Whether on a riverboat atop the Mighty Mississippi or in the smoky dimness of a mining camp saloon, a lucky draw could turn a broken man into a winner. In the days of the frontier west, poker was king with the mustachioed likes of Wild Bill Hickok, Doc Holliday, “Canada” Bill Jones, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and hundreds of others.

• Is Poker Really Gambling Games
• Is Poker Really Gambling
• Is Poker Really Gambling Real Money
• Is Poker Really Gambling No Deposit

Top 5 Real Money Poker Sites in 2020 - Rated by experts, we compare the best online poker sites. With top bonuses, freerolls and poker variations. Etymology and usage. Casino is of Italian origin; the root casa means a house. The term casino may mean a small country villa, summerhouse, or social club. During the 19th century, casino came to include other public buildings where pleasurable activities took place; such edifices were usually built on the grounds of a larger Italian villa or palazzo, and were used to host civic town functions.

In the old west towns of Deadwood, Dodge City, Tombstone, and Virginia City, gamblers played with their back to the wall and their guns at their sides, as dealers dealt games with names such as Chuck-A-Luck, Three Card Monte, High Dice, and Faro, by far the favorite in the wild west saloons.

The exact origin of poker is unknown but many have speculated that it originated from the 16th-century Persian card game called As Nas. Played with a 25 card deck containing five suits, the rules were similar to today’s Five Card Stud. Others are of the opinion that it was invented by the Chinese in 900 A.D. In all likelihood, the game derived from elements of various gambling diversions that have been around from the beginning of time.

Poker in the United States was first widely played in New Orleans by French settlers playing a card game that involved bluffing and betting called Poque in the early 1800s. This old poker game was similar to the “draw poker” game we play today. New Orleans evolved as America’s first gambling city as riverboat men, plantation owners and farmers avidly pursued the betting sport.

The first American gambling casino was opened in New Orleans around 1822 by a man named John Davis. The club, open twenty-four hours a day, provided gourmet food, liquor, roulette wheels, Faro tables, poker, and other games. Davis also made certain that painted ladies were never far away. Dozens of imitators soon followed making the gaming dens the primary attraction of New Orleans. The city’s status as an international port and its thriving gambling industry created a new profession, called the card “sharper.”

Professional gamblers and cheats gathered in a waterfront area known as “the swamp,” an area even the police were afraid to frequent, and any gambler lucky enough to win stood a good chance of losing his earnings to thieves outside of the gambling rooms and saloons.

Gambling was outlawed in the rest of the huge Louisiana territory in 1811, but New Orleans continued to enjoy the prosperity brought by gambling for more than 100 years. Though the law was passed for the entire Louisiana Purchase, it was obviously not enforced and casinos and gambling began to spread.

As commerce developed on the waterways, gambling traveled up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, then westward via covered wagons, and later on the railroad. The first written reference in the United States came from Jonathan H. Greer in 1834 when he referred to the amusement as the “cheating game.”

Some of the first gambling dens outside of New Orleans were started on river towns that were popular with both travelers and professional gamblers. It was here that many “sharpers” preyed on these transient people, with their pockets filled with their life savings, on the way to the new frontier. The dishonest gamblers also often ran confidence games and other con artist businesses, in order to gaff the unwary pioneers. A host of companies specialized in manufacturing and selling card cheating devices. One riverboat gambler named George Devol was so proud of his ability to slip a stacked deck into a game that he once used four of them in one poker hand, dealing four aces to each of his four opponents.

It was professional gamblers who were largely responsible for the poker boom. Considering themselves as entrepreneurs, they took advantage of America’s growing obsession with gambling. Though having a high opinion of themselves, the public viewed them with disdain, considering them as contributing nothing to society. This viewpoint was often warranted in many cases, as a large number of professional gamblers often cheated in order to win. To be successful, professional gamblers had to have irresistible personalities in order to attract men to play with them. Often dressing in dandy clothes, their success depended partly on chance and partly on skill, sometimes on sleight of hand, and in the Old West, their shooting abilities. By the 1830s, citizens began to blame professional gamblers for any and every crime in the area and gambling itself began to be attacked.

