The First Years
Believe it or not, this game is actually older than slot machines. In 1891, Brooklyn, New York, Sittman and Pitt designed a machine which had card symbols printed on 5 reels. By pulling a lever, one obtained a poker hand of five cards which were used to determine your winnings. This machine was probably a source of inspiration for modern slot machines.
During the 20th Century
In the 70s, the original game was introduced by Poker-Matic of Dale Electronic in 1970. Although at first the players were wary of these machines because they did not trust electronic devices, they increasingly became popular. In the 80s, you could find video poker machines in virtually every casino, with variations of joker such as Joker Poker and Deuces Wild to attract more players. These machines allowed players to enjoy poker without having to compete with other players, became really popular and a very good source of income for casinos.
The current game
In 1994, MicroGaming began to introduce video poker games online as well as a variety of other online casino games. It turned out that game were really suited online, because these games are played exactly the same way live or online. Nowadays, online video poker machines offer a variety of ways of playing, including progressive machines with jackpots amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, this did not mean the end of live machines; there is a couple at your local casino amid the slot machines and table games. With the recent boom of poker, casinos are seeking to attract more eager players to their video poker machines which generate more income than traditional poker games.
If you know how to play poker, you can play video poker. Even if you do not play traditional poker a quick glance at the strength of the hands is all you need to get started. When you’re ready to try, you can play at almost any online casino and experience the excitement of playing.
