Mechanical Precursors (1891–1960s)

Before the first pixel flickered on a CRT screen, the concept of automated poker existed in purely mechanical form. These early machines laid the groundwork for everything that would follow, establishing visual standards and player expectations that persist today.

The Sittman and Pitt Machine (1891)

The story begins in Brooklyn, New York, where Sittman and Pitt developed what is widely considered the first poker machine. Patented in 1891 and reaching widespread popularity by 1901, this device was revolutionary in its concept.

The Five-Drum Design

Unlike the three-reel slot machines that would come to dominate the gambling floor, the Sittman and Pitt machine featured five drums, each displaying playing cards. With ten cards per drum, the machine could display any of 50 cards (a standard deck minus two cards—typically the Ten of Spades and Jack of Hearts).

The Built-In House Edge

Why remove two specific cards? The answer is pure mathematics. By eliminating the Ten of Spades and Jack of Hearts, the machine:

This manipulation of the underlying probabilities would become a template for future gaming innovation.

Trade Stimulator Economics

Due to the combinatorial complexity of poker hands, the Sittman and Pitt machine could not dispense coins automatically. There was no practical way to mechanically verify the thousands of possible winning combinations.

Instead, the machine functioned as a "Trade Stimulator":

This bartender-mediated payout system meant that winning hands and their rewards could vary from establishment to establishment.

The Missing Skill Element

Unlike modern video poker, these mechanical predecessors offered no "Hold" option. Players could not choose to keep certain cards and redraw others. Each spin was a complete event—you got what you got.

This absence of skill made the machines pure gambling devices, lacking the strategic depth that would later make video poker unique among casino games.

The Visual Standard

Perhaps the most enduring legacy of the Sittman and Pitt machine was establishing the 5-column visual layout that persists in video poker to this day. When you look at a modern video poker screen showing five cards in a row, you're seeing a direct descendant of those five mechanical drums from 1891.

The Gap Years (1900s–1960s)

Following the initial poker machine boom, the gambling industry largely moved toward three-reel slot machines, popularized by Charles Fey's Liberty Bell (1895). These simpler machines:

Poker-style machines became a novelty, appearing occasionally in various forms but never achieving the mainstream success of slots.

The Trade Stimulator Legacy

Trade stimulators continued to evolve through the early 20th century, appearing in:

Many incorporated poker themes, keeping the concept alive even as gambling regulations tightened during the Progressive Era and Prohibition.

Setting the Stage

By the 1960s, the stage was set for a revolution. The mechanical limitations that had held back poker machines were about to be overcome by electronic technology. The CRT monitor and solid-state logic would soon make possible what gears and springs could not: a true automated poker experience with meaningful player interaction.

The dreams of Sittman and Pitt were about to be realized in ways they could never have imagined.