James Bowie

It was during these riverboat gambling heydays that an interesting story occurred in 1832. On a Mississippi steamboat, four men were playing poker, three of which were professional gamblers, and the fourth, a hapless traveler from Natchez. Soon, the young naïve man had lost all his money to the rigged game. Devastated, the Natchez man planned to throw himself into the river; however, an observer prevented his suicide attempt, and then joined the card game with the “sharps.” In the middle of a high stakes hand, the stranger caught one of the professionals cheating and pulled a knife on the gambler, yelling, “Show your hand! If it contains more than five cards I shall kill you!” When he twisted the cheater’s wrist, six cards fell to the table. Immediately, the stranger took the $70,000 pot, returning $50,000 to the Natchez man and keeping $20,000 for his trouble. Shocked, the Natchez man stuttered, “Who the devil are you, anyway?” to which the stranger responded, “I am James Bowie.”

Anxious citizens of these river port towns grew more and more wary of the confidence men that were multiplying so quickly. In Vicksburg, Mississippi, the citizens’ rage had become so increased by 1835, five cardsharps were lynched by a vigilante group. It was soon after this that many of the gamblers moved onto the riverboats, benefiting from the transient riverboat lifestyle.

At the conclusion of the Civil War, America pushed her boundaries West, where the frontier was born of speculators, travelers, and miners. These hardy pioneers had high risk-taking characteristics, making any gambling situation a popular pastime for these rough and tumble men of the frontier. In virtually every mining camp and prairie town, a poker table could soon be found in each saloon, surrounded by prospectors, lawmen, cowboys, railroad workers, soldiers, and outlaws for a chance to tempt fortune and fate.

During the California Gold Rush of 1849 gambling houses sprouted up all over northern California, offering a wide array of not only gaming tables but also musicians and pretty women to entertain the gamblers as they played. It was at this time that dance halls began to appear and spread throughout later settlements. While these saloons usually offered games of chance, their chief attraction was dancing. The customer generally paid 75¢ to $1.00 for a ticket to dance, with the proceeds being split between the dance hall girl and the saloon owner. After the dance, the girl would steer the gentleman to the bar, where she would make an additional commission from the sale of a drink.

A popular girl would average 50 dances a night, sometimes making more a night than a working man could make in a month. Dance hall girls made enough money that it was very rare for them to double as a prostitute, in fact, many former “soiled doves” found they could make more money as a dance hall girl.

As the Gold Rush gained momentum, San Francisco replaced New Orleans as the center for gambling in the United States. Over one hundred thriving saloons and brothels met the sailors and fortune-seeking travelers as they disembarked at the San Francisco harbor and stumbled into the infamous Barbary Coast Waterfront District.

Faro was by far the most popular and prolific game played in Old West saloons, followed by Brag, Three-card-monte, and dice games such as High-low, Chuck-a-luck, and Grand hazard. It was also about this time that gambling began to invite more diversity including Hispanics, blacks, Chinese and women in the games. Three of the more famous women gamblers of this time were Calamity Jane, Poker Alice, and Madame Mustache.

Before long, many of the Old West mining camps such as Deadwood, Leadville, and Tombstone became as well known for gunfights over card games than they did for their wealth of gold and silver ore. Professional gamblers such as Doc Holliday and Wild Bill Hickok learned early to hone their six-shooter skills at the same pace as their gambling abilities. Taking swift action upon the green cloth became part of the gamblers’ code – shoot first and ask questions later.

One such occasion that clearly showed the quick and violent code was when Doc Holliday was dealing Faro to a local bully named Ed Bailey in Fort Griffin, Texas. Bailey was unimpressed with Doc’s reputation and in an attempt to irritate him; he kept picking up the discards and looking at them. Peeking at the discards was strictly prohibited by the rules of Western Poker, a violation that could force the player to forfeit the pot.

Though Holliday warned Bailey twice, the bully ignored him and picked up the discards again. This time, Doc raked in the pot without showing his hand, nor saying a word. Bailey immediately brought out his pistol from under the table, but before the man could pull the trigger, Doc’s lethal knife slashed the man across the stomach. With blood spilled everywhere, Bailey lay sprawled out dead across the table.

Inevitably there were liquored up miners and cowboys who would shoot up the saloons and sometimes the poker winner when they were angered by their losses. Even Wild Bill Hickok, who is mostly known for his heroics and prowess with a six-shooter, took advantage of those abilities when faced with a loss in Deadwood, South Dakota. Shortly before midnight after a night of drinking and gambling, Hickok was playing a two-handed game with a man named McDonald when the stakes began to increase with every card dealt.

