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If human society could have been created as a social experiment, it's unlikely that anyone would have thought to include in its traditions small pieces of paper adorned with drawn symbols. Nevertheless, humanity did just that on its own.

Playing cards have come a long way from totemic tablets predicting the will of the gods and being a pastime for the lower classes, to electronic poker and a multi-billion pound business in global entertainment centres.

Here, judge for yourselves. Take a look at https://casino-sistersite.co.uk/. In a world where new casino reviews pop up daily, it's hard to imagine a priestess from the First Kingdom laying out clay tablets on the banks of the Nile to find out if the next harvest will be at least half as bountiful. Or a peasant in Sun's Nanjing, losing his last goat in the market. Yet, all these people and events are linked in the endless chain of humanity's gambling history.

What is the secret behind the popularity of card games and the significance of casinos as their centres of dissemination?

Let's turn to the origins.

The origin of card games

Playing cards have everything they need to become humanity's most popular form of entertainment: they're affordable, the rules are simple, and you can play practically anywhere. Most importantly, there's a magical blend of strict mathematical calculation and the strategies and tactics based on it, along with a significant element of luck.

Who indeed invented the world's first card games. The origins of modern card games trace back to China during the Tang dynasty around the 9th century. Initially, these games were played with hand-painted cards and gradually spread to the Middle East and Europe. Each culture adapted the games to its own traditions, leading to a multitude of different card games known to us today. Around the 14th century CE, the first mentions of card games, such as "Tarot" and "Naib", appeared in Europe. It seems that the carriers of these were the Saracens from North Africa. And it is to them we owe the kings in Asian attire and the combinations of Arabic numerals and geometric shapes.

One way or another, the earliest and simplest games were those based on counting values, from which blackjack evolved, and their combinations, which we know in the various forms of poker.

The evolution of casinos

Playing cards has always been a pastime across all levels of society, from the lower classes to the upper echelons. The fate of kingdoms and their subjects was sometimes decided over a card table. Not to mention resolving disputes through brawls, duels, or even military actions. This necessitated the regulation of gambling activities. And, naturally, the collection of taxes on winnings.

Therefore, from taverns, card games moved to specially opened establishments. In 1638, the first official casino, "Ridotto," opened in Venice, and this moment is considered the beginning of the gambling industry.

The influence and cultural significance of gambling

Card games have undoubtedly had a profound impact on popular culture. The blend of strategy and mystique, along with the stories behind each win or loss, has inspired generations of writers, poets, and directors. Card games have featured in literature for almost a thousand years – from Boccaccio's "The Decameron" to Guy Ritchie's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". Detailed accounts of gambling houses of the past have been left to us by Stefan Zweig and Fyodor Dostoevsky. Moreover, the description of a poker game in Ian Fleming's "Casino Royale" has now become exemplary. These cultural phenomena have endowed card games and various incarnations of casinos with a sacred aura, which to a large extent neutralizes the negative perception some parts of society have towards gambling in general.

Cultural decriminalisation of card games

Naturally, with such a cultural "lobby", card games couldn't be banned for long. Nevertheless, they were banned many times. In 1873, Europe once again banned gambling and casinos, leaving Monaco as a loophole for gamblers. In the USA, Las Vegas and Atlantic City remain such "paradises" to this day. But no measure could curb people's craving for gambling. Compromises had to be made.

Initially, commercial games requiring skill and a sharp mind, such as preference, bridge, whist, and others, were decriminalised. Then, with the emergence and development of the World Wide Web, it became possible to establish casinos beyond geographical jurisdictions. This led to the formation of a range of "legal" gambling games: poker, blackjack, baccarat, and so on.

And if in the first category official tournaments began to be held, with bridge even becoming a recognised sport, then the second became a staple of casinos, both physical and virtual. Thanks to card games emerging from the shadows, society keeps track of the successes and failures of players, who often become the subjects of headlines in global media.

The biggest wins and losses in card games

If we set aside tales of won kingdoms and lost wars, which are largely fictional legends, humanity has accurate data on the achievements of players.

● In the early 2010s, Donald Johnson studied the game of blackjack and within six months, he beat three casinos out of $15 million.
● In 2023, Antonio Esfandiari won $18 million at a poker tournament, and this record remains unsurpassed to this day.

Even the stars of the global film industry are not averse to a game of cards.

● Ben Affleck, who played Batman, enjoys playing poker but isn't particularly lucky at it. In 2020, he even made headlines as the most unsuccessful card player, having lost $649,000.
● Tobey Maguire, known for his role as Spider-Man, won $36 million over three years in the 2010s by participating in tournaments. How much he lost, however, the actor keeps a secret.

Being a celebrity doesn't guarantee a win. Here's a provisional ranking of celebrities who are unlucky at card games:

● Charlie Sheen has left a total of around 2.5 million at the card table.
● In the 1990s, Michael Jordan lost around 1.5 million dollars in just one evening.
● Pamela Anderson once lost 250,000 dollars.

But even the losses of others do not diminish the interest in playing cards at the casino, nor do they lessen the desire to try one's luck.

The eternal call of excitement

Over thousands of years, card games have come a long way from marble tables in imperial palaces to memory slots in virtual casinos, but the driving force behind this journey has been people's desire to test their fate and win.

Envisioning the future of card games in casinos, one might indulge in the fantasy that someday human consciousness will evolve to such an extent that games will become legal and the need for casinos will disappear. However, everyone understands that this is unlikely to happen. What will the casinos of the future look like? Will they be palaces of shining lights made of glass and concrete, or a virtual reality generated by a chip implanted in the optic nerve? Probably both. This is because people's craving for the thrilling sensations provided by gambling is indomitable.

The rules will change in accordance with the laws of future societies, as will the types of games and forms of casinos, but the main thing - the urge to play and the desire to win, will remain with humanity forever.

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