What is a Jackpot?

The term Jackpot originates from 1880s slang. When poker players had a game in progress and no one had a pair of jacks or more in their hand, the winning pot would be progressively higher for each hand, until someone discovered those jacks. When they won, they won the "pot of jacks" or the jackpot. Like many American slang, the term caught on for its straightforward, snappy feel and was used widely in the 1920s. At that time, it also became criminal slang for being arrested.

Nowadays, in the gaming world, the word Jackpot is used to refer to the biggest prize in the game. In a progressive game situation, as in slot machines, several machines are connected, with the prize increasing with every quarter or dollar the player feeds into the machine. If someone "hits" or creates the maximum combination, he or she will win the Jackpot money - whatever the total amount is that the machine was showing at that moment.