A brief history of gambling
Interesting fact! It is known that gambling was completely eradicated only in Sparta with their strict military education.Gambling has a very long history that runs throughout the entire existence of a reasonable person. Scientists know that the first entertainment of this kind was dice, which they often find in ancient Greek, Roman, Indian, Germanic and other burials. At that time, dice was considered the easiest way to determine the will of the gods (otherwise in Greece, for example, one would have to go very far – to the oracle, and with the help of dice it was possible to solve everything on the spot). Even before the advent of money, people put animals, clothes, food and even their loved ones and themselves on the line, often falling into slavery.
As the whole world played dice, almost all states gradually began to pass laws prohibiting or restricting such entertainment. In Rome, for example, a loser in a gambling game could demand through the guards to return his money. Such measures were necessary to preserve the freedom of people who are sold into slavery, and to pacify the desire for profit among the most dependent players. However, in some countries, such games were encouraged to a certain extent, because they brought substantial income to the city. For example, this was the case in Germany.
Around the 15th century, card sharpeners begin to actively earn money. And this was an even more dishonest way of earning money than dice, because this is pure deception, and not a matter of chance. However, cheaters existed freely for about a century, after which they also began to be banned in many countries, but they were not completely eradicated. Already closer to our century, specialized gambling houses began to appear in many states (a kind of analogue of modern casino games) for various classes: in this way, both representatives of the aristocracy and commoners had fun with passion. However, aristocrats could even afford to organize their own card and dice tournaments. Through many vicissitudes and legislative regulations, gambling has come down to our time – with varying degrees of limitation in each country.
Basic casino games
Regardless of the form of the casino (online or in the real world), most likely, it will feature all the most popular gambling games:
- card games (poker in all varieties, baccarat, blackjack, hold’em, etc.);
- slots;
- several types of roulettes (classic, American and French);
- some casinos play craps – this is an improved version of dice;
- most casinos also offer betting services: they are also considered gambling.
As it becomes clear from this list, gambling now is not just a matter of chance. Card games, which are so popular all over the world, require a solid knowledge of the psychology and behavior of the players, as well as experience and analytical calculation. The outcome of the game in slots and roulettes, although to a greater extent depends on randomness, but even so, they allow you to develop the most effective game strategies (for example, Martingale or a zigzag strategy). Based on this, gambling is now a mixture of skill, intelligence and luck, and not just pure luck.
How slots work
Slots are called familiar slot machines, which give a small chance to win money, which greatly adapts to the amount of the bet. They are classified according to many criteria. In a real physical casino, you can find two types of such machines: mechanical (the so-called one-armed bandits) and electronic (multiple variations of games with beautiful graphics and music). The former work thanks to the movement of the gears, and the latter, using electrical circuits. At the same time, not only machines with a rotating reel are called slots, but also, for example, pachinko – this is a kind of gambling pinball, especially popular in Asia.
Online gambling on slots works in different ways – it all depends on their type. They are divided, at least according to the principle of honesty:
- Licensed. They work at the facilities of the developers who provide the slots API to the site owners. When a player performs any actions with such a slot, the site owner cannot influence the outcome of the game in any way, and it makes no sense for a developer to make slots programmed for a permanent victory, since this will damage his reputation. In addition, developers already receive royalties from every spin. To put it simply, the licensed slots are based on a random number generator (RNG), which determines a player’s victory or loss. Of course, the outcome is influenced by several more parameters – in particular, RTP (the ratio of the probability of winning a gambler and a casino) and variance (a complex mathematical dilution of this probability over an indefinite number of games, thanks to which you can both hit the jackpot the first time and lose everything) money without receiving anything in return). Taken together, all this makes the licensed slots the most fair game. If you are afraid to dive into all this with your money and want to try gambling for free, then you can turn on the demo mode, which most licensed machines have. In it you will play for virtual money.
