My idea for a video poker game.

[Alan Mendelson]

My idea for a video poker game is to add a skill element for choosing a single draw card when you have a dealt hand with four cards to a royal flush.

Modern video poker games have a "continuous shuffle" system for dealing cards. With the continuous shuffle the exact moment you press the deal or draw button will determine which card/cards you are given by the continuous shuffle. But since we can't possibly "time" when to push the button, or see what cards would be dealt, it makes no difference when we push it.

My wife has a ritual where if she is drawing one card she will press and depress the hold button for that position several times over. I have seen other players move their hands over the screen as if sending a message to the machine. I have closed my eyes and prayed. And as I have frequently said -- people pray in churches and synagogues and casinos -- but when they pray in casinos they really mean it.

Wouldn't it be interesting if we could actually view the cards in the continuous shuffle device when it was a one-card draw for the royal so that when we had one card to draw the machine could offer a "skill element" to the game? To make this "skill element" realistic, the speed of the cards would have to be at some level where the cards could actually be viewed -- and not just a blur. I wonder if that kind of "skill option" would make the game more popular? And in case a game maker or game designer is reading this, it would only be for one card draws to the royal and a special picture-in-picture of the virtual shuffling would appear on the display screen.

And-- you saw the idea here. So if you want it, please cut me in on the deal.

thanks, Alan

[Count Room]

Supposedly, according to the speed of modern-day computers the numbers whizzing by would be a total "blur" to the human naked eye. If the button was pressed and the cards slowed down to a stop like a "Wheel of Fortune" game it would add to the excitement.
Super Times Pay poker does this by whizzing multiplier numbers by really quickly only to slow down to a stop. It helps to make the game more exciting, I'm sure.

[Alan Mendelson]

I also have an idea for a variation of Texas Hold 'Em.

In traditional Texas Hold 'Em the big and small blinds are posted and two cards are dealt to all players at the table. Then players take turns either calling or raising the big blind.

In my variation of the game, the blinds are posted and then ONE card is dealt to all players at the table. Then players take turns either calling or raising the big blind. After that initial round of betting the second card is dealt to players still in the hand.

I think my variation would lead to bigger pots, and more action. Frequently players are dealt one good card but will muck their hands because of the second card. Dealing only one card would induce players with one good card to gamble that there will be a second good card.

It will also induce players to risk betting even with a small or "junk" card because as we all know sometimes you will get a small pair which could be the winner. My favorite "small pair" is 5-5 because three times at The Bicycle Casino near LA my pocket fives turned into quads. It happened for the third time a few weeks ago, and as I was looking at my pocket 5s I was daydreaming about hitting quads... and on the flop came a five, and on the river I made quads. It was a nice pot too because the flop was all low cards and I was up against another player who had KK.

[Alan Mendelson]

I just saw this on YouTube. It's about a skill-based slot machine or what you might call an arcade game for money at Pechanga.



I did some quick searches on the web and found that IGT introduced this about two years ago.

Here is an IGT video that is on YouTube which shows various "skill" slot machines. I guess we can debate the skill element on the basic reel spin since the reels spin awfully fast. But catching the falling stars is something your kids should be good at -- if they are allowed into the casino. If you were good at space invaders then catching the falling stars bonus round should be good for you.