Before you jump into specifics, we decided that it would be better to give you the option to jump on the preferred subject. Use the below-situated navigation if you want to save some time, but don’t forget that you may miss some crucial details. However, you can always come back and refresh your memory.
Asian Gambling Games – The Beginning
Gambling has been around for roughly 5000 years. It is known that first, people started betting on fights and races between humans or animals. Ancient civilisations like Egypt, Rome, Greece, or Babylon mainly used gambling and wine to entertain their worshipers. After all, the Colosseum in Rome is one of the most outstanding architectural achievements of its time.
Yes, but when did the Asian gambling games appear? Historians say that the first known to humanity gambling game was called Astragali, and it was widespread around 3000 BC in Mesopotamia. This is considered the first dice game in history. Talus bones of animals were used because they could be shaped in a cube with six sides. It is known that different fortune-tellers and shamans used such to predict the future too.
The next Asian gambling game appears to be the Chinese Pai Gow tiles, which lays in the foundation of Domino and other games. Keno is another Chinese gambling game that appeared in the same period. Some say it is the first form of lottery. Here you can find more about the lottery history.
Another important fact that we cannot miss mentioning is that in Asia, more specifically in China, were invented the first cards, which later spread all around the globe. In fact, China used the cards for keno which financed the Great Chinese Wall.
When speaking of gambling history in Asia, we must tell you that China is not the only country that practised gambling. It is known that in India, the first gambling game became popular in 1700 BC, and it was similar to the above-mentioned Astragali because it was a dice game.
Popular Gambling Games in Asia
Now we will turn more attention to the most popular gambling games in Asia nowadays and overview each one separately, so you can learn all about their origin and rules. As you already know from the earlier historical overview, most Asian gambling games are Chinese or somehow related to existing Chinese games. Take a quick look at them:
An interesting fact that you probably don’t know yet is that the history of Las Vegas as the world’s capital of gambling is over. The current biggest gambling city from a global perspective is Macao in China. Considering that most modern games are based on Asia gambling games, we can say that the worldwide gambling capital is now back home again.
Mahjong
Mahjong is a game that gained massive popularity in the last several decades, while it was created in the 19th century. It is a game typically played by four players, but you can often see games with fewer players. Bear in mind that the game could be played without any wagers, just for fun.
The game itself is easy to understand and play. The gambling version of the game starts with 136 tiles with faces down to the table. The game dealer (either one of the players or 3rd party) distributes 13 tiles per player. Then all the rest of the tiles are gathered into a wall on the table.
Then, players start discarding tiles in the middle of the table. If any of the other players need any of the tiles on the floor, he must announce it. Then, the other players have the chance to stop him. If no one needs the tile, it is the turn of the following players. This is a cycle that goes on until one of the players assembles a winning hand or hands, reveal it and say “Mahjong”. Bear in mind that the game has changed through its over 200 years of history, and it is essential to look at the rules before you start playing it.
Pai Gow Tiles
This is another legendary Asian gambling game that evolved through the centuries because the game was invented in 960 AD. This is undoubtedly one of the games of the ancient gambling world.The tiles’ shape and form will remind you of Domino, but the games are entirely different by rules. From a gameplay perspective, we can say that Pai Gow Tiles resembles blackjack but not entirely.
The playing table looks similar because there is one dealer and several players before him. To win the game, you need to get tiles with a higher value than the dealer’s hand. In the beginning, the croupier deals with eight stacks of tiles. Then, the dealer gives a cup with dice, who shall determine which player will get his first hands. The rest of the tiles will be distributed among the rest of the players.
Then players split their tiles in two – high and low hands. When the players are ready, they place both hands with their faces down. When all players’ hands are set, the dealer reveals his hand and the hands of all the players to determine the winner.
Pachinko
Pachinko is definitely among the most popular Asian gambling games. The game was originated in Japan is it resembles pinball games, but with a gambling aspect. This is the most commonly played type of gambling in Japan nowadays, and you won’t see it outside the country, but you can find it at the best online Japanese casinos.
