Here are the histories of some of our favourite casino plays:
• Poker: The undisputed “King” of casino play, Poker dates back to the 16th Century in France, and was modernized in New Orleans, Louisiana in the 1800’s. Poker appealed to gold rush speculators who pursued their dreams of riches and travelled to San Francisco on the West Coast of the United States in 1849 to realize these dreams. Poker has been popularized in the 21st Century through extensive television exposure and through the onset of Internet gambling.
• Craps: The English developed a similar game, Hazard, in the 16th Century that became the forerunner of the casino game of Craps. The shooting of dice dates back to ancient times, but Craps keeps rolling along today as a constant on the casino play menu.
• Blackjack: The French rightfully take credit for this popular casino entry. This game has recently had rejuvenation in popularity and the incredibly well received movie blockbuster, 21, is having a tremendous run in theatres all over the world. It recounts the history of a group of students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and their professor who beat the odds at Blackjack in various Las Vegas casinos about a dozen years ago by counting cards. Their well developed plan finally blew up, but the movie is an accurate portrayal, and a must for all gamblers to see.
• Pai Gow: This Chinese variation of Poker dates back over 2000 years to the ancient Chinese, and the game of Pai Gow today is a blend of the ancient Chinese Domino game combined with elements of Poker. The casinos in Europe and America are jammed with people of Asian culture and heritage who play the Pai Gow tables regularly.
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