When the hand was complete and the middle of the table piled high with money, McDonald showed his hand, displaying three jacks. To this, Hickok responded, “I have a full house – aces over sixes,” then threw his hand face down upon the table. However, when McDonald picked up Hickok’s hand, he exclaimed, “I see only two aces and one six.” Wasting no time, Wild Bill drew his six-shooter with his right hand and replied, “Here’s my other six.” Then he flashed a bowie knife with his left hand, stating, “And here’s my one spot.” McDonald immediately backed down saying coolly, “That hand is good. Take the pot.”

By the end of the 19th century, gambling had spread like wildfire through the many mining camps, multiplying as the gold and silver hunters spread across the West, searching for new strikes. It was about this time that both states and cities started to take advantage of these growing ventures by taxing gambling dens and raising money for their communities.

It was also during the late 1800s that many towns and states across the western frontier began to enact new laws against gambling. Attempting to gain new levels of respectability, the laws primarily targeted the “professional gambler” more than gaming in general. Some types of gambling were made illegal, while limits were established on others. Initially, anti-gaming laws were weak and had little real effect on gambling, as they were difficult to enforce, establishments simply introduced new variants, and penalties were light.

Faro gambling card game about 1900.

However, the laws were gradually strengthened and ironically, Nevada was one of the first states in the West to totally make gambling illegal in 1909. Other states soon followed suit and true to the worst fears of the Puritans, gangsters combined liquor and gambling in the cities of New York, Cleveland and Chicago during the 1920s.

By the time construction on the Hoover Dam was underway in 1931, Nevada relaxed its gambling laws and casinos once more began to flourish. By 1939 there were six casinos and sixteen saloons in Las Vegas. As automobile traffic increased and people began to travel more for leisure, Las Vegas began to boom into the gambling Mecca it is today.

Over the years, poker has evolved through legitimate casinos and backroom games to its many present variations. Over the last decade several states have reintroduced gambling in limited formats and the fastest-growing gambling opportunity today doesn’t even require you to leave your home, as you log onto your computer to tempt the fates. Carefully regulated by gaming laws, poker is now the most popular card game in the world.

© Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated November 2019.

“If you’re playing a poker game and you look around the table and can’t tell who the sucker is, it’s you.” –– Paul Newman

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Red Dog Casino gives you a chance to play different video poker games online for money. Video poker can be considered a relatively late entrant in the list of the top online casino games. Initially, this game was played by people that were considered anti-social. That’s due to the fact that they spent a lot of time playing this game, sitting in front of game screens. And only in the 1980s, electronic devices began to replace mechanical slot machines, which announced a new era of video poker.
In the 90s, gambling analysts started using computers in their studies of the payment systems of video poker. They revealed to the broad public that video poker machines offered a low house edge. These were better than those offered by most of the games in casinos. Consequently, a mass movement ensued with more gamblers learning video poker strategies. Soon, land-based casinos realized that their secret has been exposed, and they eliminated most of the best pay tables. However, the game continues to offer great odds to gamers.
Today, people are playing video poker for money online across the globe. And, the experience is truly fun and exciting. Red Dog Casino offers a wide array of video poker games that can be played online at any time. You can play these games from the comfort of your home or office. What’s more, you can play mobile video poker for real money on the go. And you can even claim your bonus to start playing without spending your hard-earned money.

Real Money Video Poker vs. Free Video Poker

Real money video poker comes with games with some of the best casino bets online and can compete with them. Only different blackjack games can be compared to video poker when it comes to odds. But, you may wonder whether to play video poker for free or real money. Well, the answer is very simple. Video poker is among the best bets in an online casino for a player who likes to gamble for real cash. A player who wants to gamble for real cash should focus on games that have the best odds. These are video poker and blackjack. When it comes to gambling for free, a player should choose casino games that they find entertaining. Video poker can fall into the category of entertaining casino games. However, some players may find roulette and craps more entertaining. Nevertheless, playing video poker for free can be a great way to learn about this game. You can also try free video poker to test out specific casino software. That way, you can find out if the sounds and sights of the casino appeal to you before you start playing real money video poker games. This is very important because the software for online casinos do not offer a similar playing experience. Therefore, savvy online gamblers start by shopping around to find software that feels and looks great to stick with. Nevertheless, both real money and free video poker versions have their benefits. Free Video Poker Benefits

• No registration or account setup requirements
• Can be used to practice different games or strategies
• Allows you to have fun without spending money
• Benefits of Real Money Video Poker
• Access to the best games and casinos
• You get free spins, jackpots, and prizes
• You get welcome bonuses
• You get better betting requirements
• Participation in ongoing tournaments and promotions
• Access to low-limit games

Video Poker Hands

Regular poker and video poker have almost the same winning hands. However, there are slight differences based on the chosen variation of video poker. Video poker hands have their rankings. However, knowing the rankings of video poker hands alone is not enough. The hands that bring winnings vary depending on the chosen game. As such, a player should start by learning about video poker hands before they start playing. This approach will enable a player to win money playing video poker online rather than end up with nothing and lose it.
Below are some hands that are likely to bring you a win instead of a loss when playing popular variations of video poker.