The current number of Pachinko parlours in Japan is over 13,000, so imagine how popular the game is. Yes, it looks like a pinball that releases over 100 balls per minute, and if you are lucky, it drops even more balls. All these balls you can purchase from the parlours or exchange for various items from drinks to electric scooters and others. If you want to cash those balls, you need to travel to another authorised location. One single ball could vary between a yen to a hundred yens.
Sic-bo
Sic-bo is another Asian gambling game that originated in China, but it is currently available and famous worldwide. It became widely popular after many Chinese immigrants moved out of Asia in the 20th century. The game has several names like Tai Sai, Dai Siu and Sic Bo. The translations mean “big and small” or “precious dice”. Yes, the game is played with three dices, and now we will explain to you the rules.
First and most importantly, you need to understand that you see everything you need to know – all dice combinations, their odds and payouts on the table. You might see different tables at different casinos. Keep that in mind. This game resembles a bit of classical roulette. However, when the bets are placed on the table, the dealer rolls the dice or uses an electrical shaker in our modern age.
The strategies of the game are many, similar to the ones on roulette. There are quite many combinations that you can do. This is because you can bet on one, two or three dices, or you can bet on the overall sum of them. You can choose to bet on a particular number to drop. The betting options are just many, while the odds are different.
Keno
Some say that Keno is actually the first form of lottery known to humankind and one of the first Asian card games. It is known that similar games were used to collect money for the construction of the Great Wall.
The principles of playing are super easy to understand and identical to the lotteries you already know. You need to get a ticket, mark the numbers you like (up to 20 digits depending on the variant of the game), and file your ticket. Simple as that. When the winning numbers are drawn, you get rewards based on the digits you guessed.
Niu Niu
Another Asian gambling game that originated in China is the Niu Niu, also called Bull Bull. This is not a title that you will often see in any US or European casino, but definitely, you will encounter it in Asian online casinos. This is a table game of chance based entirely on luck. There are three players and a banker/croupier, which usually take around a 5% commission of every winning payoff.
Here, you play against other players and the house. The cards bring a different number of points, while the highest points in the game are 10. You need to combine five cards and split them into two hands. One has two cards multiply by 10, while the other has three cards with the highest possible number. This is a typical Asian gambling game, and you need to read the rules from the casino provider once again before the time for playing comes. This is a game that you can easily find in every Asian card game casino.
Yee Nah Hi
This is a form of Sic-bo, where the dices don’t have numbers but symbols of different animals in different colours. The signs are a coin, a crab, a fish, a gourd, a rooster, a scorpion, while their colours could vary between red, green and blue. The playing table explains a lot about the possible wagers. Here you can bet on colours, symbols and the different combinations between them, literally like Sic-bo.
Popular Asian Online Gambling Games & Asian Online Casinos
The different Asian countries treat online gambling differently. For example, countries like Russia, China, Korea, Kazakhstan, Vietnam and others strictly prohibits online gambling and all of its forms. However, in some countries, you will be able to play Asian online gambling games in offshore operators. For some countries, we were even able to assemble charts with the best options for every particular country. Take advantage of our guidelines and explore the best Asian online casinos:
Our job is to research all types of gambling subjects and serve you the best and most reliable information that you can find about them online. All we want is to save you some time and help you find the most suitable online gambling platforms. Know that all of the operators listed on our pages are only trustworthy websites with decent backgrounds and a bright future. If you are looking for Asia gambling games, you need to check the casinos mentioned above, but first, choose the country you have in question.
FAQ
Asking questions is what led humankind so far in its evolution and development. So don’t be afraid to ask when something is unclear for you. For your convenience, we have gathered the most frequently asked questions about the most famous gambling games in Asia and their variety. Keep in mind that you will locate a jump link to a more detailed explanation in each answer. Do not hesitate to use it if you are eager to learn more.
Source: https://www.bestcasinosites.net/blog/asian-gambling-games.php
