What's up with 9,10,J,Q,K,A graphics?

Anyone know what the relation between card symbols and graphics on slot reels is? Just seems like a hold out for an old tradition. Maybe it was a way to get gamblers to relate the the slots in the early days? Since the visual image is a major part of getting and holding a player's attention, why continue to do this? Old habit? Not allowed to play with cards in some states? Think it will fade away? Just curous.

I've wondered that, too. It's kind of a mixed-metaphor (slots & cards). My guess is that the card symbols make good "fillers." Designers need more symbols to fill out their game. If they add original graphics, it may further confuse the player. However, cards are intuitive to gamblers. Once you know that all card symbols pay less than the other graphics, you know what certain ranks will pay, relative to other ranks.

If I am unfamiliar with a slot, I will look at the Pays/Help screen to determine which symbols pay more than others. I don't have to do this with card symbols since I know that, e.g., A's will pay more than 9's. (I realize that sometimes different ranks will pay the same.)

Then again, maybe slot designers are just lazy, and don't care to come up with any more original graphics. :P

Hard to say what it is, but it's tough of me to offer credit for pragmatism. For instance, I've seen machines upon which there are card ranks but are not cherries, bells, watermelons, sevens, bars or any other commonly recognized slot symbol.

I just think it's a design thing. I do like the proposed theory that it was kind of to bridge the divide between video poker/tables and slots, at least, as far as how this started is concerned.

Will it eventually phase out? I don't know. It doesn't seem as common as it used to be, but you do see some newer machines (most notably, perhaps, Buffalo titles) that still employ card ranks.

They want ploppies to think they're playing video poker.

It's pretty simple. People tend to gravitate to machines that have themes and reels they understand. Fruits and playing cards are two things people know about before even becoming old enough to gamble. More recently it's been wheel spins (Wheel of Fortune and others) and Quick Hit style games that if you put those features on a game, people will play it.

It's all about the money and getting people to play. Playing cards on slots will never go away.


ZCore13

I think it has something to do with Australia, where they're called "poker machines" (or "pokies" for short) because they have had A K Q J 10 9 instead of fruit symbols for a long time.

Thanks for responses. Still a bit of a mystery. Funny how they only count as multiples (2-3-4-5 of a kind) and never a "straight".

Maybe we need the historian with the funny hat from Pawn Stars to post and give us the real what's what.

(Sorry; didn't mean any offense about the hat. I have a vague memory of its significance. He seems to be the only expert on the show with any academic credentials and nothing to gain from his evaluations.)

I'm on board with ZCore's explanation.

I mean the first actual, 'Slot machine,' had horseshoes, diamonds, spades, hearts and a Liberty Bell. Beyond that, three Liberty Bells resulted in the highest payout, much as the card symbols have the lowest payouts on most slot machines to incorporate them to this day.

I believe it is simply because people understood the rankings. Aces are higher than kings which are higher than queens, etc. It was definitely the Australians that made them popular when they went to all video slots. Many video slots don't show a pay table on the slot glass so when the customers know the rankings it made it easier for them to know which symbols to root for.

Quote: DRich

I believe it is simply because people understood the rankings. Aces are higher than kings which are higher than queens, etc. It was definitely the Australians that made them popular when they went to all video slots. Many video slots don't show a pay table on the slot glass so when the customers know the rankings it made it easier for them to know which symbols to root for.

Also in my opinion, the poker cards also clearly differentiate between "good" and "bad" symbols. Players are obviously hoping for ones with art on them.