First Royals

14 August 2022

By John Grochowski

If you play video poker often enough and long enough, even big hands like royal flushes run together.
After millions of hands and dozens if not hundreds of royals, frequent players don't remember them all.

But some hands are special. They are clear as day in memory even if they happened decades ago. Video
poker veterans shared some of those memories.

Paul: Doesn't everyone remember their first royal? I sure remember mine.

It was right at the beginning of the 1980s, before there were casinos all over the place. I was on my third trip to Las Vegas with some friends. We were all mainly sport bettors, and on this trip we went for the first weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament.

I played video poker the previous two trips, so that is what I did when taking a break from watching
games. My buddy Jack stopped by to commiserate. I went to Ohio State, and I had to get away to blow
off some steam after the Buckeyes lost to James Madison.

I had an Ace, Jack and 10 of clubs, and while he was standing there, I drew the King and Queen. Wow! I got all light-headed, butterflies in the stomach. My heart probably skipped more than one beat. The
pain of the basketball loss was pushed into the background by the thrill of the slot attendant counting out $1,000.

Who could ever forget that?


Artie: My No. 1 memory isn't a royal flush. It was five Aces.

For many years, I lived outside Philadelphia and used to go to Atlantic City about once a month. The best video poker games were Joker's Wild where you got the big jackpot on five Aces. I drew the five Aces probably 15 or 20 times, but one really took the cake. I held nothing but a Joker. On
the draw, boom! The four Aces!

That was a beautiful $1,000 surprise.


Sandie: This was really cool. Not a royal flush, though I've had lots of them, but cool nonetheless.

I was on the last day of a three-day trip for a conference. I was going to meetings by day and playing by night. Not too late, mind you. There was actual work to be done early in the morning.

The gambling hadn't gone well and on the last night, I was down about $800. The conference was over.

I could relax and enjoy, but the money was a problem.

I tried some quarter Multi-Strike Poker in Double Double Bonus Poker. I got all the way to the top hand where winners are multiplied by eight, and I was explaining to a colleague about how even small
winners were nice with the multiplier, then the big one hit.

The deal brought two Aces, which I held. The draw was magic with the other two Aces and a 3. With
single pay, that's 2,000 coins. At 8x, it's 16,000.

On my quarter machine, that was $4,000. Even with taxes, I went home happy for sure.


Tom: The really memorable royal was the biggest: $20,000.

I usually play quarter games and my royals are $1,000, but I was on a bachelor party trip and everybody was a little loose with the money. I'd won some playing blackjack and some more on $1 video poker.

Then I said: OK I'm going for it. I'm putting $1,000 in $25 video poker.

A thousand dollars is only 40 hands. It could have been gone in a flash. But on the fourth hand I was
dealt four high spades and got the 10 on the draw.

That was 10 years ago and I think I'm still in shock.