Gambling as an activity is as diverse as things can come. The sheer amount of different games and variations that exist around the world is staggering and overwhelming to say the least. This is especially true now in the modern day and age when the online gambling industry is introducing numerous new titles each year. As a gambler, any individual is free to pick and choose any game they enjoy and proceed to play it either for fun or as a way to earn more money. Whether you are a fan of traditional casinos and making your way to a local establishment, or relaxing in the comfort of your home as you gamble online, there is no limit to what you can play.
Gambling is Different Around the World
There do however exist regional differences in terms of the most popular types of games. Some countries and regions put much more effort on particular games. There are even regional differences in one and the same game. For example, there are American and European roulette versions, with the former having both 0 and 00 numbers and the latter only having a single 0 as a possible number. Mahjong, pachinko, keno, sico bo, and pai gow are far more famous in Asian countries than the classic gambling games known in the west. This should not come as a surprise because every country and tradition has its own preferences. People grow to love what they are surrounded with.
There are also places that seemingly call certain games by different names so foreigners think that it is actually a different name. Or rather, they have been calling differently for so long that they now have two versions of the same game, one like everyone else and the other unique to them. That is how Australia came up with their beloved pokies. Many believe that pokies are the same as regular slot machines, and there is some truth to this. However, it is not as simple. What are pokies and how are they different from regular slots? And why do they have a name that is so reminiscent of poker? Read on to find out all about this and be sure to check here for the best free pokies online.
The Most Popular Gambling Game in Australia
The Land Down Under really loves their gambling as Australia is one of the biggest gambling countries on the planet. Millions of people log into their online accounts each day and millions more visit their local casino establishments. While blackjack, poker, baccarat, and roulette are as popular as everywhere else, the game Aussies care about the most are definitely pokies. But what are they and does the rest of the world have them? Well, the answer is both yes and know. Pokies started off as any other type of slot machines, but as they do for many other things, Australians came up with a funny and cute slang term for them. And so pokies came to be. Right now, if you ask an Aussie about what pokies are, they would simply tell you that they are slot machines.
Both the online and offline varieties are referred to as such and rarely anyone calls them slot machines there. It is by far the most popular type of gambling game mostly due to its simplicity, fun themes, beautiful visuals, and incredible jackpots. Of course, chances to win big are minimal like anywhere else since pokies are all about luck. There is no skill involved in playing them whatsoever since all the player needs to do is press a button and wait for the rails on the screen to stop spinning. They either win or lose, with the latter being a much more regular occurrence. Australians who care more about being in charge of their own gambling destiny and employing skill in their sessions opt for other games like poker or blackjack instead.
Differences Between Pokies and Slots
Sorry to disappoint you, but there are no differences between Australian pokies and regular slot machines you can find anywhere else. They are the same when it comes to their design, functionality, purpose, and the chances they give the players to win money. The only difference is in the name itself, which can actually be written on the online game or the physical machine in a local casino. Other than the title saying pokey instead of slot machine, slot, poker machine, of fruit machine, everything is exactly as you would expect it to be. The name is where differences begin and end, giving us a clear example of a regional term used for something rather specific that cannot be traced to anywhere else in the world.
Why The Term “Pokies”?
As you may have already guessed, this diminutive, cure nickname for slot machines that the Australians prefer came from the word “poker”. Australian variety of English is full of examples like this one where regular words are changed to be shorter, more economical and easier to say, as well as somehow cuter or funnier. Did you know that they called McDonald’s Macca’s? The slang is very popular especially among the youth. Football is footy, and so on. This is why poker machines or just poker became slot machines. It could be traced back to video poker as the first example of modern gambling. When the online gambling started becoming bigger and bigger, the name was kept and online slots were also called pokies.
All in all, you should definitely not worry about playing pokies and expecting something different or unfamiliar. A similar thing exists in England where fruit machines, another name for slot machines, are sometimes called “fruties”. In Scotland, they call them “puggies”. One of the oldest colloquial slang terms for the traditional, lever-operated slot machines is a rather funny one. Back in the day, players would refer to them as “one-armed bandits” because they were almost impossible to win from. Hence the name as the gamblers of old often felt like they were being robbed in broad daylight while playing the slots.
