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CasinoMan Blog - Category Articles: gambling history

What are your lucky numbers?

As soon as man stood up and walked, he started to count. Before the idea of “numbers” became part of our basic logic set, objects were just objects. It’s a little hard to imagine that if you had two rocks in front of you, you wouldn’t refer to them as “two rocks.” The two had no significance. But numberless life didn’t last for long. As soon as humans got a handle on numbers, they started to give them significant meanings.

Over time, numbers evolved to something more than a counting table. Numbers became mystical. The ancient Chinese are thought to be among the first to give numbers the label of “lucky.” In Chinese culture, some numbers are believed to be fortunate or unfortunate. Primarily, odd numbers are thought to be unlucky in Chinese culture, leaving the even numbers to be the luckier. The Chinese believe that good luck comes in pairs.

Almost every culture holds some numbers to a lucky standard. The number 7 has been considered to be lucky for centuries. Though its origins are up for debate, there are many instances throughout history that reference the number 7 and its lucky nature. The Pythagoreans referred to 7 as the “perfect number,” stating that 3 and 4, the triangle and the square, were the perfect figures.

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World Series of Poker History

There isn’t a poker player alive who isn’t glued to his or her seat when the World Series of Poker (WSOP) is on. In fact, there seems to be very few alive who don’t go to Las Vegas to enter in the main event. Almost 9,000 poker players entered the main event, making this more of a donkey-fest than an actual testament to one’s skill-set.

But nevertheless, professional players such as Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan, and many more pros will test their grit and determination against a field of over 8,000 players who seemingly stay in hands just to catch a river card. Not taking anything away from an amateur player, but percentages can be extremely cruel. The last time a “pro” won the WSOP was in 2001 when Carlos Mortensen took down the prize.

The game of poker wasn’t played above the table with yelling and flailing limbs in the beginning of WSOP history. In fact, one of the great players at time, such as Johnny Moss, would have quickly put a stop to any insurrection or untimely outbursts. Poker has been played for centuries now, and has ended in injury or death for many cheaters, big-talkers, and owners of outlandish personalities. Texas Hold ‘Em hasn’t been around quite as long. But once upon a time, it was a highly respected game.

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Some background on the Hong Kong Jockey Club

One of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong, the HKJC (Hong Kong Jockey Club) was founded in 1884 to promote horse racing. The club enjoyed royal patronage under colonial rule, and operated under the name, “The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club.” This not-for-profit organization promotes and provides horse racing, sporting and betting entertainment in Hong Kong.

It holds a government-granted monopoly in providing pari-mutuel betting on racing, lotteries, and fixed odds betting of football. Apart from being the largest taxpayer in all of Hong Kong, the HKJC is also the largest private donator of charitable funds, contributing over a billion dollars (HK) every year for the past 10. The HKJC also provides dining and recreation facilities to around 20,000 members.

When the HKJC began in 1884, it was an exclusive club for the ruling class. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were very few Chinese members in the group. Three other top colonial clubs at the time, the Jockey Club, Victoria Recreation Club, and the Amateur Dramatic Corps, didn’t have one Chinese member between them. In 1971, the club changed its status from amateur to professional. They then organized annual races which took place around the Chinese New Year.

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How Las Vegas was founded

Las Vegas, which in Spanish means “The Meadows,” was named by Spaniards in the Antonio Armijo party, who used water from the area while heading north and west along the Old Spanish Trail from Texas. In 1844, John C. Fremont traveled into the Las Vegas Valley, while it was still part of Mexico.

He was a leader of a group of scientists, scouts, and other observers for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. In 1855, Brigham Young assigned 30 missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the area in attempts to convert the Paiute Indian population to Mormonism. A small fort was built near the current downtown area, serving as a stopover for weary travelers along the “Mormon Corridor.”

Las Vegas was then established as a railroad town in 1905, when 110 acres was auctioned off in what is now downtown Las Vegas. Las Vegas was part of Lincoln County until 1909, when it became part of newly established Clark County.

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The History behind the Bellagio Hotel and Casino

The Bellagio is an AAA Five-Diamond rated luxury hotel and casino in Las Vegas, located on The Strip. MGM Mirage holds ownership of this luxurious hotel and casino, and it was built on the site of the demolished Dunes hotel and casino.

