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History of Casino Chips

Casino chips are one of the most iconic and recognisable items relating to casinos, although their existence came centuries after the first recorded casino even opened. Today there are two different types of chips you can find, the casino chips you find in the brick and mortar casinos and their plastic counterpart that is usually part of a home casino kit from a shop. The future of casino chips is not clear as online casinos become more popular, replacing the need for physical casino chips.

The first casino was the “Riditto” casino and it was opened in Venice back in the 17th century as the first legal gambling venue, although gamblers would use cash for nearly 200 years when playing casino games. The “Gold Rush” in the American West saw prospectors begin to use odd bits of silver and gold as replacements for cash, but with this came more problems. As poker became increasingly popular and widespread in gambling halls and saloons, paying out winnings became more confusing. It was at this point that the gambling establishments began to use pieces of bone or ivory as tokens as a more uniform token to bet with, making it easier to calculate winnings.

Unfortunately due to the use of more common materials like bone and ivory, problems had begun to arise in the gambling establishments as it was easy for people to create forgeries. In order to prevent people from creating replicas, the chips that were used started to become branded, which allowed them to be distinguished from the fakes.

It was in the 1880s that a whole new industry was born as manufacturers began to produce the standardised circular casino chip that is similar to today’s version. The early versions were clay composite chips that were compressed with shellac, chalk or sand and were used up until the 1930s. Eventually colours were incorporated into the chips to allow for different values to be easily distinguished from one another, making it easier to understand how much the players are betting on each round.

Since then the casino chips have become more modern, with the composition being made up from many different materials, usually compressed with clay. As casinos have become more prominent and become more branded, as have the casino chips, with each casino usually having their brand on their chips. The chips have also become more technologically advanced as they are likely to contain something that allows the casino identify them as one of theirs. Such identification includes the use of microchips and serial numbers and this has made them far harder to replicate and forge, so much so that they are harder to forge than official currencies.

Although most commonly associated with games of poker, casino chips can also be used in casinos for games like blackjack and roulette. The colour denominations for the different chips helps the croupier to quickly work out how much has been bet and how much needs to be paid out.

With online casinos becoming more popular, only time will tell if brick and mortar casinos with their iconic casino chips can survive.

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Fun Facts about Poker

 
poker tableHave you ever sat at a poker table with a whole host of people and while the excitement and tension is there, but there is a notable silence across the table? Well, if you haven’t been in that situation, you are either extremely lucky or you haven’t sat at many poker tables, and we suspect it is the former. Whether it be a live poker tournament, an online casino, the spoken word or the chat bar, the noticeable air of silence exists. Even if you opt for reliable poker rooms, it’s always good to have some in-depth knowledge about the game before you play. To break any future silences, here are some fun facts about your favourite card game that will at the very least, hopefully prove to start some conversation across the table!

Fact #1

Every country plays a different game of poker. If you are keen on playing your cards and travelling the world, then you will eventually learn over 100 different poker variants from different continents and cultures.

Fact #2

Surprisingly, the oldest person who has ever won a World Series of Poker event had a vast amount of experience, at the grand age of 80. The player was as long as 200/1 to win the event before it began but he managed to defy the odds and the age gap to win the jackpot at the event.

Fact #3

Poker is not just a hit to the public, but to their bank accounts. In the US alone, the average person plays online poker to the point that they spend $775 a month out of their own pockets due to their affliction with the game. Whether they win or lose, that’s a different story.

Fact #4

This one is sure to be a debate-starter at your tables. The likelihood of you winning and succeeding at poker is not through your own exceptional play, but through the mistakes of your opponents. Brilliant play can only get you so far, but not only is forcing your opponents into a false move more satisfactory, it is also more rewarding, as a mistake warrants confidence in the first place.

Fact #5

One of the more stranger facts about the game of poker is that ex-US President Richard Nixon actually created his own funding for his very first presidential campaign, by winning none other than a poker game with his naval friends. Nixon won $6 million which and in turn he then used the winnings to fund his campaign. It is also believed that the trend continues in today’s leadership, as current US president Barack Obama is thought to enjoy an occasional game of cards himself.

So, how many did you know yourself? Chances are, if you didn’t know all of those facts listed, then your table rivals are unlikely to either. So, next time there is an eerie silence crossing your poker table, waste no time in dazzling your opponents with your poker knowledge. Who knows, you may get them thinking to the point they make some mistakes with their chips.

Photo Credit: frozenchipmunk

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A Quick Guide To Online Freeroll Poker Tournaments

Entering a freeroll online poker tournament constitutes an excellent opportunity for both the seasoned players and the intermediated level ones. Freeroll tournaments do not involve participation fees for the players because the prizes derive mainly from the online casino’s donations, admission fees for the spectators, broadcasting rights for the major televised events or all of these sources put together.

In other words, the freeroll tournament is as safe as it gets, because the poker player does not use his own money. However, entrance to these freeroll poker online tournaments requires an invitation from the casino and the selection criteria for the participants varies from one establishment to another.

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