- Fake. In online casinos of dishonest owners, there are very often slot machines built into the code of the site itself, which strongly resemble popular slots. Often, they can only be determined by tracking the path of checksums leaving: in the case of licensed slots, they must go to the manufacturer’s website, and from there the answer should come. On fake slots, there is no exchange of information with the manufacturer, and the site owner is free to customize the slot at will. Naturally, there will be no honesty or randomness here: the owners almost always set the maximum RTP, which is why everyone loses absolutely always. However, such sites are quickly blocked by browser portals, so we recommend that you often look at the ratings of approved online casinos.
Popular games
Let’s take a look at the most popular slots among gamblers.
Hot spot
This is not a name for a specific game or slot, but a function inside the slot, which makes the gameplay more varied and a little more difficult. The essence of the hot spot is that a “hot spot” appears on one of the rows, when a certain combination of elements hits it (it is determined in each slot separately), all the elements on the screen turn into the same ones and thereby increase the amount of winnings. Such machines are especially well represented in the Vulkan casino.
Book of Ra
This is a very old, in a sense even legendary, Egyptian adventure-themed slot from Novomatic, which originally appeared in physical embodiment as a real slot machine, and later migrated to online. The machine consists of 5 slots and three lines. The most important of the possible cards to drop is the Book of Ra. If a row from it coincides, the player receives an especially large prize. What’s important: this is a completely free slot machine if you play from the demo mode.
Sizzling hot
A fruit-themed slot from the same Novomatic company, which is well known to players. It stands out with especially juicy colors and retro style. In the gameplay, it differs in the presence of scatters – these are special symbol cards that help to connect the same symbols at different levels. In addition, this machine has a risk stage, where you can win a much larger amount, but also lose absolutely everything with a high degree of probability. The most significant winnings can be obtained from combinations with the “7” sign.
Mega joker
This machine is very similar in style and mechanics to the previous one – they are almost identical. However, there is a joker sign (which is logical, judging by the name), which can replace any other sign except the scatter symbol (scatters). In addition, a combination of several jokers gives the highest winnings in this game. There is also a risk card game that increases the winnings: you need to guess the color of the card on which the dealer will stop during the party.
Classification of slot machines
In addition to the above classification according to the licensing criterion, slots are divided according to several more criteria.
By the criterion of involvement:
- Online slots – all the slots that we can find on the sites;
- Offline slots – machines that are located in real casinos;
By the criterion of the internal arrangement:
- Mechanical – the parts of such a gambling machine consist of many gears that rotate the drums;
- Video slots are a more modern and reliable version that contains a small computer inside. It is more difficult to deceive or programmed in advance.
To support modern technologies:
- Regular 2d flat screen slots in the hall or a monitor at home – depending on where you play.
- Slots with 3D VR glasses are a completely new experience. Now all big companies are trying to go beyond the usual screen boundaries – into virtual reality. Of course, these are technologies of the future, which cannot be expected to be widely disseminated in the near future.
Game providers
Providers are called online casino software manufacturers. They are the ones who issue licensed slots, transfer them to casino owners, receive deductions for each spin, and make sure that the winnings are distributed in the most random way. In addition to creating slots, the task of the provider is to constantly improve the RNG, and this is an extremely difficult task from a mathematical and programmatic point of view. Let’s name the 4 largest and most popular providers:
- Microgaming. It is a British company that is considered a pioneer in casino software. Has been working since 1994. Made such famous slots as Hotline and So Much Candy.
- AMATIC. This is a group of developers from Austria who founded the company back in 1993. Until 2011, they issued collateral for land-based machines, but then they started making online slots. The average value of RTP slots is 96%. In 2015, Casino Life & Business Magazine named this company the best casino software manufacturer.
- Evolition Gaming. This company is the absolute leader in the live dealer casino market. They have been creating online roulettes and card games with real croupiers for over 15 years, which fully lives up to their name. At the same time, the company’s activities are certified by eCOGRA – the most authoritative testing agency for casino software.
- Golden Race. This provider was founded in Malta in 2006 and specializes in the development of virtual sports betting software. He is certified by the International Gaming Laboratory (GLI) and is the developer of the first software package for online bookmaking.
Responsible casinos do not hide whose slots they use, so always pay attention to the information about the gaming provider. If it is not there, then, most likely, the slots on the site are fake, and you will 100% lose all your money on them. Even if such a site has free slot machines that provide a demo mode, this does not mean the reliability of the casino.
