Gambling is one of the most popular pastimes around the world. Most countries all around the world, even the ones where gambling is illegal, have at least one region, or city where gambling is allowed, and when that is the case, that region is the biggest, or one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country. An example of this is the famous Macau Region, which is the biggest gambling destinations in the world, and one of the biggest tourist destinations in China.
The massive popularity of gambling worldwide, has of course led to all sorts of innovations in the casino world. The most popular innovation currently, is the advent of online casinos. Since the early late 20th century, the idea of online casinos has been present in people’s minds, and at the start of the 21st century, this idea became a reality. Since then, online casinos have becoming a massive success. Nowadays people can play their favorite online casino games at this site.
Almost everyone, whether a fan of gambling or not, is familiar with the classic casino games. Poker, Blackjack, roulette, etc. But due to the popularity of gambling all over the world, many different variations on popular games, or even original games have developed and have become popular in casinos outside the United States. In this article we will take a look at a few region specific gambling games, which aren’t often associated with casinos, or even gambling.
Pontoon
Pontoon is a game similar to Blackjack, commonly played in the UK, and the British Commonwealth, though variations of it exist in Malaysia and Australia. Like in Blackjack, the goal of Pontoon is to defeat the dealer’s hand, without exceeding the value of 21. In Pontoon, the Ace is worth either a 1 or an 11 (the player decides), the pip cards are worth their number, and the court cards are worth a 10.
Pontoon is descended from the 18th century French game, Vingt-un, which is also the predecessor for Spanish 21, and Blackjack, making Pontoon easy to learn for players of those two games.
Sic bo
Other noteworthy games such as and casino pokies online factor in too, bit in terms of Asian, widely popular in China, and Chinese casinos, Sic bo is a dice game of chance, often compared to Craps. The game is played with three dice. Players make bets on the board, which is divided into several named fields. The dealer than rolls the dice and reveals the winning combination.
In the western world, variants of Sic bo exist as Grand Hazard and chuck-a-luck, and in the Philippines the game is known as hi-lo.
Pachinko
First on the list, is pachinko, a game very popular in Japan, and often not associated with gambling at all. The history of pachinko is, in fact, intertwined with the history of gambling in Japan, as it served to circumvent the harsh laws which prohibited gambling. Gameplay-wise, pachinko is a mix of the classic casino game Slots, and pinball. Metal balls are shot with a spring throughout the machine, and a prize is won depending on where they land, or how many. Pachinko is a staple game in all Japanese arcades, as well as a staple of Japanese casinos.