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Sittman and Pitt of New York developed a
gambling machine in 1891 that could be considered a precursor to
the modern slot machine. It contained 5 drums holding a total of
50 card faces and was based on poker. This machine proved
extremely popular and soon there was hardly a bar
in the city that didn't have one or more of the machines
bar-side. Players would insert a nickel and pull a lever, which
would spin the drums and the cards they held, the player hoping
for a good poker hand. There was no direct payout mechanism, so
a pair of Kings might get the player a free beer, whereas a
Royal Flush could pay out cigars or drinks, the prizes wholly
dependent on what was on offer at the local establishment. To
make the odds better for the house, two cards were typically
removed from the "deck": the Ten of Spades and the Jack of
Hearts, which cut the odds of winning a Royal Flush by half. The
drums could also be re-arranged to further reduce a player's
chance of winning.
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