The History of Video Poker
by Shane on February 19th, 2010
Electronic Poker is merely a combination of 2 well-known forms of betting: the slot machine games using the poker game. Succeeding at a game of Electronic-Poker involves a mixture of gambler ability with genuine luck, making it a favorite with players. The game of poker is thought to have originated back in Eighteen Thirty, where it’s recorded as having been enjoyed by French migrants residing in New Orleans. Video-Poker uses a version of the game known as five-card draw poker. At the same time, the coin-operated card equipment (better-known affectionately as a "slot machine") was originally developed in the late Nineteenth century, with poker machines appearing in San Francisco in Eighteen Ninety. These machines were very simple by today’s specifications, utilizing actual cards instead of icons.
The machines dropped in interest throughout the first half of the 1900’s. Economic issues combined with the limited technologies of the machines themselves meant that individuals just weren’t interested in wagering anymore. A incredibly simple electronic digital poker machine was released in Nineteen Sixty-Four but achieved only moderate success.
It was not until the mid-70’s that the Video Poker unit as we know it today became obtainable. Advancements in technology meant that a computer chip (CPU) could be put inside the machines to give them a "brain", while a video screen transmitted the action to the gambler.
Meanwhile, casino operators searched for new high-profit games, and the combination of a slot machine games with the more traditional game of five-card draw poker proved to be a winning blend with the old and new. The very first Electronic-Poker unit was built in 1976 by Bally Manufacturing. It was black and white only, but a color version was developed just 8 months later, by the Fortune Coin Firm. Over the next couple of years, computer chips became less costly to mass produce, and additional casinos introduced Video Poker machines as they grew to become additional financially viable. A version called Draw Poker was launched in 1979 by a firm now labeled IGT, and it achieved unheralded success.
Video Poker genuinely took off inside early 1980s where it started to be popular in gambling establishments across Sin City. Bettors found themselves much less intimidated by a machine than they were when sitting down at a table with others. The recognition of the game has gradually grown during the last quarter-century and it can now be found in the majority of casinos throughout the world, along with bars and on the Web.
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