VIDEO POKER - THE HISTORY

As its name suggests, video poker is a game similar to five-card draw played on an electronic console similar to a slot machine. The game is popular in casinos and other gambling venues, and due to its computerized nature it is also easily incorporated into on-line gambling websites.

Video poker gaming consoles first appeared in the mid-1970s, around the same time as the first personal computers were produced. Gaming company IGT's 1979 Draw Poker became a hit, and video poker continued to increase in popularity throughout the 1980s.

Today, video poker is commonplace in gambling establishments worldwide. The game has spawned numerous variations of its own, including games with wild cards, modified payoff schedules, progressive jackpots, and other special features.

The popularity of video poker is due to a number of reasons. For one, players tend to find the machines less intimidating than playing at the card tables. The game is also very easy for beginners to pick up: five-card draw is often the first poker variant that people learn, so many people already know how to play. Another upshot is that minimum bets for video poker are typically very low - the same as for slot machines - so players looking for a small-stakes game that is not based on pure luck often see video poker as the perfect alternative to slots.