The original game of Gai Pow was a game played using Chinese dominoes. Gai Pow has been a popular game in China for thousands of years despite it’s complexities. The dominoes are divided into both military and civilian suits, both having specific names and symbols for each tile. Much of the rules and strategies are passed down orally through the generations rather than having a set of written instructions. This makes Pai Gow a very difficulty game to learn for anyone of another cultural background.

As with Keno, the Chinese immigrants brought Pai Gow sets along with them while working on the American railroads in the mid-1800s. Finding that the Americans also enjoyed gambling games, the traditional Chinese game was slowly merged with poker and played with cards instead of the symbolic Chinese tiles that the Americans didn’t understand.

Although Pai Gow Poker has been around since that time, it didn’t show up in casinos until 2026 when a Vegas casino introduced the game to its patrons. The game quickly caught on due to the already large Asian population in the area and showed up in Atlantic City casinos the following year. As with other popular casino games, Pai Gow Poker has been a big hit for online casinos, as well.

Keno is another casino game with its roots in ancient times. The game originated in China during one of their wars. Legend has it that the creator came up with the game in order to help fund the army as the people were ruining themselves trying to keep up with the costs of the war. Taking 120 characters from a teaching poem, he laid them out on a board very much like a modern lotto ticket.

Counters were tossed on this board and people would wager on where the counter would land. Curiously enough, the players could mark the places with ink giving rise to the term Keno spots. Players were allowed up to ten bets per cast. Apparently, the game worked as desired and the proceeds saved the creator’s village and then spread from there to the rest of China. The game was nicknamed "Great White Pigeon Game" as they would use white pigeons to send messages with the results of bets onto other cities.

Just like a lot of other casino games, America has made it’s mark on the game of Keno. When the game arrived in America in the middle of the 19th century with Chinese immigrants, the Americans quickly reduced the characters down to only 80 to simplify things. Of course, Americans found the characters too hard to pronounce but they wanted to play the new gambling game. To accommodate them, some enterprising Chinese changed it to numbers although the Americans still called it the Chinese Lottery.

An American changed the game a bit more until it became the game we recognize at casinos everywhere. The first Keno game to be found in a casino was in Nevada in 1936. The owner, Warren Nelson, invented a rotating cage with numbered wooden balls. The Keno numbers were read off as the balls were drawn from the cage. Today Keno still stands as one of the most popular casino games, both offline and at online casinos.

During the 1700s, there was a very popular card game being played in France called Vingt et Un – 21 in English. The game played all those years ago was remarkably similar to the game we play today but for a couple of things. Dealers were the only ones able to double in Vingt et Un and players would bet after each round. The best hand with Vingt et Un, as with today’s blackjack, was a natural 21.

There are two different versions of how the name of the game became blackjack but neither one has been proven so we don’t know for sure. One camp says that when playing Vingt et Un there was a special payout for getting a Jack and Ace of Spades in the winning hand. The other camp credits the casinos of early Las Vegas with coming up with blackjack by offering special odds and payouts for the same hand. The special payouts were later stopped but the name was here to stay.

Whichever the true origin of the name of the game, it’s become one of the most popular and frequently played card games in the world both in land and online casinos. With the advent of various software programs that allow online blackjack to be played, variations have been added like the ability to play multiple hands or participate in progressive jackpots.

Like most of the other favorite casino games, poker has a long and rich history. It’s believed that the modern day versions of poker stem from a game called primero. Primero was a very popular card game from Spain back in the 16th century. The game was played with three cards dealt and bluffing was a crucial part of the gameplay. This is why the game is often referred to as "poker’s mother", because we all know how important the art of bluffing is to the game.

From this original game developed the German pochen and the French game called poque – both games were popular in the next two hundred years. When the French settled in Canada, they brought poque with them across the Atlantic. Eventually the game spread to Louisiana when New Orleans was settled in the beginning of the 18th century, soon spreading up the Mississippi River to the rest of the new nation of America.

Our modern poker games stem from uniquely American variations that have since caught in through much of the rest of the world. Five card draw developed during the Civil War and became the most popular version until after World War II. Between the two world wars, a variation named seven card stud became the new darling of the gambling world. In the early 70s, we saw Texas Hold’em created and this new version of the game remains the most popular poker variation in the world to this day.

Baccarat is another of the most historical tables games. Although its true origins are shrouded in the mists of time, legend says that it began with a game played using tarot cards during the middle ages. The birthplace of the modern version of baccarat is a tossup between Italy and France. Since the word baccarat originates from the word meaning zero in both languages, the two countries have never agreed on where the game really began.

Either way, we know that baccarat was being played in 1400′s in both countries. The French, though, have to be credited with making baccarat the traditional high roller game as the game was popular with the French nobility. Then called Chemin de Fer, the French nobles set the wagers so high in order to allow only the wealthiest people access to a game.

From France, the game was spread to England where it also became popular with the British aristocracy during the time of Queen Victoria in the late 19th century. In the 20th century, baccarat traveled to Argentina, becoming very fashionable among the South American wealthy and from there was introduced in Cuba.

