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The Southern Roots of Poker

Originating in the south and predating the American Civil War, the game of poker began as a modest version of the game that is enjoyed today. Played with just 20 cards, the combinations for a winning hand were limited as were the number of participants. There was no draw with the deck being evenly dealt to just four players.

Earliest indications have poker first being played in the early 1800’s. Mississippi riverboat steamers with their saloons for gambling were the birthplace of this notorious pastime. Within a few decades, decks containing 52 cards were becoming more widely used, giving the players added options for bidding and allowing more gamblers per game.

Hoyle’s Games first lists poker as a card game in 1845, but without the draw that would emerge from the English game of Brag. It took England until at least the mid 1800’s to experiment with American poker. The introduction of the larger deck along with player’s ability to draw more cards added a second betting dimension and changed poker from a game of chance to one of skill.

The Roots of Roulette

Roulette, a french word that translates as “little wheel”, is a popular casino game in which players are to place bets upon the chance of colors, numbers, or number values to be picked by a ball set in motion over a slotted, spinning wheel. Since its creation, this game has seen several iterations and design changes, resulting in a casino game which has been popularized in two distinct fashions.

Initially introduced in the 17th century by Blaise Pascal, roulette is believed to be a derivative of several other English, Italian, and French games. These games are thought to include the English games Ace of Hearts, E.O., Reiner, Roly Poly, the Italian games Hoca and Biribi, and an older French board game, the namesake of the casino game, Roulette. The earliest description of any game resembling the roulette of today comes from the late 18th century, and it can be found within the French novel, La Roulette, ou le Jour, by Jaques Lablee. The two most common forms today’s roulette are the American and French styles.

The American styled roulette developed from the older French double zero wheel. It was introduced from New Orleans via the Mississippi River during the 19th Century. It then spread westward through the many gambling dens found throughout the new territories and grew in popularity. As it became more popular, the rules of the game shifted slightly in order to make the game simpler and more fast paced, eventually resulting in the game known today.

The French styled roulette stems from the single zero roulette wheel created by Francois and Louis Blanc in the mid 19th Century. Originally created for the German spa town, Homburg, this style of roulette became popular when it spread into Monte Carlo after gambling bans were set across Europe.