Video Poker, a casino game based on Five Card Poker, was introduced in the late 1970s, when SIRCOMA (Si Redd's Coin Machines) developed Draw Poker, a game played on a TV-like monitor and using a processor to produce game results. The game quickly appeared on casino floors and many more variations of the game have been developed since.

First poker machines can be traced back to the late 1800s, when Sittman And Pitt of Brooklyn created a coin operated card machine and placed it in liquor and cigar shops. Played since early 1800, poker was already a popular game, which helped with the introduction of poker machines across the U.S.

The poker machine held poker cards attached to five independent, spinning drums. Inserting the coin and pulling the handle spun the drums. The player would wait until the drums stopped to reveal the cards. A winning hand was rewarded with cigars or drinks. The game didn’t require any skill and was, in principle, closer to a slot machine than any poker game.

In 1901, Charles Fey modified the machine by adding “the draw” feature. After the first spin, the player would hold chosen drums and pull the handle again to spin the remaining cards. This hold and draw option introduced a certain level of poker skills to the game.

Popularity of the machines decreased over time, until the late 1970s. Since then the game has become one of the most popular casino games.