Casino Games History
Baccarat History
Baccarat is a French card game, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have been introduced into France from Italy during the reign of Charles VIII of France (ruled 1483-1498), and it is similar to Faro and to Basset. It was first played with the cards of a Tarot deck, receiving its name from the Italian word for "zero." The reason for this is that most of the cards in the game have a point value of zero. The first official Baccarat game is attributed to an Italian gambler named, Felix Falguierein.
He came up with the game in 1480. Within approximately ten years, the game was introduced to France and has since then spread to other countries to later become, without question, the casino's most elegant and prestigious game.
Blackjack History
Derived from old French card games like "Chemin de Fer" and "French Ferme". Blackjack started in the 1700's as "Vingt-et-Un"; a French card game that became popular in the US during the 19th century. The name Vingt-en-Un means "21" in French, which was not the first ancestor of blackjack, but it's clear that blackjack did originate from it. The game acquired it's now-common name of "blackjack" because when a player received a Jack of Spades and an Ace of Spades as the first two cards that were dealt to them, they would win an additional amount of money.
Craps History
Craps is widely believed to have originated in Egypt as far back as 1573 BC and is the oldest game of chance using dice. Some claim Craps descended from an earlier game called Hazard that dates to the Middle Ages. Modern day Craps is an American game that was developed on the Mississippi and other inland waterways during the great steamboat era of the 1800s. In 1931 casino gambling was legalized in the State of Nevada and Casino Craps (Las Vegas style) became popular all over the world. Craps is considered the noisiest, fastest, and most exciting game in the casino.
Pai Gow History
The history of the game known as "Pai Gow" (which means to make nine) lies firmly in China. Different variations of the game appeared in China in the 1800s and it has its roots in the original Pai Gow tile game, which was traditionally played using domino like tiles. The change from the traditional game of "Pai Gow" to "Pai Gow Poker" was created by Fred Wolf sometime in the 1980's. Wolf was the owner of the Commerce Casino and transformed the game from being played with dominoes to being played with cards. The game Vegas casinos in 1987 and was an instant success. Nowadays, you can see Pai Gow Poker being played in casinos all over the world and it's becoming popular in online casinos.
Roulette History
Roulette originated in France during the 17th century. It is said that a 17th Century mathematician named Blaise Pascal (who made numerous contributions to mathematics) created the game. The word roulette means 'little wheel' in French. During the early 1800's Luis Blanc established the first casinos in Monte Carlo where, according to legend the devil shared with them the secret of Roulette in exchange for their souls. The first modern roulette wheel was first used in a Paris casino in 1796. The roulette wheel was then introduced to the US from the Europeans in the 1800's and became one of the most popular casino games available.
Slots History
History shows that the very first mechanical slot machines used springs to spin 3 reels and 1 metal breaking plate to stop them and offered prizes such as cigarette boxes or sweets. Each reel had ten symbols painted on it. When a lever was pulled it spun the reels and when the reels stopped, a jackpot was awarded if three of a one kind of symbol lined up. Slot Machines started during the late 19th century and Both Gustav Shultze and Charles August Fey are credited with the first modern day slot machines. Today all slot machines are controlled by computers and micro processors.
Video-Poker History
Video-Poker is a fusion between traditional poker and modern slot machines. Si Redd developed Video Poker in the 1970's which became one of the most popular casino games by 1981 because people found the devices less intimidating than playing table games. Si's company "Sircoma" became IGT "International Game Technology" which is one of the most recognizable names in the industry. The popularity of the game grew with the improvements of technologies and the introduction of better machines.