Games in all forms have always fascinated us humans, just take ancient examples such as the Olympic Games, board games or casino games. Here we take a closer look at the latter category and the most popular casino games of all time – from roulette and poker to blackjack and slot machines.
The history of the casino – from Venice to Ramlösa
Most of us have a relationship with casinos, whether we play online, watch a farm movie or even visit Monte Carlo on vacation. But what does the history of the casino phenomenon really look like? It is known, for example, that there were special rooms for games and entertainment as early as the days of antiquity. Although gambling itself at that time was more of a side activity to the main entertainment, one can conclude that gambling and betting continued as long as there were cultural activities. One of the first classic casinos was the Italian Ridotto, built as early as 1638 in Venice. Here the residents met to participate in the city’s carnival and to play for money.
At that time, it was dice games, card games and various lotteries that mattered, and the most frequent visitors were well-to-do families, which in turn gave the activity an extra star shine. If, on the other hand, we take a look at the casino’s Swedish history, our physical casinos have existed for about ten years, but the history extends significantly further back than that.
The first casino at home actually arose at Ramlösa health well, which in itself was a health resort in the 18th century, but which gave visitors the opportunity to meet and play cards in an organized way. check out the https://twitgoo.com/best-online-slots/
The queen of the casino
One of the oldest and most popular casino games is roulette. Most of us have probably come across the game, if not live then in movies or through cultural references. Roulette already emerged on 18th century in Paris’ decadent nightlife, and quickly became popular thanks to the combination of excitement and chance. The roulette wheel itself has fields with the numbers 1 to 36, in alternating black and red fields, as well as a green field for the single zero. When the game is set in motion, it is time to release the ball and hope that it ends up in the field you have bet on. You can, for example, bet on a number, a group of several numbers, or a color. Thanks to the game’s obvious elements at well-known casinos, both on- and off-line, it has made itself well deserved by the nickname “the queen of the casino”.
The ever-trendy poker
When we hear the words “poker” and “Las Vegas”, we often imagine prestigious tournaments and star players. Although poker is one of the most popular card games, thanks to the World Series of Poker, which annually broadcasts the tournament at prime time and turns players into millionaires, this has not always been the case. In fact, poker also has a long history, with most indications that the game was invented as early as the Middle Ages, and spread from the Middle East to the southern parts of Europe. The name itself is believed to come from the French poque, but also the German expression pochspiel. However, it was not until the 1830s that the game began to be documented, and it is known with certainty that it was a popular feature during the heyday of the Wild West. This has continued and today poker forms such as Texas Hold’em are incredibly popular, both live and online.
The long-distance runner Blackjack
Let’s linger in the land of card games and take a look at another incredibly popular card game, namely blackjack. Just like for roulette, the game first became popular in France and it was played extensively already in the 17th century but then under the name Vingt En Un, that is, “21” in French. Professional gamblers at the time quickly saw the potential in blackjack which led to rapid gambling controls and bans in the 19th century until Nevada legalized gambling, and then also blackjack in 1931. During the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s the game’s popularity exploded and it has continued in that direction. At present, blackjack is played all over the world and is an extremely popular feature even at online casinos.
Slot machines – the standard feature of all casinos
Nowadays, slot machines are indispensable in all casinos, digital and physical. The form of entertainment has a long history that probably begins as early as 1891 in New York when two men named Sittman and Pitt produced the predecessor to today’s slot machines. Their slot machine had pictures on playing cards, and the goal was to get a combination that resembled an advantageous poker hand as possible. As technology advanced, so did the machines, and 1963 was born Money Honey – a completely electromechanical slot machine. One of the most prominent differences at that time compared to today was that in the beginning you did not get cash for profits but prices in the form of food, drinks or cigarettes, all depending on how good your hand was.
So a lot has happened since casinos and gambling saw the light of day. One thing that is certain, however, is that the above-mentioned games are as popular now as then, and there is no indication that this will change in the near future.
