Playing card games is a hobby that has stood the test of time. Every generation has embraced card games, whether they enjoy them with family or against their friends online and in casinos. Online casino games may be cutting-edge and innovative, but they are also the continuation of an old tradition with the added convenience of playing online on a mobile or desktop device. Let’s explore the history of card games, pay tribute to their appeal, as well as cover three of the most influential card games you can play over the internet.
THE HISTORY OF CASINO CARD GAMES
Casino card games are loved the world over. So it’s no surprise that multiple regions claim to have been the first to play them. The only way we can paint a picture of the origin of card games is to tell you three different versions and let you choose your own adventure. First, we start in Central Asia. Before 1000AD in the 10th century, Chinese people used a kind of paper to play games like dominoes. These paper symbols – or cards – could have been an ancient precursor to the modern card deck.
Perhaps card games were instead invented by the Mamluks, a group of ethnically diverse slave soldiers who served the Arab dynasties in the Muslim world. The soldiers created a game called Nayb. Nayb used a particular deck or set of cards known as Muluk Wa-Nawwab. The slave soldiers are believed to have come up with the original idea and pattern of a card deck.
WHY ARE CARDS SO APPEALING?
Card games are here to stay. They are a staple hobby and continue to evolve and adapt to changing times and technology. But what makes them so appealing and universal?
PORTABILITY
A deck of cards can easily fit into your pocket or bag, ready to be whipped out at the first available opportunity. This portability explains why card games were played in trenches during the war, at schools, or even by prisoners and slaves in the past.
ADAPTABILITY
There are set casino card game rules for certain games, but games can easily be modified to suit different age groups, regions or types of players. Players can even modify some games to make them more challenging and exciting for their circle of friends. With multiple variations for every game, it’s easy to find one that works for you – and if you think you’ve already played the most obvious ones, check out the most obscure card games you’ve never heard of!
COMBINATION OF LUCK AND SKILL
Luck-based games are great because everyone gets a chance to play. But if you’re dedicating a lot of time to your favorite game, you’ll want to start using strategy to win. Card games are perfect because most of them combine luck with skill in varying proportions, which can increase your chances of winning if you become good at playing!
THE OLDEST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL CASINO CARD GAMES
Traditional casinos provide the opportunity to play card games in an authentic gambling atmosphere, but online casinos offer a longer list of casino game options, often with many variations of the same game for you to try. And the gameplay doesn’t have to be fully automated by a random number generator or feel impersonal, because now you can interact with real dealers in live dealer casino games too!
BLACKJACK
Blackjack is believed to have been first played by the French in the 17th century. It is still the most popular casino card game to play in casinos, not least because its house edge is relatively small. The game’s influence is evident in the fact that in 1985, blackjack accounted for 77% of all casino activity. Times have changed, but in 2018 blackjack still dominated with a 49.15% share.
POKER
There are an estimated 60 million poker players in the US alone. As widely loved as poker is, it was only developed in the 19th century by the Americans. In this early variation, players would get five cards from a deck of 20. The game was popular with boat workers and inside saloons, as it included betting against the other players at the table. Even though it was a late starter, poker has developed more than any other game to become what we play today. It’s even branched out into many exciting variations. There are high-level tournaments such as the World Series of Poker (WSOP) with eye-watering buy-ins at one end of the spectrum and friendly home games between friends at the other.
BACCARAT
Baccarat is the earliest recorded card game that you can still play at casinos today. A version of the game was described by the Italians in the 1400s before it moved to France. It was there that it became a popular game to play among noblemen in private gambling rooms. Given it’s one of the more underappreciated casino card games out there, it’s certainly one that’s worth a go, because it might just become your next favorite. Like blackjack, you play just against the dealer (as opposed to other players,) but that’s where the similarity ends because in baccarat you can bet on either your own hand winning… or the dealer’s!