Slot Machine Games -- Background and History
Slot machine games have their modern roots reaching back to the late 19th century with poker machines and the 3-reel Liberty Bell slot machine. Both were the predecessor of video poker games and slot games as we enjoy them today. Even the plums, oranges, bells and bars on slot machine games we see in casinos all over the world can be traced back to that time period. And they began with the effort to sell chewing gum to the public. Herbert Mills, owner of Mills Novelty, introduced the Liberty Bell Gum Fruit machine that was a gaming device with a gum dispenser attached to it in 1910. Mills had been making gum vending machines since 1898 so the Liberty Bell Gum Fruit machine was a natural transformation for him. The gum flavors that were lemon, orange, plum and spearmint were used as symbols on the reels. The bell, which was the symbol of the highest payout possible on the original Liberty Bell device created by Charles Fey, stayed with this version. The bar symbol was actually a picture of a stick of gum that came out of the packets of gum dispensed by the machine. In that same year, Mills came out with the Operators Bell device, which substituted a cherry cluster for the spearmint symbol. Even though the reel strips for the devices had a copyright by Mills, competitors "borrowed" the format. Other manufacturers such as Caille and Watling not only used this format, but added apples, pears, pineapples and strawberries to their versions. Eventually the English branded them as "fruit machines". Mills added the watermelon symbol to the reels in 1937. Reel symbols catch the eye of the player, but why do people play slot machine games at casinos? People enjoy gambling for a number of reasons. For one, many like the fun of gaming regardless of whether they win or lose. Most enjoy this during vacations or on business trips. And winning while playing can't be discounted because people hope for some monetary gain in the short run at the casino. Plus the excitement of the casino adds to the reasons why people gamble. Sights, sounds, the presence of millions of dollars combined with lavish mega-resorts with exotic themes are in themselves a stimulating environment. Also, relaxation is a good reason as visiting a casino hotel can offer relief from the everyday stresses of life. Guests receive lots of pampering and get away from their daily routines during their stay. Understanding the needs and motivations of players has stimulated slot machine game manufacturers to keep coming out with new and fresh ideas. Over the years, as technology evolved, so did their results. During the mechanical age (1890's to 1920's), the types of games available were variations in regular slot and draw poker machines. Very little did change over the next few decades for slot machine games. In the 1970's, Fortune Coin led the change in the landscape of gaming by introducing the first full-color multi-line video slot machines and the first full-color video poker machines to the gaming industry. Solid-state circuitry began to replace the mechanisms of slots and allowed new games to be played. International Game Technology (IGT) soon after purchased Fortune Coin. The level of benefit and success of that acquisition is seen today as thousands of "Draw Poker" video machines were placed in casinos and bars throughout Las Vegas and other cities, capitalizing on the popularity of poker machine games that began in the early 1890's. The 1980's saw a move from solid-state circuits to microprocessors, which allowed new directions for games. One was the giant jackpot carousels like the Hilton Hotel's "Pot-O-Gold" which linked machines together and created the opportunity to win million dollar jackpots. In 1986, IGT introduced a statewide "Megabucks" progressive slot system in Nevada which combined microprocessor-powered gaming machines with modern communications in order to link gaming machines across the state. This allowed players the chance to win multi-million dollar jackpots. With the 1990's, the multi-game machine came into being giving the player a choice of playing spinning slot reel games, a number of poker games, keno, and video blackjack on one single machine. Other advancements during this time period include: - Multi-hand video poker games like IGT's "Triple Play Draw Poker" which gave the player the chance to play multiple hands of poker in a single play
- Interactive bonus games which have become standard on video slot games
- Multi-denominational game play allowing a choice in the amounts wagered per game
Today, gaming manufacturers are continuing to find new ways to heighten the player experience. At the time of this writing, Bally's has created the "Hot Shot Progressive" which takes 5 of their most popular slot games and places mini-versions of them on the machine. When the player gets the bonus round, they can play these mini-versions to have a chance to win up to five progressive jackpots on the same game. WMS Gaming has come up with a "Powerball" themed slot game in which a player can win up to 9 jackpots with one spin. And in the Blue Lagoon version of their "Hot Hot Penny" slot game, the player can play a free spin bonus that awards free spins at 3x pay, which can be infinitely re-triggered. Plus in the Hot Hot Penny mode, the bonus frequency increases by over 2x by re-spinning all non-bonus symbol reels along with receiving additional free spins in the form of bonus picks from 3 to 36 additional spins. These are examples of how slot machine games and their creators will continue an exciting legacy of innovation and creativity, giving players new reasons to come back for more.
