OK, so I live in Vegas, but I don't know where the term 'Jackpot' comes from. Anyone know?

Question

I know what a jackpot is, I am not retarded. I wanted to know where the TERM comes FROM....

Answer 1

Poker. There use to be a variant of poker where you needed a pair of Jacks or better to open betting. Thus the Jack.

The prize in a hand of poker is called the pot.

Jack+pot = Jackpot

Now if you mean jackpot as in jammed up and in trouble I have no idea what the origin of that use is.

Answer 2

okay so when people play and they dont win more and more money is added to a pot sorta speak and money in that pot starts to add up because you are less likely to win at what ever your playing and when u are lucky enough to win at whatever your playing and it yells you won the jackpot...that means you have won the large amount of money