The State of Video Poker – Today
By: Nikol Ableman
Video Poker is a fascinating product. It is my passion and we are proud to be a VITAL part of IGT’s legacy to the industry. In many ways video poker has grown. It has evolved and outwardly modernized, but fundamentally, the core; the essence remains the same. As I reflect on my nearly twenty years being involved with this product line, I can’t help but think “the more things change, the more they stay the same”.
I worked in Product Compliance when PE+ cabinet’s reigned supreme. Those were the days when EPROM’s delivered programs, top boxes had actual glass and Triple Play was yet to change gaming floors forever. Now we have digital glass. Dongles are used to deliver programs. Game options number in the thousands. Game themes are imaginative are way more fun and profitable than we could have ever imagined back in the red-cabinet, single-hand, single-themed, single-denom video poker days.
What hasn’t changed, however, are the best practices we’ve learned with regard to how we interact and interface with the players themselves. For all the technological advances we’ve seen in games, one of the most critical components for the success of a video poker game is the comfort, ergonomics and foundation we provide our players while playing IGT games. In short, cabinets, button panels and screen angles are critically important for a game’s survival and success.
Years ago, the 19″ slant top cabinet was the category killer for slant top video poker. While the guts of the machine might have changed, we’ve emulated the comfort and extended play elements of that proven cabinet in our Universal Slant cabinet. The button deck is thoughtfully placed to maximize comfort and eliminate arm fatigue. A big improvement in this cabinet is the screen angle which eliminates glare and creates a more private gaming experience despite being on a busy gaming floor. Another cabinet we highly recommend is the G20 upright which follows the player-proven formula described above. Finally, our G20 bar top continues to be a proven performer.
Video Poker has been a mainstay on your floor and we want to ensure it continues to be so for years to come. Capabilities, features and system functionality are essential in today’s current floor environments.
One of the greatest capabilities and benefits provided through our AVP® Video Poker generation products is the EZ-Setup feature, which has significantly improved the way you verify and generate machine set ups, saving you time and eliminating errors.
Another terrific benefit of Video Poker AVP generation games is the compatibility to IGT Floor Manager. Floor Manager is a productivity tool that includes Media Manager and Analytics, products that help casino operators remotely market to players and manage their floors.
Tournament manager is yet another great tool made available as you transition to AVP Video Poker. TM based games allows customers to remotely toggle between tournament mode and regular game play mode maximizing floor space.
From a player’s standpoint, the core video poker experience remains the way they want it.
The art of making successful video poker products is ensuring we don’t interfere with the elements of the games that have built trust and loyalty with players. Behind the scenes we are invisibly providing casino customers with advancements and technological innovations that help provide better customer service and marketing while maximizing revenue opportunities.
We can assure you that we will tirelessly continue to find the balance between a player’s and casino operator’s needs in developing compelling video poker games and products. We’ve done well for over thirty years and promise you we will maintain our passion and focus on this product for another thirty, at least!