The Cubans changed the rules a bit to become the American baccarat version now played thoughout America, Canida and Australia. The more traditional game of baccarat can still be found in other parts of the world. Today, there is a also a lower stakes version of baccarat so it’s no longer reserved for only the wealthiest players. This version is the one most often found in online casinos, thus anyone can play baccarat today.

The game of craps as we know and love it is a fairly recent creation but as many games it has its basis in using dice. Now dice have been around since at least 600 BC as archaelogists have found the marked cubes in sites from that period. One early fore-runner to the modern craps could be found within the Roman Empire. Roman soldiers made dice from the knucklebones of pigs and would roll the bones into their shields to entertain themselves. Gambling passed the time for soldiers far from home.

Another game that is the most likely basis of the modern craps game was found in England during the 12th century. Called "Hazard", it was a game played with dice where the stakes were placed in the middle of the play area. Hazard later became the rage, first in England and later throughout Europe, in the 17th and 18th centuries.

It came across the ocean to America with the earliest settlers. As the French settled in Louisiana, the Cajuns played the game that they called "crebes". As time went on and it caught on with other ethnicities in the area, the French term came to be anglicized as "craps".

The modern version of craps that is still played today follows rules that were set out by an American named John Winn in the 19th century. His rules did away with the loaded dice that were prevalent in the gambling establishments of the time. He also designed the craps table as we know it.

While men have been gambling since they were living in caves, most of the popular casino games have their roots in slightly more recent history. Although, with the game of roulette, the caveman days may not be so far off. Legends tell us of Roman soldiers playing games of chance with spinning the wheels of chariots but the earliest version of roulette that we would recognize could be found in France. In fact, the French word for "little wheel" is the root of roulette.

There are two tales of the beginnings of roulette and no one truly knows which is correct. One story is that the scientist, Blaise Pascal, invented the game after taking a gambling holiday in Paris. He combined his newfound knowledge of gaming with his mathematical knowledge of the laws of probability and supposedly created a roulette game in the middle of the 17th century. An alternative origin is given that a bored French monk invented the game when he needed something to pass the time during a dull, monastic existence. This story lacks credible detail, though, so Pascal is usually credited for inventing roulette.

Later versions of roulette included "roly-poly" and "EO", both games found in Great Britain during the first half of the 18th century until they were outlawed by several anti-gaming laws. By the late 18th century, the familiar wheel with its trademark black and red numbers could be found back in France. The game has remained popular ever since and can be found in just about any casino.

In order to win most casino games, it is important to go in with a workable and advisable strategy. This is true whether individuals are playing at an online casino or an offline and physically located one. While formidable strategies do not ensure success, they do go a long way in making sure that players are able to make the most of the money they choose to invest in the games and allow the players to make the most of their time at such casinos and playing gambling games. Continuing with the work we have done this week, we will wrap up our advice and blogs dedicated to impressive slot machine strategies designed to help players make the most of this game and their opportunities playing them:

Players are advised to play in comfortable environments. There is no point in playing on a machine that does not appeal to the player's bankroll. Find machines that are financially suited to your individual situation and play there. This will allow for more fun and clearer thinking while playing.

Cash out the credits that you, as a slot machine player, have accumulated. This may seem very obvious, especially to those players who are more experienced, but one would be surprised to learn how many people forget this simple concept.

In order to experience greater odds of winning while investing in most casino games, it is important for players to approach the tables and machines with a wise and advisable strategy for the specific game being considered. This is true whether the individuals who are interested in gambling have decided to play at an online casino or an offline, physically located one. While strategic and enlightened strategies do not ensure success when it comes to casino and gambling games, they do go a long way in making sure that players are able to not only make the most of the money they choose to invest in the games, it also allows the players to make the most of their time at such casinos and playing gambling games. Slots is a particularly popular game, so we will explore some of the options available to such players:

It is important for slot machine players to play what they know and what they are educated on. There are so many slot machines available, virtually and physically, and it is ill-advised to sit down at a machine where the player is unaware of what needs to be accomplished in order to win on the machine. With just a little bit of research, players can easily prepare themselves for the slot machine of their choice.

Remember, slot machines are designed to be fun. If you are not having fun while you are playing slots, this is likely a waste of your time, money and energy. Find a game which is more appealing or return to the slot machines when they are more alluring.

To win while playing most casino games, it is important for players to approach the tables and machines with a wise and advisable strategy for the specific game being considered. This is true whether individuals interested in gambling are playing at an online casino or an offline, physically located one. While strategic and enlightened strategies do not ensure success when it comes to casino and gambling games, they do go a long way in making sure that players are able to not only make the most of the money they choose to invest in the games, it also allows the players to make the most of their time at such casinos and playing gambling games. Slots is a particularly popular game, so we will explore some of the options available to such players:

There are two methods for approaching slots when you are winning, and the more appealing of the options will depend on the particular player. When things are going well, players are advised to either call it a night and collect their winnings or take advantage of their lucky streak and bet higher amounts when winning, and decrease the bets when the player is not doing as well. Again, this is an individual choice and players need to consider the pros and cons of each option prior to reaching that point. This will allow them a game plan for success.

And remember – the total amount of credits being bet for any machine has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not an individual will win on that machine.