It's hard to imagine games that are more popular than the three classics mentioned above: Roulette, Poker and Blackjack. This article is meant as a brief inquiry into the worlds of Roulette, Poker and Blackjack. Let us begin.
The enticing game of Poker
Poker is one of the most popular card games of all times and, throughout its vast history, has seen numerous variations. The oldest references to the game of Poker appeared in English actor's Joseph Cowell memoirs and point to a game of Poker played in Louisiana back in 1829. The style of Poker of those time greatly differed to what we are now accustomed to, as it involved a deck of 20 cards and 4 players who would consequently bet on who held the stronger hand. From Louisiana, Poker quickly spread North by means of riverboats over the Mississippi and West during the Gold Rush, thus embracing the whole country. As the game quickly gained in popularity, new additions were made to its rules and styles of play: the 52 deck of cards was introduced, the flush, the draw, the straight and so forth. By 1925, all 4 main categories of poker had seen their creation: Straight, Stud Poker, Draw Poker and Community card Poker. Nowadays, Texas Hold'em and Omaha, two styles of play belonging to the Community Card Poker family, are the most popular games of Poker and are frequently played in numerous tournaments world-wide.
The thrilling game of Blackjack
The game of Blackjack has been recently declared as the most popular card game in the world. The rules behind Blackjack are quite simple at first glance: it involves a number of players and a dealer, all players competing against the dealer to hit Blackjack, but not against each other. The goal of Blackjack is to earn a better score than the dealer while not exceeding 21, the ideal score, also known as Blackjack. It's a game of odds and mathematical possibilities as you always have to stay aware of the cards that have been played and know when to ask for another €hit€. The origins of Blackjack are unknown as the game first appeared under the name of €Twenty-one€. Written references to the game of Blackjack first appeared in the famous Spanish author's, Miguel de Cervantes, book called Rinconete y Cortadillo. The basic rules of Blackjack are laid in this writing and not many differences have been made since 1600, when the story was written. Only later was Blackjack introduced to the US, but its success was instant.
The fortunes of Roulette
The game of Roulette draws its origins from the French diminutive for little wheel. As the name suggests, Roulette is played by betting on a series of numbers, their colors and whether the number is odd or even, then spinning the wheel and waiting for fortune to smile. The history of Roulette dates back to 18th century France and has not seen any changes to it ever since its inception. As Roulette quickly rose in popularity, it was soon introduced to the German lands (1843) and then to America (1886). By the late 19th century, Roulette had already become one of the most popular games, having spread all over Europe and USA. After being abolished by the German government in the 1860s, Roulette was moved to Monte Carlo where it apparently took deep roots. In Monte Carlo, the single zero Roulette wheel became the norm in Roulette styles of gameplay and was only challenged by the American double zero wheel Roulette style. The two types of Roulette game are now the most common styles encountered.
Blackjack, Roulette and Poker are all games that have endured the test of time and have grown exponentially in popularity and prestige and, given the rise of the internet age, a new chapter has opened in the history of these games.