The spools held 10 cards each-a deck of 50, with a couple of high cards missing. Prizes for winning hands were usually free drinks or cigars, but bar owners didn’t need to worry too much.
Even before the modern reel-spinning slot machine was invented in the mid-1890s, bars in San Francisco and elsewhere offered mechanical poker machines featuring five spinning spools of cards. The idea of an automated version of the game of poker, to be played alone while enjoying drinks, goes all the way back to the origins of the slot machine. Editorial Staff | Posted on Febru| Bonus features like multipliers and free games spice up the traditional video poker game, while offering a fair shake that diehards will appreciate By Frank Legato
