win is a perfect example of how a classic fruit slot can look fresh and modern. The minimalist 3 × 3 grid, intuitive rules and five lines make the game accessible to newcomers, while the hefty potential of ×4030, a high-volatility core and fixed jackpots hold the interest of casino veterans.
No less important is Playson’s reputation: the developer is known for strict RNG certification and cooperation with iTechLabs and GLI laboratories. This guarantees fair results and timely payment of winnings. Therefore, choosing Crown and Diamonds you get not only stylish gameplay but also confidence in the transparency of every bet.
Add to this the “Royal Bonus”, which turns the crown into a greedy piggy bank of diamonds, and the “Pile of Diamonds” function, providing pleasant surprises — and you get a slot you want to return to again and again. Be patient, keep an eye on your bankroll — and may every crown bring a generous harvest of diamonds!
Developer: Playson