Video poker.

    "Who hasn't dropped a nickel in the slot of these seductive little machines found in almost any place where men most do congregate?" a Brooklyn newspaper headline asked in 1896.
    It was only five years since Sittman and Pitt of Brooklyn began to manufacture the first nationally known poker card machines. People became just crazy about the new kind of entertainment, and in 1986 the “drop card machines” were almost in every liquor or cigar shop. A winning hand could pay up to 100 cigars or drinks for a Royal Flush, 40 for a Straight Flush, and lesser awards for a pair of Kings or better. However, these machines usually operated not with 52 but with 50 cards on 5 drums. The cards missing were the Jack of Hearts and the Ten of Spades. This lessened chance to get a Royal Flush twofold.

   In 1898 Charles August Fey introduced his three reel, bell slot machine, which he developed in his workshop in San Francisco. This machine, entitled "Liberty Bell" had the design, which is still used in its modern descendants. It had three reels holding 20 symbols. These slot machines became very popular in casinos. People liked them very much because they didn’t require any skill. It was only the matter of luck. And though professional poker players kept harping that a good gambler does not depend on luck too much the popularity of "one-armed bandits" continued increasing. Fey’s Card Bells were able to make automatic payouts. It is not known how many of them were manufactured, but the only surviving machine is situated in Liberty Bell Saloon and Restaurant in Reno, Nevada, owned by Fey’s grandson. It was rescued by Charles Fey from the 1906 earthquake and fire.

    Invention of the “draw” feature was the turning point in the history of poker machines. The simple innovation attracted crowds of new players. The idea was simple: On the first pull, all five drums of cards began to spin. When they stopped, the player was able to spin only certain drums to increase the possibility of improving of his hand. This made Charles Fey very rich.
    The first electronic poker machines appeared in 1964. By the mid-1970s, they spread all over the country. The most successful of these was the Dale Electronics' Poker-Matic. And it was in 1975 when the Fortune Coin Company introduced the first video bell slot machine in Las Vegas.
    With the technological development the poker machines have been constantly improving, but the idea was always remained the same: the one, which appeared more than 100 years ago.

    The rules of video poker are simple; you play 1 to 5 coins, the machine give you five cards, you choose which to hold and which to discard, the machine replaces your discards and pays you off according to the value of your hand. The number of variations of video poker is constantly increasing. Wild cards have been introduced, some games feature multiple decks, bonuses for certain four of a kinds are common, and payoff tables can vary from one machine to another.
    Many people find it difficult or inconvenient to visit a casino with any regularity. Today, you can play video poker online from the convenience of your own home. Online game in video poker is very similar to poker of a real casino. The exact calculation, the advanced intuition and training will help to increase chances of a victory considerably.
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Video poker. A history of popular game video poker and rules.