History of Table Games
June 2nd, 2026 at 7:30:08 AM
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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?
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?
June 2nd, 2026 at 7:42:27 AM
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What you observed is an American thing. Let players around different continents also express themselves.
June 2nd, 2026 at 7:56:03 AM
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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: harrisWhere/when were side bets first appear?
In my opinion, the obvious answer to this is chuck-a-luck, even though it is a side bet in Sic Bo now.Quote: harrisAre there any games that used to be widespread but have vanished into history?
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.
June 2nd, 2026 at 8:01:43 AM
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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 assume that Let It Ride and Three Card Poker always had side bets? Or am I wrong
June 2nd, 2026 at 8:11:41 AM
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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…
June 2nd, 2026 at 9:40:53 AM
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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.
June 2nd, 2026 at 10:00:00 AM
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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).
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).
June 2nd, 2026 at 10:35:50 AM
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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
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
June 2nd, 2026 at 10:45:02 AM
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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)
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)
So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.
June 2nd, 2026 at 11:33:52 AM
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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
Were blackjack rules different historically? I imagine resplitting and hitting on aces was originally allowed though I could be wrong
June 2nd, 2026 at 12:42:12 PM
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Quote: harrisDoes 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
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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.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
June 2nd, 2026 at 1:27:00 PM
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Quote: gordonm888Interest 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.
You can't know everything, but you can know anything.
June 2nd, 2026 at 1:38:31 PM
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Quote: harrisI 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.
May the cards fall in your favor.
June 2nd, 2026 at 2:13:58 PM
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Quote: DieterQuote: harrisI 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.
June 2nd, 2026 at 2:58:50 PM
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Quote: AutomaticMonkeyQuote: DieterQuote: harrisI 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.
May the cards fall in your favor.
June 2nd, 2026 at 4:55:00 PM
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Quote: DieterQuote: AutomaticMonkeyQuote: DieterQuote: harrisI 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?...
link to original post
A specific tie.
June 7th, 2026 at 8:16:10 AM
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Quote: harrisSome other questions:
Where/when were side bets first appear?
The earliest I am aware of is the over/under 13. As I recall, they had this at the Vegas World casino in the 1980's. The side bet on a blackjack, paying 17-1, has been at the Cal Neva in Reno for as long as I can remember.
Quote: harrisAre there any games that used to be widespread but have vanished into history?
Faro. Also Chuck-a-luck, although it could be argued that is the same game as Sic Bo, which is popular in Macau.
Quote: harrisWhat trends do you predict for the future?
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Good question. There isn't much incentive to create new table games any longer since it's extremely difficult to get a patent. I predict an era of laziness in table games where casinos stick to what we already see now.
"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplace of existence. These little problems help me to do so." -- Sherlock Holmes
June 7th, 2026 at 1:12:23 PM
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Quote:There isn't much incentive to create new table games any longer since it's extremely difficult to get a patent. I predict an era of laziness in table games where casinos stick to what we already see now.
link to original post
I really hope this isn’t true. Double Down Madness’ recent popularity gives me hope that new games can still become widespread. I think it’s possible that blackjack varieties might have set lifespans..: even though blackjack switch is great it got replaced by free bet which is fun but now competing with double down madness which I’m sure will compete with some new variety in the future. I think that blackjack players are smarter than the players or other games on average, and therefore need new varieties to keep them interested. Just a hypothesis though.
I think making new side bets for existing games could also be a new direction for table games inventors, especially as casinos seek to gain house edge on slow games like baccarat and Pai Gow (tiles or poker)
Another example of a fairly successful new game is 3 Shot Poker which has entered many casinos despite the mass proliferation of poker-based table games
June 7th, 2026 at 2:23:04 PM
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I actually found a new trend in table games, that is, the integration of electronic card recognition with onscreen display. Many complicated dealer strategies have been stored in a little screen on a game table.
June 7th, 2026 at 2:57:13 PM
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Quote: harrisQuote:There isn't much incentive to create new table games any longer since it's extremely difficult to get a patent. I predict an era of laziness in table games where casinos stick to what we already see now.
link to original post
I really hope this isn’t true. Double Down Madness’ recent popularity gives me hope that new games can still become widespread. I think it’s possible that blackjack varieties might have set lifespans..: even though blackjack switch is great it got replaced by free bet which is fun but now competing with double down madness which I’m sure will compete with some new variety in the future. I think that blackjack players are smarter than the players or other games on average, and therefore need new varieties to keep them interested. Just a hypothesis though.
