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 through the Han Dynasty. The very 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, read this post here 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 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 in to the designs in the event the French replaced one of the Kings within their deck with a Queen. That was one of the first designs of the standard 52 card deck that we still use today for some of the best 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 only one zero. And while the winnings generated by 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 increase the house's advantage. Today, any serious fan of online roulette knows to search out the European wheel instead of the American wheel as a result of the higher 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 popular among nobility in the 16th century and also by the 18th century it had end up being the most popular game along the French Riviera. Baccarat finally gained popularity within the United States of America 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 may be much more enjoyable when you become aware of the long and often colorful history behind so many.