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Many of today’s modern casino games will be only the latest in a long line of gambling activities that date back to the earliest records of civilization. Gambling artifacts are already uncovered from ancient societies in China and Italy and also in Egypt, where ivory dice dating to the period before 1500 B.C. have been discovered. More than 3000 years later, a more modernized pair of dice was being used in private gaming halls throughout 18th century England within the earliest type of today’s popular game of craps.
Keno, another one of the earliest forms of gambling and one with some of the worst odds for the player, is said to have originated in ancient China throughout the Han Dynasty. The first Chinese version of the game featured 120 characters drawn from a popular poem of the time. Although other forms of a lottery were played later in Europe, the introduction of Keno to the u.s. was produced by Chinese sailors visiting San Francisco. The Americanized version used numbers rather than characters and 80 boxes instead of 120 in much the exact same form as is found in casinos today.
Early forms of playing cards dating back to the 9th century have also been found in China. But when playing cards began to be used later throughout Europe some of the intricate designs on the Asian variety were replaced with cards representing men of royalty. Not until the 1500s did a female break into the designs in the event the French replaced among the Kings in their deck with a cool way to improve Queen. That was among the first designs of the standard 52 card deck that we still use today for several of the most popular casino games including poker and blackjack.
We also can thank the French for inventing another one of the bastions of casino games, the game of roulette. The version of the original French wheel from 1842 had just one zero. And as the winnings generated through the single zero wheels were sufficient to launch the country of Monaco towards its fabulous wealth, the casinos in America felt they needed to add yet another zero to the wheel so that you can boost the house’s advantage. Today, any serious fan of online roulette knows to search out the European wheel instead of the American wheel because of the better odds for the player.
As with many of today’s modern casino games, the true beginnings of the game of baccarat are disputed. Most feel that the game originated in either France or Italy, but few doubt that the modern version of the game may be traced, again, to the French. The game, known in France as Chemin de Fer was really popular among nobility in the 16th century through the 18th century it had become the most popular game along the French Riviera. Baccarat finally gained popularity in the U.S. when it was introduced at the Sands casino in Las Vegas within the late 1950s.
The fun and excitement in lots of of today’s modern casino games can be even more enjoyable whenever you become aware of the long and often colorful history behind so many.
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