Players flock to video poker because it combines the prospect of large jackpots with the ability to influence each hand’s outcome, Darnell Johnson says.
“Video poker has that unique blend of strategy and luck that provides a lot of entertainment and a lot of value to players,” said Johnson, vice president of global product management/video poker at IGT. The company’s massive video poker repertoire continues to grow with innovations and jackpot possibilities that still maintain the appeal of the game introduced in the 1970s by IGT’s founder, the late Si Redd.
“We have a slew of new games (debuting) in the fall,” Johnson said. “But there’s a number of other things we’re doing from an innovative perspective. We continue to push the envelope.”
In addition to leading the industry in video poker offerings, IGT provides slots, ETGs, casino management systems, iGaming, sports betting, cash access, and loyalty and player engagement solutions.
Johnson said one segment of today’s video poker, the multi-game offering, appeals both to traditional players looking for its high RTP based on draw-and-hold strategies as well as to players more accustomed to traditional slots that offer sizeable jackpots but a lower RTP. “You can approach multiple player segments to provide value on one box, and that seems to resonate very well with operators and with players,” he said.
He cited the company’s Major Multipliers Poker, which was named the top-performing new video poker/keno game at this year’s Eilers & Krejcik Gaming slot awards show. With an extra bet, the multi-hand game generates multipliers that appear when a qualifying hand is dealt.
Qualifiers vary by the base game, and the randomly generated multipliers range from double to 100 times the standard payout for selected hands that improve with the draw. The biggest multipliers appear only for full house or lower hands. Bettors also may play just the base game at the standard bet.
“We provide entertainment and excitement for the player, while for the operator we created a platform that’s going to drive more traffic,” Johnson said.
He rated the multiplier mechanic and the addition of multi-handed games as two of the most significant developments in video poker’s evolution thus far. IGT partnered with Action Gaming on the first multi-hand machines offering three, five, and 10 hands at once before expanding to 25- 50- and 100-hand games.
“These are revolutionary things,” he said, noting that the addition of multipliers allows video poker players to enjoy a bonusing experience similar to what a player receives in a video slot game.
Bartop video poker cabinets also have had a profound impact, he continued. “(They) created a new type of experience that players hadn’t seen before and drove a lot of play,” he explained, “It also attracted a different type of player, a bit younger player.”
Recent technological advances open the door to additional impactful video poker developments, even the possibility of personalized progressive jackpots tied to a customer’s carded play. “We can provide a variety of progressive solutions and options for our video poker product going forward, whether that’s a mystery jackpot vs. your standard multilevel progressive offering, or even a personal progressive solution,” Johnson said.
Noting that video poker has been “modernized” year after year, he said IGT will continue its record of improvements. “We are going to add more innovation and technology to drive more awareness, more excitement, and more fun.”