Casino card games
This type of games is in second place in popularity after slots and brings casinos about 15% of all income (for comparison: slots – about 70%). The lesser popularity of card games in comparison with slots is explained by their greater complexity and lower speed: cards make you think more, and games last much longer than several spins in a slot. However, this entertainment also has a lot of fans who usually gather on specialized sites (for example, PokerStars).
Poker: rules and combinations
Poker appeared about 5 centuries ago, having become the most popular card game in the United States and one of the most popular all over the world. Poker is somewhat similar to chess: the rules of these games can be learned very quickly, but you can hone your skills and train your thinking in this game for a lifetime. The elements of uncertainty, psychological influence and randomness combine to make this game incredibly attractive to gamblers. And it is important to note that we are talking about poker with live people, where there is a possibility of trade, and not about video poker. For live online play, there are special rooms with real croupiers from Evolution Gaming
General rules
The most basic rules, which hardly change depending on the type of poker, are as follows:
- from 2 to 10 people participate in the game;
- the goal of the game is either to convince all players to leave the game, or to collect the highest combination;
- players do not know each other’s cards, which greatly complicates the game due to intrigue and fear of underestimating the opponent’s combination;
- During the game, there are many opportunities for trading, during which the players, by their decisions, distribute their own bankrolls among each other.
Available actions
Popular terms that players use to describe their actions while playing poker and trading:
- bet – place a bet;
- raise – make a bet higher than the previous player (there are many types of raises);
- check – a pass, a desire not to add chips to the pot, but this does not apply to mandatory bets (blinds);
- call – equalization of the bet with opponents;
- fold – pass, refusal to play further;
- all-in – an all-in bet.
Poker combinations and types
Due to the huge popularity of poker all over the world, it has a lot of varieties. Let’s name the most popular of them:
- Texas Hold’em. This type of poker is considered the most popular in the world due to the optimal balance of information hidden and open to opponents.
- Razz. A type of inverted version of poker, where the goal is to collect the smallest combination of cards, which in this case is a straight of aces.
- Omaha Hi / Lo. The bottom line is that the bank is divided into two halves. To win the first half, you need to collect the largest combination, and to win the second – the smallest. If the player suddenly has both of these combinations, then he gets the whole bank. In this case, the game takes place in 4 rounds: preflop, flop, turn and river. This is a rather difficult option for beginners to master, and there are usually few people for this type online.
- Seven Card Stud. Here the rates are fixed and there are no community cards. After making a payment (ante), each player is given three cards, one of which is shown to opponents.
Poker combinations are a must for every beginner. This skill is necessary for a gambler, as the ability to recognize shoulder straps is necessary for a soldier.
Online Roulette
Playing online roulette is practically the same as playing a regular one. You will still need to independently choose and bet on a number or combination. However, you will do this on a computer, and the dealer will physically place all the bets for you. All types of roulettes can be played online, but most often American and European roulettes are held, since French is more difficult for beginners to understand because of the terminology in French.
European roulette is similar to French, but, firstly, all terms are in English, and secondly, unlike American roulette, there is only one zero and there is an opportunity for oral bets. American roulette assumes a stricter sequence of numbers, the absence of verbal information, special chips for placing bets, self-placing bets by players on the field (of course, the dealer will do this online) and a double zero marked in green on the roulette wheel.
Black jack
Blackjack is considered one of the simplest casino card games. The game does not require as much attention to opponents as in poker, and in addition, there is no such excitement. It is believed that blackjack was invented in Italy in the 15th century.
Rules
In general, the main goal of the game is to collect a higher value of cards than the dealer, but not more than 21.
The dealer will deal cards (face down in most varieties), including himself. The cards will be pre-shuffled with a bear, so no one will know the sequence. If the player manages to draw an ace and 10, then this will be called blackjack, and the player can immediately go for his winnings. In this case, the cards can be split, the bet can be doubled and, of course, you can fold. The most effective basic strategy is considered to be holding 17 points or so.
