Gambling as a Worldwide Culture

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The exact origins of gambling are somewhat unknown, although many voices say that even the Bible holds several references to similar activities, such as casting lots to determine something or to divide property. While it would probably be mission impossible to determine where and how gambling came to be, the initial versions of card and table games are said to come from China and certain parts of Europe. No surprise there, if you keep in mind the fact that once the Chinese people invented paper, the next step was to make paper money. Once they did that, it was only a matter of time before they went on to create the first set of paper cards.

The anthropology of gambling includes numerous studies and research publications which hint at a strong connection between the culture of a certain geographical region and the gambling habits of its inhabitants. Take the Asian countries, for example. It is said that the Chinese also invented the shuffling of cards, so perhaps this is why they have probably laid the first stone to card games such as Sic Bo, Pai Gow Poker, Fan Tan and many more. Asian people have an extremely well-developed gambling culture and in such countries, gambling is part of their long-time tradition.

On the other hand, many of the most popular casino games such as baccarat, craps, blackjack and roulette are said to originate from different parts of Europe. Nevertheless, the current versions of these games have suffered many changes over the years, after having been “adopted” by other regions. Roulette is such a game, which has undergone many changes, starting with the numbers on the wheel, the numbers and colours of the 0 slots; at first, there were two zeros – the single zero was red, while the double zero was black.

Poker’s popularity exploded in the beginning of the 21st century, thanks to the TV broadcasted poker shows and the availability of online sites. There are many types of poker games, some you play against the house, others against other players. The latter includes titles like the prolific Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Duke, Irish Poker, Pineapple Poker and many other variations of these games. Omaha and Irish Poker are pretty much the same. Unlike Texas Hold’em, these two games are played with 4 dealt cards and 5 community cards, instead of 2 dealt and 5 on the flop. What is different about Irish Poker is that, unlike Omaha, players are required to keep only 2 of the 4 cards or fold, once the flop is dealt, while at Omaha you have to use exactly 2 cards, but you can choose which 2 after you’ve seen the river. All card games that are played with community cards are extremely interesting and exhilarating to play. I wonder if the Chinese knew what they would start with the development of paper…?

A High Roller’s Life – The Stu Ungar Story

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A friend of mine recommended I watch this film, knowing that I am passionate about cards and Texas Hold’em, in particular. I must admit I was a bit skeptic, since most films about poker, gambling, and gamblers that I have watched were, imho, pretty thin and lacking substance. But imagine my surprise when I watched the trailer – I told you I was skeptic and found that this could just as well be the greatest poker film of all times. I say this because this motion picture has everything you would expect: the character’s family ties and his upbringing, his father’s inconsistency in educating him, how our hero met his savior and protector and a whole lot of money, drugs and sex. Not to mention that it’s based on a true story and the storyline was kept true to the letter. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here and start from the beginning.

Our character was born Stuart Errol “Stu” Ungar, to Jewish parents and he was raised in Lower East Side, Manhattan. His father was a loan shark and owned a social club, where the main attraction was gambling. Thus, our hero was exposed to gambling and card games at a very early age and, despite his father’s attempts of preventing it, Stu was quickly recognized as a very talented, almost unbeatable gin rummy player. Following his father’s death, one of the most respected figures in organized crime – Vincent Romano, took him under his wing.

By 1976, at a young age of 23, he was regarded as the best gin rummy player in New York. However, his bad habits quickly got the best of him and he would start losing at the racetrack all that he won at cards. On top of that, his lack of money management skills led him from one bad decision to another, taking unnecessary risks for the sake of gamble. Following another huge loss at the racetrack, he was forced by Vincent Romano to go to Las Vegas and win a tournament worth $100,000, to pay back another figure of the crime world that he had indirectly borrowed money from. Stu then decides to pay his debt and remain in Las Vegas.

I will only say that we have almost reached the best part of the film, but I have no intentions of spoiling it for you. I will let you discover the rest of the plot by yourself, but I have to tell you that this masterpiece reminds me of a friend of mine. After his bachelor party totally wasted, he went in a casino and gamble with the honeymoon money on the roulette, not having the slightest clue what he was doing. The truth is, he is a card player, much like Stu was, and that’s what he knows and that’s what he should do. If you want to try another game, you need to know it well before you hit the high stakes.

For example, I found this excellent UK online roulette site, where you can not only learn a lot about the game, but you can also find useful information, like how to use progressive betting systems, which casinos have the best game selection and so on. And once you feel comfortable enough to raise the limits, the site also includes information about where to play roulette for the highest stakes and how to go about it.

Strangely enough, my friend skipped all of the above-mentioned steps and not only did he get his honeymoon money back, but he even doubled it. Go figure! Oh, well, I guess some people simply have a natural talent, just like our hero – Stu Ungar.