playing poker

Video Poker's Predecessor: The Slot Machine

Our favorite card game, poker does not only exist around the kitchen table, on TV sports and lifestyles channels, inside the casinos but also in our favorite game consoles and also in the cyberspace. Yes! Poker has expanded its borders. People from all walks of life can enjoy poker now without worrying about the money and chips and / or other poker players trying to outsmart us. Isn't it cool?

We think you already knew what we are talking. You are right we are referring to video poker. What is a Video Poker? However, before we go into detail of what is a video poker, let us talk about its predecessor - the slot machine.

Every casino has a slot machine and this is where our folks and most ladies stay in this area. If you are wondering a slot machine looks like, well it is similar to video game arcade. It has a start button and hole to insert your coins or tokens. Other slot machines have bar code reader, wherein players have to swipe their card in order to play. Furthermore, the distinct feature of a slot machine is its lever arm. Some slot machines require you to pull down the raised lever. Others require you to simply pull it like when you are playing pinball.

On the slot machines' screen, there are columns. Inside each column are pictures or images. Some slot machines have fruits such as apples, bananas, cherries, grapes and strawberries. Colloquially, this kind of slot machine is referred as fruit machines. Well, others instead of fruit have numbers that is why there are some slot machines called super 7's, 8's 9's and 0's. Moreover, there are also machines that display playing card images such as Queen of Hearts and Jack of Spades. The latter type in gambler's lingo is called the playing card slot machine or simply card slot machine. Furthermore, this latter type gives birth to the new form of poker - the video poker.

This time, let us now find out how to win in a slot machine. Basically, in order to hit the slot machines' jackpot, we have to have three similar images such as three bananas, if we are in front of a three column slot machine. The number of similar images depends on the number of columns in the display area.

Once you press the start button, the columns will move up or down. Then we have to pull the lever so that the column will stop. Once it stops to move it will highlight a particular image. The challenge is now to have the same object in the remaining columns.

Sounds challenging, why not try and play slot machine?