There are new words and ideas invented every day. ‘Pokies’ is one of these new words, and it initially began life in Australia.
The first slot machines appeared in Australia in 1953. They came from an American company called Aristocrat and the machines themselves were called the ‘Clubman’; right from the start these machines were hugely popular. They were only available to be played inside casinos, however.
But this soon changed. Actually it changed within three years. The Australian government noticed how popular these games were, and it realised that the money made from the tax on these slot machines could be substantial. They therefore relaxed the rules a little, and in 1956 the slots were allowed to be placed in clubs as well as casinos. This soon spread to bars, and the slot machine revolution exploded to online platforms such as 666casino.com.
As well as slot machines, poker game machines were also popular. These were often placed in the same places as the slot machines, and they drew the crowds. These soon became known as ‘pokies’ and this is where the term sprang from. Over time, slot machines also fell into the ‘pokies’ bracket, and soon enough anything that was played in a casino, club, bar, or anything else was termed a poky, even if they had nothing to do with poker as a game.
What To Look For In Slots
Australia and New Zealand are the only countries that really use the term poky, but it’s a useful fact for other people to understand so that if they come across the term they know what it means. So although it used to be specifically a nickname for poker games, it is now an umbrella term for all types of slot machine games.
So what should you look for in a slot game to ensure you are going to get the most out of it and enjoy the gameplay even if you don’t win?
Look at the type of game to begin with. There might be a theme that you are particularly interested in such as a favourite movie or musical group. It could be a sporting theme, or just something that looks fun and you know will be enjoyable to play. Take your time to work out which kinds of games you like the best, and try to use no deposit options when experimenting as you can really make the most of not having to spend any money.
You can also look at the number of reels you might be keen to play. Some games will have three reels, some will have five, and there could be other numbers as well. The same is true of paylines – what is it you are looking for? The more reels you have the more paylines there are, and therefore the more chances there are to win.
Something else that players often enjoy are progressive jackpots. These are jackpots that build up over time and so the longer it takes for someone to trigger the win, the larger the jackpot is going to be.