In this article, we discuss how land-based poker has influenced not only Yggdrasil’s Dealer’s Choice: Poker Edition slot, but also other table games, gambling machines, and in-game features like Hold & Win and Hold-and-Respin.
We all know the old saying that says “there is nothing new under the sun”, but every now and again, it is good to reflect on where we are today and the influences that got us here.
The first time I opened Yggdrasil’s Dealer’s Choice: Poker Edition slot machine I was struck by the realisation of how many mainstream online casino games have the humble poker table and paper cards to thank for their existence and popularity.
Join me as I delve into what makes this card game-based slot so much fun to play, and other games that you might enjoy if this one appeals to you.
Developed for Yggdrasil by their partner studio Suits & Royals, Dealer’s Choice: Poker Edition is a medium to high volatility online slot that follows a simple premise: use poker hands to reward players with jackpot prizes of up to 2,340x.
The base game is played on an oversized 5x5 reel set with boldly lined and coloured Royal and Suit symbols pulled directly from playing card decks.
This in-your-face design decision makes the game easy to read on desktop and mobile devices, ensuring your choice of platform will not interfere with your enjoyment of the game.
Every spin will fill the reels with instantly recognisable Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 and card suit symbols. To spice things up, they have also added a Joker as the game’s Wild symbol.
With its 5-reel and 5-row layout and focus on creating a poker-themed winning hand, the provider opted out of setting in place a fixed number of paylines.
Wins are collected by matching symbols from left to right on adjacent reels. When these paylines are created, matching symbols on the same row are added to the number of paying symbols to boost potential payouts.
The Wild symbol acts as expected, by standing in the gap for any regular paying symbol. It can also act as a substitute for more than one symbol type, depending on where it lands in the formation of paying lines.
This format means that there are theoretically more than 3,000 ways to win when playing Dealer’s Choice: Poker Edition at your favourite Yggdrasil-powered online casino.
While the video slot does not offer free spins, it does boast two poker hand-based jackpots.
1. The Royals Jackpot:
The Royals Jackpot is worth 500x your bet and can be claimed multiple times consecutively if the odds fall in your favour.
To secure this prize, you need to collect what amounts to a reverse Royal Flush, as you need the symbols to appear in this order on the reels: 10 | Jack | Queen | King | Ace
2. The Suits Jackpot:
The Suits Jackpot also has a special caveat: given that there are only four card suits, you need a gold King Scatter symbol at the head of the formation.
This means that, in order to claim the instant win of 250x your bet, you need to collect the symbols in this order: Scatter | Clubs | Diamonds | Hearts | Spades
It is worth noting that only one of these jackpot types will ever be active on the reels at any given time.
The influence of poker extends well beyond poker hand slots like Dealer’s Choice: Poker Edition; the popular card game was also the inspiration behind slot features like Hold & Win and Hold-and-Respin.
In poker, players have the option to hold valuable cards, while discarding the rest and drawing again in the hope of securing a winning hand.
The Hold & Win and Hold-and-Respin features borrow a similar concept, with special symbols becoming sticky while players use respins or free spins to land a big win.
Some of my favourite slots in this category include Yggdrasil’s 5 Sevens Hold & Win, Lightning Horseman Hold & Win (Pragmatic Play) and Hold & Win Extreme (ELK Studios).
Here are three poker-themed or poker-inspired game verticals that have proven to be extremely popular with the global online gambling community.
Video poker is the most prominent offshoot of land-based poker. To ensure fans of poker could gamble 24/7 without the expense of around-the-clock dealers, casinos installed video poker machines. With the advent of online gambling, these physical machines were easy to transition into virtual ones, allowing players online access to a beloved game type.
Players are dealt five cards, from which they can hold or replace as many as they deem necessary to potentially draw a winning hand. Traditional poker hands are used to determine the payout, combining poker strategy with the randomness of RNG-powered gaming.
If you enjoy video poker, be sure to check out Video Poker (Evoplay), Deuces Wild (IGT), and Joker Poker (Play’n GO)
As casino game development advanced, but before the online casino industry had become enamoured with slots, providers created fast-paced card games that used poker rules to appeal to their fans.
These games adapt traditional poker rules into fast-paced house-banked casino games, often using familiar hand rankings while introducing special payouts and unique prize draws to bring something fresh to the online space.
To try these games for yourself, I recommend checking out Evolution Gaming’s Casino Hold’em and Caribbean Stud Poker. Playtech fans should try their hand at Oasis Poker Classic.
There is a fine line between genius and madness, and that is what comes to mind when I consider the thought process that combined slots with bingo to create Slingo.
Slingo has become incredibly popular at leading online casinos, and with this success comes a growing demand for new variations.
Poker-themed releases build on the familiar Slingo formula by incorporating recognised poker hand rankings, giving card game fans another reason to enjoy this unique blend of slots and bingo.
If you want to try this inventive take on the Slingo mechanic, check out Slingo Showdown by Gaming Realms.
Blackjack
Slots
Roulette
Baccarat
Craps
Poker
