In the 1970s, when the concept of personal computers was just beginning to take hold, a man by the name of Si Redd developed and pitched an electronic version of draw poker to the executives of the giant gaming company Bally Technology. Bally decided that they were not all that interested but allowed Mr. Redd to take out a patent on Video Poker. While Video Poker took a long time to catch on, by 1981 it became popular game on casino floors. Mr. Redd’s took his company public and changed the name to IGT which is the world-wide leader in Video Poker technology.
Today there are hundreds of different video poker variations with thousands of different pay tables. New and exciting versions are still being released such as Spin Poker which is a cross between a video reel slot machine and a video poker machine and Ultimate X Poker which gives players a multiplier for a present hand based on the results of the prior hand.
One exciting element of Video Poker is a progressive jackpot. A progressive jackpot is a jackpot that grows as people play. It progressively gets larger and larger as a percentage of each bet is added to the total prize. With Video Poker games this jackpot is usually won by hitting a Royal Flush.
When the Emerald Island Casino opened almost 15 years ago, one thing Tim wanted to do was to find a way to bonus guests who played Video Poker. Recognizing that our guests have many options as to where to play Video Poker, Tim wanted to find a way to give guests a better value for their play. One way to do that to start the progressive jackpot on the single hand Video Poker machines at the bar at $1,000.00 and when the progressives hits to start it again at $1,000.00.
This is unique because the bar Video Poker machines have a $1.00 max bet. In standard Video Poker pay tables, the top prize for a Royal Flush is 800 times the maximum bet. On a $1.00 bet, the Royal Flush pays $800.00. By starting the progressive (and re-setting it once hit), the bar progressive jackpot gives guests a 25% bonus right off the top by starting at $1,000.00, rather than at $800.00!
We have a big selection of popular Video Poker machines at the Emerald Island Casino all of which can be played at a one cent denomination. We look forward to seeing you at the Emerald Island Casino – Where Players are Treated Like Royalty!