Many don’t appreciate that gambling is an ancient aspect of society. Archaeological records suggest that wagering’s earliest signs date back to Mesopotamia and Egypt as early as the 3rd millennium BC. It’s crazy to think that Pharaoh Tutankhamun would have been betting brussels of wheat on a chicken race. Well, maybe not exactly like that. In the following article, you can learn more about the oldest casino games and how they evolved to become universally popular.
Dice Games: The Roots of Gambling
The first dice games were invented around 3000 BCE and are still used today with many adaptations. Originally made of animal bones, these ancient game tokens made from ivory engravings, were later carved from wood and finally moulded from plastic.
Among the most ancient dice games, Sic Bo, coming from ancient China, and Hazard, dating back to the era of the Crusades, have continued to influence betting history. However, the oldest recorded history of dice gambling appears in a Hindu spiritual text known as the Rigveda, composed sometime between 1500 and 1000 BCE. So, overall, dice games for gambling have been part of human history for a long long long time.
The Evolution of Card Games
The history of card games began in China during the Tang Dynasty (9th century) before spreading to Persia, Egypt, and then Europe by the 11th century. The development of playing cards is a journey that started with Chinese “money cards”. The earliest deck, which is known as a multi-use game, was succeeded by Mamluk cards brought to Europe by Islam, which correspond to the four suits of cups, coins, swords, and polo sticks.
By the year 1480, these suits had been transformed through European adaptation into what we now know as hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. This long history of card games is something you can get to know better from casino sites with expert reviews on casinos.com, giving you a useful background on the most recent versions along with knowledge of the best casino platforms where you can play these card games.
Poker
Poker, on the other hand, dates back to a 16th-century Persian game called As-Nas and was later influenced by the French Poque, which originated from the German Pochen. The modern form of poker evolved in New Orleans during the late 18th century and early 19th
century.
The game’s development saw various iterations, from draw poker, popular by 1850, to stud poker emerging during the American Civil War, and Texas Hold’em introduced in Las Vegas in 1967. That rich history has firmly placed poker in the canon of casino classics.
Baccarat
Baccarat was first played in Italy during the 15th century, and its distinctive name is simply a derivation of an Italian word meaning “zero.” The game had its greatest moment of glory during the 19th century when it was desired by the French nobility that started conquering the world.
There are two popular versions of Baccarat: Chemin de Fer, which is a French game, and Punto Banco, or North American Baccarat. These days, the game is known to be the choice of high rollers and is played around the globe.
Roulette
Roulette’s origins can be traced to Blaise Pascal’s attempts at creating a perpetual motion machine in 1655. However, the game as we know it today began in 18th-century France, and a few key developments took place during this time. For example, in 1843, François and Louis Blanc made a significant contribution to roulette history when they designed the first single zero wheel, which helped pave the way for increased popularity of roulette.
When roulette made it to American casinos, they added an extra zero on the wheel to increase the house edge. Today, there are multiple versions of roulette played across the world, with the most popular being American, European, MultiWheel, and Lightning roulette. An interesting and somewhat infamous fact about roulette is that the sum of all numbers on the wheel equals 666, commonly known as “The Number of the Beast” or devil.
Blackjack
First played in 17th-century France, Blackjack, then called “Vingt-et-Un” (Twenty-One), was introduced to North America by French colonists in the early 18th century. Blackjack was actually coined in the 1930s as a catchier name by Nevada casinos that were offering special bets on the game of 21. They also tweaked the traditional rules, making blackjack a true legend in the world of casinos. One of the most impactful rule changes was that one of the dealer’s cards was exposed to players, which added another layer of strategy and made it one of the most popular games.
Conclusion
Casino games have changed over time to reflect shifting cultures and technologies. From classic dice games to new slot machines, they continue to attract players from all over the world, demonstrating that humanity’s yearning for luck and riches never fades. These games will undoubtedly evolve throughout time, but they will maintain the fundamental formula of pleasure and leisure that has captivated generations.