The large number beside a Megaways grid changes because the visible height of each reel can change. The useful figure is the count for the settled layout in front of you, not the largest number printed in the game description.
Wait until every reel has stopped, then count the playable symbol positions on each main reel. Decorative frames, a feature meter and empty spaces are not reel positions. Write the six heights in order so the calculation can be checked later.
For a six-reel layout showing 3, 5, 4, 6, 2 and 5 positions, multiply 3 × 5 × 4 × 6 × 2 × 5. The result describes possible left-to-right symbol routes for that layout; it does not promise that any route contains a paying symbol.
A headline such as “up to” a certain number is a ceiling for a particular release. It is not the count on every spin and it does not change the stake by itself. Use the on-screen counter and current help file to confirm how this title presents the figure.
Ways count and payout are separate questions. After calculating the layout, open the paytable to confirm the minimum number of adjacent reels, the direction used and whether repeated symbols on one reel create several combinations.
No. It describes possible routes, not the result.
No. Read the active game rules before calculating.
Yes, if the replacement layout changes reel heights under that title’s rules.