Choose Your Videopoker Game

Play Casino World  Casino World is a community driven, free-to-play game where players can create their very own Vegas-like city and enjoy more than 40 different casino-style games. Players can construct luxury hotels, dance clubs, and glamorous slot halls, and can construct “Party Rooms” to have virtual parties with friends.

Play 7 Seas Casino  7 Seas Casino is a community driven, free-to-play game where players can experience a luxurious cruise adventure. Visit different ports and enjoy more than 40 different casino-style games including Poker, Bingo, Blackjack, and Slot Machines. And Fishing! Because what's the point of being on the sea if you can't fish?

Play Vegas World  Vegas World is a free-to-play social casino world where players can enjoy more than 45 different casino-style games like slots, poker, blackjack, bingo, roulette and more. Players can customize their avatar, earn coins to play each of the games, boost their winnings with in-game Charms and party in different social environments.

🎥 Video Poker: How Technology Transformed a Classic Game

The Marriage of Poker and Technology

Video Poker is one of the most enduring casino games in history — a fascinating hybrid that combines the skill of poker with the instant gratification of electronic gaming. Long before it appeared on glowing casino screens, though, the idea of automating poker was already in motion.

By the mid-20th century, the casino world was in the midst of a transformation. Mechanical slot machines were giving way to electromechanical gaming devices, and engineers were looking for new ways to bring classic card games into the automated age. The concept of playing poker against a machine — and not a dealer — was about to move from imagination to reality.

The Electromechanical Era: 1950s–1960s

The first big step toward Video Poker came in the 1950s and 1960s, when casinos began experimenting with electromechanical poker machines. These early devices used physical cards or reels but relied on electrical circuits, motors, and solenoids to handle shuffling, dealing, and payouts — replacing the fully mechanical gears and springs of earlier decades.

Companies like Bally Manufacturing and Williams Electronics were pioneers of this transition. Bally's 1964 release of Money Honey (the first fully electromechanical slot) proved the technology could handle complex logic. These early poker machines were primitive by modern standards, but they laid the groundwork for what would come next. For the first time, it was technologically feasible to simulate a full poker hand electronically — the key building block for Video Poker.

The 1970s: Video Poker Comes to Life

As microprocessors and TV monitors became affordable in the early 1970s, the idea of a video-based card game became reality. Instead of using physical reels or cards, games could now display graphics directly on a screen. One of the first companies to see the potential was Dale Electronics, which developed an early prototype using a television screen connected to a central processing unit.

This design caught the attention of Si Redd, a charismatic gaming distributor from Nevada who had a knack for spotting trends. Redd realized that combining poker with a video display could appeal to both poker fans and slot machine players. By 1979, his company SIRCOMA (Si Redd's Coin Machines) released the first commercial Video Poker machine, called Draw Poker. It was a simple game of five-card draw where players could hold or discard cards just as they would at a real table. The format was familiar, the gameplay intuitive, and the results immediate.

Si Redd and the Rise of IGT

SIRCOMA quickly evolved into International Game Technology (IGT), the company that would dominate the casino gaming industry for decades. Under Redd's leadership, IGT refined the hardware, improved logic, and added variety with games like Jacks or Better, which required a minimum pair of jacks to win.

By the early 1980s, Video Poker had spread throughout Las Vegas casinos. Players loved it because it offered something new: a balance between luck and strategy. Unlike traditional slot machines, players could influence the outcome through decision-making — choosing which cards to keep or discard. That sense of control gave the game its enduring appeal.

The Golden Age of Video Poker

Through the 1980s and 1990s, Video Poker became a casino mainstay. Variations like Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker, and Double Double Bonus offered new ways to win and kept players engaged. Casinos filled entire rows with the glowing machines, their rhythmic beeps becoming the soundtrack of the gaming floor. Video Poker also became known for offering some of the best odds in the house. That reputation helped attract both casual and serious players alike.

From Casinos to Screens Everywhere

By the mid-1990s, Video Poker made its way onto computers and, soon after, onto the internet. Its digital nature made it one of the first casino games to thrive online. As technology advanced, so did the visuals and features — animated cards, touchscreens, and themed variations became standard. Today, Video Poker continues to evolve across mobile and social platforms like Vegas World, Casino World, and 7Seas Casino, where the focus is on fun and free play. Modern versions replicate the strategic challenge of the classic game while adding bonuses, avatars, and social features.

Why It Endures

Video Poker's staying power lies in its perfect balance: it rewards both chance and decision-making. From the flashing electromechanical cabinets of the 1960s to sleek digital apps today, the game has always embodied the thrill of choice — hold, discard, and hope for that perfect hand. More than just a casino staple, Video Poker is a story of innovation — proof that when technology meets tradition, a timeless game can find new life in every generation.