Winning Hands for Jack or Better Video Poker

• Pairs of jacks or better - These are all high pairs of Jack-Jack, King-King, Queen-Queen, and Ace-Ace, and you have to collect only one pair of them.
• Two pairs - These are two cards of the same kind and two cards of another kind. An example is 6-6 and 3-3.
• Three-of-a-kind - These are 3 cards of the same rank.
• Straight - This hand comprises five sequential rank cards like 7-8-9-10-Jack
• Flush - This hand comprises five cards of a similar suit.
• Full house - This is a combination of a pair and three-of-a-kind.
• Four-of-a-kind - This hand comprises four cards of the same rank.
• Straight flush - This is a straight of a single suit.
• Royal flush - This is an ace-high straight of a single suit.

Winning Video Poker Hands for Deuces Wild

• Three-of-a-kind- This hand comprises three cards of the same rank or one kind.
• Straight- This hand comprises five sequential rank cards like 7-8-9-10-Jack
• Flush- This comprises five same suit cards
• Royal flush- This hand comprises an ace-high straight of a single suit.
• Full house- This is a combination of a pair plus three-of-a-kind.
• Four-of-a-kind- This hand comprises four cards of the same rank or one kind.
• Five-of-a-kind- This is a two and four cards of the same rank or kind.
• Straight flush- This is one suit straight.
• 4 deuces- This hand consists of four 2s.
• Deuces royal flush- This is a royal flush hand, plus one of the cards can be changed to deuces.

Is Poker Really Gambling Games

Differences in video poker games for various games are because players follow special rules while using several wild cards. Wild cards provide an advantage in video poker games. Therefore, the lowest winning hand rank is higher than that of the games that do not have wild cards.
Players should note that a natural hand or a hand that doesn’t have wild cards can have a higher rank than a respective hand with wild cards. Therefore, a natural hand like a Royal Flush might give a higher payout than a hand with wild cards like a Wild Royal Flush.
Also, though table poker gamers move cards in hands to form specific orders, the case with video poker is different. That’s because cards can be presented on their display screen in no specific order. For instance, a player can have a Royal Flush with cards appearing from the left side to the right side. And, they can’t be placed in a specific order. As such, a player needs to focus after the cards have been dealt. This will enable them to identify a potential winning or a winning hand when it occurs. It will also enhance their chances of winning real cash video poker.

Types of Video Poker Games for Real Money

Several video poker games can be played online for real money. Here are the major real video poker casino games that you can play online.

• Deuces Wild- This video poker game is based on the standard 5-card draw. It gives players a twist that helps them win more money. Having all 2s in a deck is a wild that creates a winning hand. The RTP of this game varies between 97.69% and 98.91%.
• Jacks or Better- This is the original version of video poker. It’s a popular best real money video poker version for most gamblers. That’s because its winning strategy is straightforward and playing process is easy. It comes with 52 cards on the deck but only when a single pair is queens, jacks, aces, or kinds the player can win. That’s where its name comes from. This game has an RTP of 99.54%.
• Loose Deuces- This game is the same as Jacks or Better. However, it’s a wild card game with slight differences in the paytable. A Royal Flush bonus is the greatest real money reward in this game. This is available when playing for a maximum of 5 coins with the desired bet of a gamer. This game has an RTP of 99.07%.
• Joker Wild- Some people and casinos call this game Joker Poker. When playing a video poker game for real money, a gamer should focus on finding a joker because it can substitute all the other cards. Otherwise, this game has similar rules with Jacks or Better. But, the paytable for the top coin is better and the RTP for this game is 100.65%.
• Bonus Deuces Wild- This can be described as a deuces wild game with a more complex paytable. A hand with 5s of a kind gets the player a bonus. Forming hands is easier with wilds. The most payout is achieved by forming 5 true aces. Having wilds in the same hands is also easier. This game has an RTP of 99.15%.
• Bonus Poker- It’s no secret that the popularity of 5 card draw variants is increasing. The major difference is that independent hands give better payouts. In most cases, the highest rewards are achieved by combining 4s of a kind. This is the incentive for drawing four quads. The RTP for this game is 99.64%.
• Aces and Eights- The tweaked paytable makes this variant the favorite game for most players. Its RTP is around 99.78%. A player gets the top prize when they get 4s of a kind in eights or aces.

