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When one thinks of casinos and gambling, one is led to believe that there is nothing more than a set of quality games that everyone can try, including classic blackjack, slot machines and poker. This is partly true, in the sense that there is also more, such as the many curiosities that characterise them.
Such interesting facts give greater depth to the terms casino and gambling, offering us a key to interpretation that reaches into the historical sphere. So in addition to the «cold games», products of human ingenuity, there is also the «warm humanity», which over time, through its exploits, has become the protagonist of sometimes strange facts that we will group here under the label of curiosities.
Are you ready to discover ten of them, the most interesting in our opinion, the ones that will make you appreciate both the casino and gambling even more? We at PASINO.ch - your Swiss online casino - want you to finally get to know these terms inside out.
Have you ever wondered who was the inventor of Roulette, a pastime that you can experience directly at PASINO.ch and about which you can read a nice article here on our blog? Well, it was the famous French mathematician Blaise Pascal around 1650, while he was in the process of developing a perpeptual motion machine. So without meaning to, he revolutionised the way we understand entertainment, giving mankind an object that over time has become something more: a veritable status symbol of pop culture.
Do you happen to know what the suits of the French cards - hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades - represent? Perhaps you do, because in truth there is no universal answer to this question. There are many interpretations: for some, they represent the four French social classes, nobility, clergy, merchants and peasants; for others, the four kings of history, Charles the Great, Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great and David.
If you follow us on our blog, chances are you know what the first casino in history was, since we have already talked about it here. In case you've just landed in the PASINO.ch universe, let us tell you straight away that the first casino in history was built in Venice in 1638. It was called «Il Ridotto» and was a large hall, hosting the most popular casino games, frequently visited by the likes of Giacomo Casanova.
Get ready because we are about to tell you an interesting story. In the year 1950, an anonymous sailor went to the Las Vegas Desert Inn. His desire was to relax for a few hours, taking advantage of the bonus fare he had earned after so much travelling at sea. Once inside the casino he chose to try his hand at craps. Well, something happened that was unbelievable: this anonymous sailor had a winning streak of 27 consecutive throws. To give you an idea of what we are talking about, keep in mind that the probability of succeeding in such a quest is 12'467'890 to 1! The dice he threw are still on display in this hotel today, inside a glass case resting on a comfortable velvet cushion.
More than a curiosity, it is something that all players should know, and yet they do not. When it comes to Blackjack there is often confusion: the player's goal is not to make 21 as much as to beat the dealer. Statistically, only a small percentage of games have resulted in a 21. So if you play Blackjack at PASINO.ch one day, don't risk more than you have to; rather, be happy with beating your direct opponent, the dealer.
The longest poker game ever lasted eight years, five months and three days and was played in the Bird Cage saloon in Tombstone, Arizona, between 1881 and 1889. We imagine you are wondering how it is possible to be at the green table for such an extensive period of time. You must know that the players took turns so that this game was never interrupted. And after a good eight years there was finally a winner, whose name and surname is unfortunately not known today.
The USA is today home to no less than 460 casinos, scattered all over the territory. Although Las Vegas has the highest number of casinos - there are 100 - they can be found just about everywhere. One only has to travel to Atlantic City, the second home of gambling, to realise this. Exceptions are Tennessee and Alabama. 460 casinos, no doubt about it, is quite a number, yet, according to a well-informed newspaper like Il Sole 24 Ore, all together they would not be able to turnover as much as the 38 casinos in Macao, China. Macao can again boast the title of the world's number one gambling tourism destination.
The highest ever slot machine win is that of a lucky 25-year-old who won 40 million dollars in Las Vegas in 2003. And he had only wagered 100 dollars to do so. We at PASINO.ch in our own small way can also be proud of the winnings of our Big Winner from Geneva, who won a jackpot of around 200'000 Swiss francs on the most popular book slot in history: Book of Ra Deluxe.
Archie Karas is a legend of card games, thanks to his winning streak that allowed him to go from the initial 50 dollars to 40 million dollars in less than three years. To succeed in this venture, which is obviously not within everyone's reach, requires skill, knowledge of the game rules, cool heads and a little healthy luck, elements that are part of Archie Karas' baggage.
We conclude our round-up of the ten interesting facts about casinos and gambling with the last one that has to do with novels. Did you know that the first novel to talk about casinos is «The Gambler» by Fedor Dostojevski? A work that we recommend you read, if you haven't done so yet, but right after you've popped over to PASINO.ch - your Swiss online casino.
