GAMBLING AS WE KNOW IT TODAY

1
1891

The Card Machine, the predecessor of today's video poker, is developed by Sittman and Pitt. The machine featured 5 drums, each containing 10 cards. By inserting a coin, the drums started to spin. Once hitting the lever, the drums would stop and form a combination of 5 cards. To increase the house edge, ten of spades and jack of hearts were removed from the deck, which decreased the players' chances of hitting the royal flush significantly. There was no automatic payout mechanism, so the prizes, such as free beers or cigars, were paid out by the bartender.
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