The History Of The First Video Poker Machine
The first video poker machine in the history of the world was introduced back in 1891 at a pub in Brooklyn, New York. It was coin-operated and it had five drums containing 10 cards each for a total of 50. The player would drop a coin and pull a lever to spin the drums and once they stopped, the cards that were shown determined the payout. These didn't pay real prizes way back then; instead, users would be treated to cigars or drinks.
Of course, the first slots also had a lot to do with the development of these video poker consoles. The initial public offering was the Liberty Bell which was created by Charles Fey and introduced in 1898. This was the only one of its type at the time that had the ability to pay real cash prizes to lucky winners. Then, a new invention from Fey in 1901 presented what was known as the "Skill Draw", which was associated with the first video poker machine but allowed users to hold one or more drums and spin the remaining ones again if they did not like the initial results.
Machines as we know them today didn't come about until the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were introduced as stand-alone consoles in various pubs and casinos. In those days, the graphics were grainy and the experience was far less superior to what we have these days, but they presented a unique and better method than inserting coins and spinning drums. This technology continued to improve until the online version was introduced in the mid-1990s and changed the face of gambling forever. Today, people often do not think back to the very first video poker machine, but it was a necessary part of the industry that everyone knows and loves today.