Nostalgia and Video Poker

12 August 2023

By Jerry Stickman

I have played video poker for several decades. During that time there have been many changes to the game, how it is played, and the actual return of the game.

The other night I started thinking about the “good old days” of video poker. Not all was good. In fact, to quote Charles Dickens from A tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

The best of times

Today’s casinos are owned by corporations. Corporate accountants look to maximize returns on a monthly and quarterly basis. Customer loyalty means little. Profits are the immediate goal.

Three to four decades ago (it sure doesn’t seem that long ago), most casinos were run by individuals – perhaps backed by the mob, but individuals. They knew that gamblers wanted a decent chance at winning – and they offered those games to their customers.

In blackjack, one-dollar minimum single deck games with player friendly rules were plentiful. Multi-deck shoe games took a back seat to the hand-held single and sometimes double-deck games.

In craps, low table minimums and high limits were common. Odds bets as high as 100 times were offered.

Lower denomination full-pay video poker games were plentiful. Almost every casino had some Jacks or Better, Double Bonus Poker, and Deuces Wild games that returned better than 100 percent. They were the norm, not the exception.

Perhaps this was because not the many casino gamblers had the knowledge of how to actually win on these games, or they lacked the skills to do so.

Perhaps it was because management back then knew they would make their profits when players lost control and chased losses. They also knew that skilled players would often bring unskilled spouses and friends who usually played higher house edge games. Their losses would more than compensate for the few players who could come out winners.

In these, the best of times, comps were easy – and at the discretion of the pit personnel. Player’s clubs where players earned point for play did not exist.

Management knew that by being generous with comps, they were developing a loyal customer base. If players were treated right, they would return. The players were with them for the long term.

The worst of times

All was not rosy in this distant pass, however.

Video poker games did offer great returns, but there were also drawbacks with these early machines.

All video poker machines – in fact, all slot machines as well – were “coin droppers.” Rather then feed a bill into the currency slot, individual coins had to be dropped. This meant players had to purchase rolls of nickels, dimes, quarters and even dollars. It was slow, cumbersome, and tedious.

Other issues related to inserting coins instead of currency:

• Handling all those coins turned your fingers black as the dirt from the coins transferred to them.
• Coins would frequently jam, rendering the machine inoperable.
• Cash-outs were also paid in coins.
• The coins would have to be put into plastic buckets and carried to another game or the cashier.
• Machines would run out of coins and players would wait for several minutes for an attendant to refill the machine.

One additional thing about casinos of that era, they were not corporate-owned but backed by the mob. Though rare, some people did end up in the middle of the desert surrounding Las Vegas – a fate much worse than today’s reduced returns and comps.

Summary

We tend to remember and romanticize the past. Yes, some things were better – sometimes much better. However, some things were worse – sometimes much worse.

As always, may all your wins be swift and large, and your losses be slow and small.


Jerry “Stickman” is an expert in craps, blackjack and video poker and advantage slot machine play. He is a regular contributor to top gaming magazines. He authored the video poker section of “Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pai Gow Poker!” You can contact Jerry “Stickman” at stickmanjerryg@gmail.com