Inspired by the Lake Como resort of Bellagio in Italy, Vegas’ Bellagio is famed for its elegance. One of the most notable features of the Bellagio is an 8-acre artificial lake between the hotel and the Strip, which holds the famous Fountains of Bellagio. The Bellagio has been one of Vegas’ most famous resorts since its inception. It employs approximately 10,000 people, and is visited by millions each year.

The Bellagio was conceived by Steve Wynn, an American casino resort developer, and built by his company, Mirage Resorts, Inc. Wynn is often considered as the man who changed Vegas. In 1989, his first major Strip casino, The Mirage, opened, setting a new standard in Vegas, making immediate history.

With his second project, the 1993 Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, Wynn proved once again that his vision for Vegas was different. The $450 million dollar resort was another instant smash with the public.

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Casino Monte Carlo and the Famous Casino Square

The Casino Monte Carlo is built for and used by tourists only. In fact, citizens of Monaco are not allowed inside the gaming rooms of the facility. The royal family of Monaco can attend opera and ballet performances, but they do use an alternative entrance.

Other individuals must display a passport and pay the entrance fee before being allowed entrance to the building. Individuals wearing military uniforms are also prohibited from using the facilities of the casino. The casino is arguably the most famous of Monaco's tourist draws.

The casino complex includes more than just the gambling facility. The Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo is situated in the complex, as well as the opera and ballet house. The gardens behind the casino offer a glimpse of Bordighera in Italy.

The theater was not part of the original facility, but was added in 1910. The Ballets de Monte Carlo headquarters is also located in the complex. The entire facility is part of the Monte Carlo quarter.

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What is a video poker machine and how does it work?

In the world of gambling, evolution is a key factor in its popularity. From Roman soldiers playing dice, to astronauts shuffling their decks in the space shuttle, gambling is as old and widespread as anything throughout history. But without the modern conveniences of today’s gambling, it wasn’t accessible to such a broad audience.

When humans began to revolutionize machinery, video poker machines weren’t high on their list. Yet since they’ve been around, these machines have grossed billions upon billions of dollars, and have become some of the most popular items in various shops and casinos.

Video poker machines work by using a random number generator (RNG), which is a software algorithm used to ensure a random outcome of game play. Though not all RNG’s operate the same, they all offer completely random numbers, with billions of variants. When the machine isn’t in action, the RNG runs hundreds of times per second.

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Where and when was roulette invented?

The game of Roulette is named after French word meaning “small wheel”. It is widely popular in casinos and on the internet. In the game, a croupier spins a wheel in one direction, and them spins a ball in the opposite direction.

The ball rotates along the circumference of a titled circular surface until it eventually stops and falls into a colored numbered pocket on the wheel. The number of slots in the wheel depends on where you play roulette. If you’re playing in Europe, the wheel only has 37 slots, in America, it has 38.

All players may choose to place bets on a number to win, the color of the pocket, or whether the number will be odd or even. For the most part, the design is universally the same and the betting structure remains in tact.

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The oldest casino in Las Vegas, The Golden Gate Casino

When you’re in Las Vegas, odds are you’re there to gamble. Not many people pay attention to other aspects of Vegas. To stop and look at Vegas as a whole, many would notice that it’s dry, dirty, hot, and extremely expensive.

The euphoric rush which takes over while gambling and partying often blinds individuals to the current state of affairs. But let’s face it, we all love to gamble. And some places in Vegas do have more appeal than others.

Though some people may rather stay in places like the Bellagio and Caesars Palace, the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino really tells the sordid story of Vegas, and people still frequent its small quarters.

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A short history on Indian Casino Gaming

Indian casino gaming as we know it all began with the Seminole tribe of Florida. It wasn’t very long ago at all.

The Seminoles first opened a high-stakes bingo hall on their reservation in 1979. And just like anything in the United States, the government in Florida quickly moved in, attempting to close down the operation.

However, the courts interceded and stopped the attempts by Florida to overthrow the bingo hall. But despite the early victories in court by the Seminole tribe, the legality of Indian casino gaming was still very much in doubt.

There have been a few landmark events which sparked a flame of revolution in the Indian casino gaming venture. One important case took place in California.

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