History of Table Games

Hello everyone,

Recently I came to the conclusion that games that are resolved automatically (i.e. no strategy involved) are becoming popular again; Bubble Craps, Face-Up Pai Gow Poker, Niu Niu, Dragon Tiger, and especially Baccarat. Even the casino game most known for strategy: Blackjack is getting new variations like Easy Blackjack (online) and Breakout Blackjack which let you bet on the Dealer rather than the Player. Of course people are still making new games with strategy, this is just my observation about the direction of table games right now.

Another notable, ongoing trend is the rise of progressive jackpots. I have heard from dealers that players are increasingly "greedy" in wanting to have very high potential payouts (even at the cost of house edge).

Sometime in the 1990s/early 2000s, there was a proliferation of poker-based casino games, which I imagine could be connected to the rise of Texas Hold'Em around the same time.

Before that there wasn't the internet and I also haven't been old enough to gamble for the majority of this forum's existence so it's hard for me to identify any other trends in table games history. But maybe you can, I was wondering if there were any other interesting trends in the history of modern table games that anyone has observed?

Some other questions:

Where/when were side bets first appear?
Are there any games that used to be widespread but have vanished into history?
What trends do you predict for the future?

What you observed is an American thing. Let players around different continents also express themselves.

Quote: harris

Where/when were side bets first appear?

Define "side bets." Technically, every bet in craps except pass and don't pass is a "side bet." After all, that's all what street craps is - the shooter bets pass, and everyone else bets don't.

Quote: harris

Are there any games that used to be widespread but have vanished into history?

In my opinion, the obvious answer to this is chuck-a-luck, even though it is a side bet in Sic Bo now.
Panguingue (usually shortened to "Pan") used to be quite popular in poker rooms, at least through the mid-80s, but it has pretty much disappeared.

I guess I should have asked when Baccarat side bets (not Player Banker or Tie) and Blackjack side bets first appeared and first became popular.

I assume that Let It Ride and Three Card Poker always had side bets? Or am I wrong

I believe the future of table games is face-up. We are going to have face-up Pai Gow, face-up ultimate Texas Hold’em, face-up blackjack, face-up Baccarat…

Quote: harris

...Are there any games that used to be widespread but have vanished into history?...

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Faro. There may have been more of that played in the Old West than poker.

I've heard it could be found in Reno as late as the 1980s.

I was more thinking of table games than other gambling games - but on that note, other than 5-card draw and 5-card stud (which I already knew about), are there any poker varieties which used to be very popular?

There is a traditional game called Kvitlech that I would like to help revitalize. It was traditionally played by Galitzianer Ashkenazim and it's similar to blackjack.
It might be extinct and I don't know the full rules because the only complete document on rules I found is on Hebrew Wikipedia - maybe a family member can help me translate it before this Hanukkah (when the game is traditionally played).

For blackjack, the insurance sidebet which has been around for a long time. Other old sidebets include Over/Under 13, one of the oldest, dating from the 1980's: see https://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/side-bets/over-under-13/

This O/U 13 sidebet has nearly gone extinct, as it is very susceptible to counting.

Another oldie is the Royal Match: https://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/side-bets/royal-match/

Dog Hand

Interest in poker (Texas Hold'em) exploded in 2005 when they started showing the face down hole cards when televising the WSOP and complete amateur Chris Moneymaker won the multi-million dollar Main Event.

Before Texas Hold'em Seven card Stud was very populkar in casinos.

I lived in California during the 1980s when Low Poker Games were a loop-hole around the law which forbid poker games that were won by the highest poker hand. The most popular game was Triple Draw 5 card stud (5-low)

Does anyone know when insurance or even money originated in blackjack?

Were blackjack rules different historically? I imagine resplitting and hitting on aces was originally allowed though I could be wrong

Quote: harris

Does anyone know when insurance or even money originated in blackjack?

Were blackjack rules different historically? I imagine resplitting and hitting on aces was originally allowed, though I could be wrong
link to original post

Scarne wrote a decent history of BJ in his big book. I know the rules changed after Beat the Dealer came out, but I'm not certain what they were previously.

Quote: gordonm888

Interest in poker (Texas Hold'em) exploded in 2005 when they started showing the face down hole cards when televising the WSOP and complete amateur Chris Moneymaker won the multi-million dollar Main Event.

Before Texas Hold'em Seven card Stud was very populkar in casinos.

I lived in California during the 1980s when Low Poker Games were a loop-hole around the law which forbid poker games that were won by the highest poker hand. The most popular game was Triple Draw 5 card stud (5-low)
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When I moved to Vegas in 1990 all casinos with poker ran seven card stud games. You could only fine Hold'em at a few of the biggest casinos and it wasn't very popular.

Quote: harris

I guess I should have asked when Baccarat side bets (not Player Banker or Tie) and Blackjack side bets first appeared and first became popular.

I assume that Let It Ride and Three Card Poker always had side bets? Or am I wrong
link to original post

I was under the impression that commission-free mini-bacc brought on the sidebets, so people could bet on the "special case" that would make a non-win into a win.

Quote: Dieter

Quote: harris

I guess I should have asked when Baccarat side bets (not Player Banker or Tie) and Blackjack side bets first appeared and first became popular.

I assume that Let It Ride and Three Card Poker always had side bets? Or am I wrong
link to original post

I was under the impression that commission-free mini-bacc brought on the sidebets, so people could bet on the "special case" that would make a non-win into a win.
link to original post

Oh no egalite sidebets have been around for a long time, way longer than the dragon. More of a European thing though, I believe.

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Quote: Dieter

Quote: harris

I guess I should have asked when Baccarat side bets (not Player Banker or Tie) and Blackjack side bets first appeared and first became popular.

I assume that Let It Ride and Three Card Poker always had side bets? Or am I wrong
link to original post

I was under the impression that commission-free mini-bacc brought on the sidebets, so people could bet on the "special case" that would make a non-win into a win.
link to original post

Oh no egalite sidebets have been around for a long time, way longer than the dragon. More of a European thing though, I believe.
link to original post

I believe "not Tie" was specified, and what is egalite if not a tie?

The Blackjack Over-Under bet is worth some review. I thought that was early or mid 1980's, but I don't have a handy way to confirm with any certainty.