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The poker machine was the most popular gambling device at the turn of the twentieth century. The play format was easily identifiable and understood by those familiar with the card game. A hand was dealt, desired cards were selected to hold, and a final “deal” of cards determined the outcome. This machine made in San Francisco was mounted on a revolving platter to allow proprietors to easily examine claims made by the machines’ players. The Royal Novelty Company in San Francisco produced this ornately decorated, cast-iron, card-on-reel version, and employed a total of fifty playing cards from a complete deck of fifty-two, with the two missing cards making the jackpot, achieved by a royal flush, difficult to win.
This image was posted on March 13, 2017.