The meaning of the cards
The denomination of the cards in the game is formed as follows:
- cards with numbers: numbers = face value;
- cards without numbers – 10 points;
Ace is either 10 or 1. It all depends on the number of points: if they exceed 21, then the value of the ace will become 1 to avoid being exceeded.
Baccarat
This is an old game that, according to the most plausible version, originated around the 15th century in Italy. It is a relatively simple card game that has long been a favorite among noble circles. Now it is played in almost every casino.
Rules
The main goal of the game, which in modern casinos can be called rather a mini-baccarat, is to score the sum of points closest to 9. If the value of the combination grows more than 9, then the game can be considered lost. Bets on the game are accepted through the dealer before it starts. You can bet either on a player’s or a dealer’s win, or on a draw. At the same time, up to 14 people can participate, there can be up to 8 decks in the game
The meaning of the cards
The denomination in this game is determined simply:
- all cards with numbers from 2 to 9 are added;
- an ace counts as one point;
- pieces and tens do not count.
Phone gambling
You can install applications of entire casinos on your phone. As a rule, large casinos realize the importance of mobile traffic, so they release their own applications. For example, Casino-x has such an application. In it you can play slots, roulette, video poker and much more, as well as top up and withdraw money directly from your phone. In addition, we can recommend the Slots – Pharaoh’s Way app in Egyptian style, which is one slot in which you can choose to make real money by going somewhere.
If you want free gambling, you can either play in demo mode or say a casino simulator on your phone: let’s say, quite old, but still working and quite functional Fruit Machine Deluxe, which perfectly recreates the aesthetics of old mechanical machines. In addition, we recommend the PokerStars Poker app from the legendary poker community, where you can not only hone your analytical and intellectual skills on constant games, but also prepare hard for the championships.
Online casino: what to choose
The variety of casinos is huge, but among them there are many scam sites that create fake slots and lure newbies with free casino games in order to cheat them later. Sites with a good reputation should be looked for not in Google, but on specialized forum platforms: for example, Casino.com. But on our own behalf, we can also advise several reputable and long-running projects, where you can definitely start your journey as a beginner gambler:
- Slotica;
- All Right;
- Spinamba;
- Loki;
- Super Cat.
The most important thing is to look for a license. Many countries restrict casino activities, but in UK it is allowed. However, to be on the safe side, casino owners register companies, usually in the Caribbean or Cyprus. It is also important to take into account the withdrawal method: the bank can block the card if you often withdraw too much amount to it. As a rule, the site administration specifically makes restrictions on € 100-150 for withdrawals per day – in addition, this has a positive effect on the security of the wallet.
Types of casinos
It’s tedious to understand that, in principle, a casino is divided according to work either in the real world or in the virtual one. It is much more difficult and more expensive to work live: special economic zones and a lot of documents are required, so more and more casinos open on the Internet, and are registered in free territories. To begin with, we would divide online casinos into several more categories according to their specialization with examples:
- Dominated by live games – All Right.
- Focus on bookmaking – Slottica.
- The predominance of board and card games is Loki.
- Versatility, a little bit of everything – Spinamba.
Real casinos are usually subdivided into:
- Closed. As a rule, these are private clubs intended for the elite or tournaments. For example, these clubs are often rented by the PokerStars community.
- Public. Any person can get into them without any special restrictions.
- Migrating. They do not have their own building, so they constantly rent new ones. Most often, this problem is associated with the economic model of the casino and legislative complexities.
Types of casino bonuses
The bulk of bonuses in a casino are introductory gifts, which then still have to be “worked out”. Casinos usually offer as an introductory bonus:
- free spins;
- deposit interest;
- internal points for the level system;
- cashback for lost amounts;
- bonus for choosing the preferred payment method for the casino.
Almost all of these bonuses need to be wagered. For them, the so-called wagers are installed – this is the number of times that you need to spend the amount in order for your account to receive a bonus (bonus € 20, wager x20: you need to spend € 400). Bonuses come to the personal account along with the conditions, and the player himself decides whether to activate them, because often it is very long and costly to fulfill them. At the same time, the time is almost always limited to 1-2 months. On the other hand, in this way you can get free slot machines in the casino for a short while, as long as you have free spins (free spins).
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