Tips to Increase Your Chances of Winning at Video Poker

For some players, video poker is a simple, straightforward game. However, some players do not find it as easy to play as roulette or mini baccarat, for instance. That’s why they need tips to enhance their winning chances when they play video poker for money. Here are simple but effective tips for winning video poker online.

• Choose your pay tables wisely- Start by learning how to read and comprehend pay tables. For instance, find out about hands that are variable from full pay and short pay versions.
• Learn the strategy of each video poker game- Learn how you can become a great player at the very beginning. Get cheat sheets for your favorite video poker games and use them. Start here and master all the fine points later.
• Master your skills to perfection - You can use free video poker to practice at online casinos. This is a good way to start before you venture into real money video poker gambling. That way, you will learn how the buttons of the games work and card combinations to avoid simple mistakes when playing for money.
• Study other games strategies- Some games have pay tables with better odds. But, this depends on where you opt to play. However, when you learn to play different games properly, choosing a game whose odds are better will be easier. And, you will do this only when you know about different strategies.
• Join players’ clubs- You don’t have to be a highroller to join a club of professional players. You can start by joining a club of players immediately after signing up at a casino. Video poker is a low house edge game. A combination of low house edge with 0.4% or 0.3% gets a player back from belonging to a slot club and turning negative expectations into positive expectations. And inserting a slots club card when playing won’t hurt your winning chances.

Why Play Real Money Video Poker at Red Dog Casino

Red Dog Casino is the best place to play video poker games for real money. Here are some of the reasons to play video poker on this platform.

• Legitimacy- Red Dog Casino is under the jurisdiction of Curaçao. It has legit games powered by major providers like RealTime Gaming. This combined with the fact that the casino uses modern technologies like SSL encryption makes it a legit place to play video poker online.
• Video poker games variety- Red Dog Casino features a wide range of video poker games that can be played online with ease. If you’re looking for specific casino-style games that you can play in one place online, this is the best casino for you. We feature video poker games like Joker Poker, Deuces Wild, Aces and Eights, Loose Deuces and many more.
• Lucrative welcome bonus- Everyone wants to play internet video poker for money at a casino that welcomes players with a bonus. We know this, and we are ready to invite you with a fancy bonus once you sign up for an account with us. We want to welcome new customers and make them feel like they have always been our existing players. Get a free bonus and use it to practice or even learn more about our software.
• Big payouts- The major reason to play video poker online for real money is to win. Red Dog Casino is the place where you can win big prizes when playing video poker. Our video poker machines give players big payouts and your loyal clients know that firsthand. Nevertheless, your payout size will largely depend on the amount you wager for every hand.

Red Dog Casino website is an easy to access and navigate gaming platform. Playing video poker at this casino gives you a chance to have fun and make real money.

Is Poker Really Gambling

FAQ

Is there an app required to play video poker?

Is Poker Really Gambling Real Money

No. You don’t have to download any app to venture into real video poker gambling online. You just need to sign up or register at a mobile-friendly website like Red Dog Casino. Another requirement for playing video poker online is probably having the right browser and stable internet connection. Most mobile casinos are optimized for video poker. That means you can gamble or play video poker on the go using your smartphone or tablet.

Is playing video poker online safe?

The idea of playing online video poker may seem unnerving. That’s particularly true for offshore, unregulated sites. However, choosing a reputable online casino like Red Dog Casino which is licensed and regulated by a reputable organization is safe.

Is there a guide for every video poker game?

In most cases, a video poker game will show you how to play it. Most higher-paying games do not provide advice to players. That’s because doing so would be showing players how they can beat the online casinos. Moreover, it’s possible to find the game with live dealers and bankers on the web.

Can I get huge jackpot wins by playing online video poker?

Providers of video poker games are starting to include progressive jackpots to their games. However, these titles come with low RTP. Therefore, weigh the available options before you choose a video poker site for real money that features progressive jackpots.

Final Thoughts

Is Poker Really Gambling No Deposit

Video poker is a great game to play for real money or for fun. With some luck and a few tips, you can win big rewards. Follow the tips provided here to play best real video poker options online for fun or real money.