I think making new side bets for existing games could also be a new direction for table games inventors, especially as casinos seek to gain house edge on slow games like baccarat and Pai Gow (tiles or poker)
Another example of a fairly successful new game is 3 Shot Poker which has entered many casinos despite the mass proliferation of poker-based table games
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If you want to apply history to it, why limit it to table games and not games in general?
Popular games have always been social events as well, and that's one thing online gaming can't do, is be a social event. So let's invent some casino games that are more social! People are craving in-person interaction these days.
I have an idea for Nika Blackjack. You have a big round blackjack table with 4 sections and 4 dealers, color coded in Green, White, Red and Blue. Those are the colors and team names. The teams are playing against each other, and the one that does best over a period of time wins a bonus, as does their dealer. This will incentivize dealers who do their job well, and players to play well, and find other players who play well. Totally social!
There could be Nika versions of almost any other game too. Nika Baccarat would play well, and Nika Craps possibly the best of all because players already do consider that social and having teamwork.
Why "Nika?" That was a cheer used in great Constantinople at chariot races, and the racing teams had "racing nations," denoted by those 4 colors, just like NASCAR teams and drivers do now. Apparently this is something that comes naturally to the men of Western civilization. And those teams inspired great loyalty and enthusiasm that spread into other aspects of Byzantine society as well, until the politicians decided the racing nations were too powerful for them, exaggerated the threat they posed due to a few celebratory riots, and slaughtered them all in 532 AD. And in victory or in death we can join them! I think such games would totally revitalize casinos and table gaming- familiar games, just the way we play them and keep score is different.
June 7th, 2026 at 3:33:47 PM
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Quote: acesideI actually found a new trend in table games, that is, the integration of electronic card recognition with onscreen display. Many complicated dealer strategies have been stored in a little screen on a game table.
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Is this used at many casinos? I’ve only heard of it for Pai Gow Poker, I think it would be better for tiles.
June 7th, 2026 at 3:35:31 PM
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I think your idea is flawed because having four dealers assigned to a game is a lot (Craps is an exception) and having players play against each other directly would cause fights.
June 7th, 2026 at 5:01:47 PM
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Quote: harrisI think your idea is flawed because having four dealers assigned to a game is a lot (Craps is an exception) and having players play against each other directly would cause fights.
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Maybe I wasn't clear about the configuration. Think of it as like a pit with 4 tables. Same dealers/players per game; the only difference is there's competition between the different tables in the pit.
And as far as fights- you say that like it's a bad thing! Ever been to a Yankees-Red Sox game at the Stadium? You'll see fights going on someplace every inning, and (with the possible exception of the Nika chariot race teams) that's the most successful sports rivalry in history. The Stadium is full for every one of those games. I myself have indulged in the festivities, exchanging belligerence with those backwards and benighted Red Sox fans, summoning the fury and the glory of Yankee greats in history, and both sides enjoyed it! People usually don't die in such events and when they do, what better way to die than fighting for what you believe in?
In this "kid tested, mother approved" society we have unwisely generated, men still go to casinos to engage in the vices of men. Trying to sanitize it and make every part of the experience suitable for mixed company is a failed experiment. Time to break out the hard liquor, cigars and cuspidors, bring back the bawdy girls, and allow for some experiences that are a little dangerous, edgy and aggressive, and that provide us with something worth fighting for and all the positive things that come with that.
June 7th, 2026 at 5:48:42 PM
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Quote: Wizard.
Quote: harrisWhat trends do you predict for the future?
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Good question. There isn't much incentive to create new table games any longer since it's extremely difficult to get a patent. I predict an era of laziness in table games where casinos stick to what we already see now.
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What about protecting via copyright?
My goal of being well informed conflicts with my goal of remaining sane.
June 7th, 2026 at 5:55:34 PM
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Quote: TumblingBones
What about protecting via copyright?
In believe that in 2016 it was ruled (in the USA) that you cannot copyright game mechanics
June 7th, 2026 at 5:58:16 PM
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Quote: AutomaticMonkeyMaybe I wasn't clear about the configuration. Think of it as like a pit with 4 tables. Same dealers/players per game; the only difference is there's competition between the different tables in the pit.
That confuses me more lol. I think people want to compete against the casino more than against strangers.