Other Poker Bonus Articles
About the House Edge in Casino Games An Examination of the House's Edge If you are a recreational gambler, or if you are a novice gambler, then you may have heard the term "House Edge," and wondered what it means. Most people think that the House Edge is the ratio of total money lost to total money wagered, however, this is not the case. In reality, the House Edge is a r ...Casino Games History Or How People Have Learnt To Count Cards Part 4 Technocrat: Another little known name of great influence on blackjack Keith Taft. He was an engineer, computer specialist and inventor, he created his first blackjack computer in 1970, before Ken Uston appeared on the stage, just four years after the publication of the second Thorp’s book that encouraged him for this work. This computer named "G ...Multi-Player Slots - Why They Look Set for Huge Growth! Slots are exciting and fun, but are a solitary playing experience. Many of us like to play with other players and this is where multi-player slots can enhance your online playing experience. Online gaming companies such as Riverbelle Casino have introduced a variety of games to allow players to play with others rather than on their own. This is ...Tips to Enjoy Online Casino at Home If you want to have the fun of a casino without leaving home, online casinos can be just as exciting and as hopefully profitable as brick and mortar casinos. Whether your new to internet gambling, just need a refresher, or are looking to maximize your profits, our short guide can help you get started!The first thing to learn about is that ...Poker and Pickles Hello, my name is Joseph Pigliatti. I am also know as Joey the Pig, Joey the Wiseguy, Turpentine Joey, Joey Please Don't Break My Kneecaps, Second Storey Joey and Joey Strawberry Short Cake. If you don't mind - I prefer Joey the Pig.Anyhow, the good folks at the website I work for asked me to write an article about the time my wife Pickle ...Guidelines for Playing No Limit Texas Holdem Poker You play too many hands and you shouldn’t. In a no-limit game your percentage of played hands should be around the amount of 20%-25%. Examples are: when you are in first position and hold a A-J hand you have to fold, when in middle position with a K-10 you will also fold and in the last positions you will still fold even if you have a hand of Q- ...Online Casino Poker Rooms: Internet Gambling Site Strategy Tips Today is an internet age, you can find any information on the net, you can even get an education from the net through distance learning. In fact, the internet is becoming a great way to do just about anything, including gambling. Gambling is a great option to pass your time on internet; one of the most popular ways to waste time on line is to ...Top 10 Online Poker Websites When it comes to playing poker online you are probably amazed at how many online poker websites really exist and don’t know which one is the best one for you to play regarding payout, bonuses, game selection, and the like. However, don’t worry because I am going to provide you with some of the most popular online poker websites. Then, you can ch ...The ABC of Sports Betting Online Betting on sports is perhaps as old as the history of sports itself. The need of the Individual to have a reprieve from the monotony of his routine life made him innovate on recreational activities that lead to the birth of rule bound and structured sports and games of today. The most popular and age-old sports betting known to the civilization ...Poker Cheats: The Marked Card As the world of poker players continues to gain members everyday, more and more players are looking for easy ways to win the game. For cheaters, many feel that rather than take the time to hone their skills, they would prefer to master the skill of cheating.Some players have learned how to mark cards as a way to help them win the game. De ...Secret Betting Strategies for Playing Texas Holdem Poker When it comes to poker, there is no shortage of poker variants or the methods in which it is played, such as online at home or in a busy casino. The key to poker is understanding that while the basic concept of the game always remains the same throughout, each variant carries its own set of rules and strategy. However, with every game of poker o ...Is Responsible Gambling Possible? Most people gamble for the fun and excitement of that big win, or to test their mettle against worthy opponents in games of skill, but gambling is about money and there is always the risk of taking the game too far.Ensuring a conscientious and entertaining gambling environment is both the casinos'/poker rooms' and the players' responsibil ...Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy - Sit and Go Poker Tournaments Welcome to the fourth in my Texas Holdem Strategy Series, focusing on no limit Texas Holdem poker tournament play and associated strategies. In this article, we’ll examine the "Sit and Go" tournament - the most popular online poker tournament format today.When I first started playing in Sit and Go tournaments, I was beginning to think th ...Poker Starting Hands: Winning Table Strategy Of course anyone knows that a hand like AA is better that a hand like 22. That is the obvious part of the starting hands and the questions is not posed when talking about extremes, it is posed when we are dealing with middle hands that can get us often confused. It is possible that your pocket aces will loose against a worse starting hand. Why? ...Traits of Successful Online Poker Players Discipline is a must if you are hoping for a streak of consecutive winnings. You must never let yourself get carried away by a game even if you feel lucky. A disciplined player knows when to stop, what hands to play and what hands not to play and what types of games are for him.Take challenges only when and if you know for sure that you s ...Win at Roulette – A Game Of Chance But Good Odds If You Play Correctly Roulette is a game of chance, but that doesn’t mean you can’t win at roulette you can.All you need to do is to be able to play the correct table and know the best bets, it’s that easy!The wrong way to win at rouletteMany players go about trying to win at roulette the wrong way by using a system, to help get the odds in their ...A Conversation with my Dog I really don’t know how to say this any other way. My dog decided to talk to me the other night and he had a lot to say.It initially played like any other night really. Once again, I was tossing and turning, in and out of sleep. I was half awake, mulling over my job situation: I want to make money writing but I need an income more. Then t ...Texas Holdem Poker Strategy: Playing the Blinds The blinds in Texas hold'em are positions that oblige the player to place a bet before getting to see the cards. A blind is often thought of an imposed pre-flop bid, because it is made before getting your cards. You don't have a choice when in this position and you will have o bet the amount the game imposed for the respective blind. Texas hold' ...Jacks-or-Better Video Poker Machines - Five Simple Tips to Win More Money If you are playing video poker, then Jacks-or-Better is a great machine to play and you can increase the odds of success dramatically by learning five simple tips.You don't need to spend a long time learning these tips; they're simple, quick, and easy to learn. Jacks-or-Better video poker is fun anyway, but even more so when you're winnin ...Poker Betting Moves In players mind, overly forceful or exaggerated betting moves will make his hand appear strong.The key to interpreting your opponent’s hand by the manner he bets is not so hard. If the move is too dynamic, you should suspect weakness. If it’s quiet and smooth suspect strength.When a player couples his wager with the words, “I’ bet,” or so ...The Blackjack Tournaments In the past five years, one casino game that has become a very popular tournament game is blackjack, or “21.” This game is particularly big with younger gamblers, people in their twenties and thirties, who’ve learned that there is a way of playing blackjack, a certain strategy involved, which makes it somewhat a game of skill. In tournaments the ...Five Roulette Tips to Dramatically Increase Your Profits! Roulette is the third most popular casino game worldwide, after slots and video poker.Why is it so popular? Well it is fun, exciting, easy to play, and has certain glamour attached to it, thanks to James Bond!The fact that it is so simple to play means that many players just play roulette without thinking about how to maximize th ...Casino Bonuses Explained There is a lot of competition in the online gambling market today. Each day, new casinos form, old ones regroup and change owners, and the supply is nearly endless.When a player is looking to choose in which casino to play, he (or she), has many different factors to consider:• Do I like the look of the casino? • Does it have th ...Strange But True Online Poker Tales Worst Bet Ever: Here's a case in point for self-control at the online poker tables if ever we heard one. In December '05, one Carl Valentine agreed to what, on the surface, appeared a modest enough challenge, presented by a multi-millionaire buddy of his. The challenge was this: that by April 18, '06 he, Valentine, send 2 million unique v ...Three Qualities To Look For In A Sports Betting Site Online Some sports fans know so much about their favorite sport that they become curious about whether or not they can turn their knowledge to their advantage and make a little money betting on the games. Since in the US betting is not illegal, but being a bookie is, many bettors turn to online bookies (also called “books” or “outs”). There are hundred ...Payment Methods Explained for Online Casinos Depositing funds into your online casino account is one of the most important aspects of playing at an online casino. With so many different options out there, how do you know which one is best? And which method is most suitable for you? This article will review each method in turn so that next time you deposit at an online casino you will be ch ...Video Poker Slots – The Basics You Need To Know To Win Although a slot machine game, Video Poker slots if you use strategy you can put the odds in your favor, which makes them highly attractive compared to normal online slots.Video poker slots also bridge the gap between simple slot machines and more complex table games, so it’s easy, you can use some skill and if you do, it can be a really r ...
|
