By pairing microcomputer technology with CRT screens, game manufacturers were now able to create games of virtually any complexity, so manufacturing a poker machine was no longer any more expensive than creating a video slot. Game manufacturers returned to the idea of creating poker machines in the 1980s. Players received payouts whenever a strong poker hand appeared on the reels. Due to their overly complex nature - which made mass assembly impractical - these early physical poker machines quickly fell out of favor with manufacturers, who turned their attention to making 3 reel slots instead. The earliest poker machines appeared in the early 20th century and were essentially luck-based slot machines with 5 reels and cards as symbols. These machines are a permanent staple of both online and land-based casinos. Outperformed only by slots, video poker is the second most popular gambling game genre in the world.
Players wager a set amount of coins and are paid according to the strength of the poker hand they assemble. The goal of the game is to assemble the strongest possible poker combination. Video poker is a popular electronic card game type based on five-card draw poker.