Quote:And as far as fights- you say that like it's a bad thing!
Yeah it's bad for the casino security for liability reasons, and the safety and wellbeing of players.
Quote:In this "kid tested, mother approved" society we have unwisely generated, men still go to casinos to engage in the vices of men.
Women increasingly gamble. Also casinos are trying to convince society that they do not encourage other problems like alcoholism and violence.
June 7th, 2026 at 7:00:19 PM
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Quote: harrisQuote: AutomaticMonkeyMaybe I wasn't clear about the configuration. Think of it as like a pit with 4 tables. Same dealers/players per game; the only difference is there's competition between the different tables in the pit.
That confuses me more lol. I think people want to compete against the casino more than against strangers.Quote:And as far as fights- you say that like it's a bad thing!
Yeah it's bad for the casino security for liability reasons, and the safety and wellbeing of players.Quote:In this "kid tested, mother approved" society we have unwisely generated, men still go to casinos to engage in the vices of men.
Women increasingly gamble. Also casinos are trying to convince society that they do not encourage other problems like alcoholism and violence.
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I think you've done an excellent analysis of where it all went off the rails, and why once vibrant and prosperous casinos have turned into depressing little slot parlors.
Sure, women increasingly gamble- as old ladies dumping their Social Security into slot machines. Is that what we really want? Does that have social, artistic, psychological or economic benefit for society? Does anybody here want to be that, or spend their recreational time among that?
The most overrated thing there is: safety. In practical terms in modern society, safety equates to a promise of deliverance from your fears, but fears you might not have even had until somebody told you that you should.
Nobody goes to a casino, a word and an institution that is synonymous with risk-taking, looking for safety. That's where they got it all wrong. Nobody thought they were going to a church or a day care center. Too clean, too feminized, and we're treated like an upper-middle class helicopter mother treats her kid in order to make him neurotic.
I'm not saying there should be fists and bottles flying every night, always thick smoke and loud cursing, guys drinking til they pass out, pulling random girls onto their laps. Just when those things never happen I feel like I am in a curated experience, curated by someone who may not share my values, and not the kind of make-your-own-adventure that Vegas used to be.
June 8th, 2026 at 5:18:28 AM
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Quote: harrisQuote: acesideI actually found a new trend in table games, that is, the integration of electronic card recognition with onscreen display. Many complicated dealer strategies have been stored in a little screen on a game table.
link to original post
Is this used at many casinos? I’ve only heard of it for Pai Gow Poker, I think it would be better for tiles.
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I only saw electronic card scanners/strategy being used on Pai Gow poker. But it can easily be used on ultimate Texas Hold’em to reduce dealer work/mistakes. It can also be equipped on a blackjack table, for example, as a button for any player to check for basic strategy at any moment.
June 8th, 2026 at 9:23:53 AM
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I vaguely remember card scanning to show the house way for Asia Poker at Palace Station back in the mid-2010s.
Another game that I really loved that’s gone extinct!
Another game that I really loved that’s gone extinct!
June 8th, 2026 at 9:32:18 AM
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I’m 99% sure it still exists in Atlantic City
June 8th, 2026 at 4:09:25 PM
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Oh cool!
I saw Asia Poker only at Palace Station in Las Vegas, so I figured it’s an obscure game.
Looks as if rules for it are posted on the Atlantic City and Tampa websites for the Hard Rock Casino.
Thanks for the info!
I saw Asia Poker only at Palace Station in Las Vegas, so I figured it’s an obscure game.
Looks as if rules for it are posted on the Atlantic City and Tampa websites for the Hard Rock Casino.
Thanks for the info!
June 10th, 2026 at 12:34:10 PM
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Asia Poker also appears to be at the Barona casino in San Diego
June 10th, 2026 at 5:24:52 PM
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Harris, The Las Vegas advisor has an article about the insurance bet in blackjack and when it was first introduced.
Happy days are here again
June 10th, 2026 at 9:53:32 PM
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The article says “we must assume that insurance appeared in Nevada sometime between 1957 and 1962.”
June 10th, 2026 at 10:10:20 PM
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There are articles about blackjack rule changes in the April 3,1964 and June 27, 1966 editions of the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Search for “blackjack insurance” on newspapers.com — unfortunately, I’ve used up my free trial.
Search for “blackjack insurance” on newspapers.com — unfortunately, I’ve used up my free trial.
