The History Of Lottery
Lotteries have been with us for a long time. They go so far back that they’re mentioned in the Bible, and Caesar himself is known to have encouraged lottery games in Rome to help pay for repair work that needed to be done in the city. Legend has it that even the Great Wall of China was paid for by the proceeds of lottery games.
In medieval times, Europe was a hotbed of lottery activity. In 1420, residents of the French town of L’Ecluse decided to follow Caesar’s lead by using a public lottery to help raise money; this time to increase the town’s defenses. Charitable causes prompted officials in the Belgium city of Bruges to hold a lottery in 1466 to raise money for the poor and needy.
In the early 16th century, the Italians caught lottery fever when they introduced the idea of a ‘number’ lottery in Florence. Interestingly, the word ‘lottery’ is thought to originate from the Italian ‘lotto’, which simply means “fate”.
Royalty caught on to lottery’s moneymaking potential in 1520, when King Francis I of France held the first ever state lottery. The proceeds went to the Royal Court. Forty years later, in the 1560s, lottery fever crossed the English Channel when Queen Elizabeth I decided to hold her own state lottery to raise money to improve England’s ailing harbors. Her Majesty’s prizes included tapestry and money.
The lottery gained in popularity in England over the next two centuries. The British Museum in London, today one of the finest in the world, was actually started on the proceeds of a lottery in 1753.
Lotteries were particularly popular in the New World in the 18th century. Benjamin Franklin used one to pay for the cannons that helped win the American War of Independence, and they were also used to pay money to the army. The Mountain Road, one of the key routes into the west from Virginia, was paid for with a lottery organized by George Washington.
Individuals were fond of them too; Thomas Jefferson (the third U.S. President) sold most of his property through a lottery scheme. Many of America’s historic colleges and universities were initially set up with the proceeds of lotteries. Most notably, these include many of the universities in the prestigious Ivy League.
Within the last couple of centuries, lotteries have been legalized and implemented in pretty much every country in the world. As the numbers of people playing become bigger, so do the prizes; a jackpot in the USA’s Big Game lottery in 2000 reached $363 million.
Craps Terms - Part Two
Today, we pick it up with an animal-the Buffalo. Let’s get started.
Buffalo: Okay, it’s not an animal. When you make a buffalo wager, you’re betting on each of the Hardways and Any Seven. If you want to mix it up, you can make a Buffalo-Yo wager, which is all of the Hardways and a Yo (eleven) bet.
Buy: When you place a number, you can buy it. When you buy the number, you’re paying a 5% commission for true odds. You’ll rarely see the 5,6,8 or 9 bought. It’s almost always the 4 and 10. Why? Well, when you buy the 4 and 10 you get 2 for 1 odds rather than 9 for 5. Imagine you bought the 4 for $25. Each time the 4 hits, you would be paid $50. Your commission would be $1. The commission is off the bet not the win. Also, the commission is rounded down, as most Craps tables don’t have 25-cent cheques.
C and E: This is an extremely common wager on the come out roll. When you make a C and E wager, you’re betting on Any Craps and Eleven (Yo). It’s a one-roll wager. You can make this bet any time, but most people do it on the come out roll to protect their Pass Line bets.
Charting: If you go to the casinos in Downtown Las Vegas, you’re likely to see a charter. Charting is when you record the action of a table. Usually this is done on a notepad. Why chart a table? Many people who do it believe there are patterns in the dice-not true. Others do it on a person by person basis, because they believe people have certain patterns. If you play online, you can do this easily and without standing out like you would at a real table.
Change Only: IMPORTANT! If you do nothing else, remember this command. When you are at a real Craps table and you throw money down, it plays where it stays unless you say "Change Only." Many unsuspecting people have thrown their money down expecting change only to see it gobbled up after it lost. Now, if you want the money to be a bet, just don’t say another word or say "Money Plays." That’s the command for letting the money sit and play. The dealer shouldn’t touch the money.
Cheques: This is the official term for what many call chips. Let’s say you have a $100 cheque and you want a stack of $5 cheques, you would put down your cheque in the Come area and say "Cheque Change." That’s the dealer’s cue that you don’t want it to play and that you want smaller cheques/chips.
That ends today’s Craps terms session. Next time we’ll pick it up with terms like cocked dice, cold table, coloring up, come out roll and many more.
Craps Terms - Part One
So you want to play Craps huh? Well, you better know some terminology. In today’s article, I’ll show you some key Craps terms. There are countless Craps terms out there, but we’ll go over just the main and fun ones.
Aces: This is a roll of two. When a two is rolled, both dice show one dot, hence the term.
2-Way Eleven: Dealers love this one. When you bet a 2-way eleven, you’re making a bet on eleven for you and the dealers. It’s a good move to tip the dealers when playing if you’re doing well.
Any Seven: This is a one-roll wager. Make this bet and if the next roll is a seven, you win. A seven can be rolled: 1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-1, and 6-1. The bet pays 4:1. The house edge is high on this one since it’s a one-roll wager. Of course, you’d think it was a pot of gold when you’re standing at an ice-cold table.
Big 6: This bet is located in the lower section of the layout. It’s called the big 6, because the wager space is a huge 6. It’s a gimmick wager though, because it only pays even money. If you were to place the 6, you’d get odds on your payout. This bet stays up until it loses or you take it down.
Big 8: It’s the same as the Big 6, except it’s an 8. You’ll win every time an 8 is rolled and lose when a 7 is rolled. It pays even money. Unless you’re very lazy, place the 8 instead.
Big Red: No, it’s not a stick of gum. This is a codeword for making a wager on Any Seven.
Bones: Throw them bones. The bones are the dice.
Black: This is slang for a $100 cheque-also called a chip by the layman. "Give me a stack of black," would be saying that you want a stack of $100 cheques, which is $2,000-there are 20 cheques/chips in a stack.
Boxcars: Keep making this wager and you might be living in a boxcar. This is slang for the number 12-6-6 on the dice.
Boxman: This is the guy who is in the suit and sitting down in-between the two dealers on the inside of the Craps table. He’s the boss of the table. It’s his job to make sure payouts are okay and to watch the game. You’ll also see him tracking players for rewards.
The Boys: Perhaps a bit sexist in these days since there are more and more female Craps dealers, but this is slang for the dealers at the table. "Here’s $20 for the boys," means that you’re giving $20 as a tip to the dealers. In the old days, you’d only find male Craps dealers.
And that concludes today’s Craps terms lesson. I’ll be back with plenty more.
Casino Games - Slots
Nothing conjures the mental image of a casino quite like the slot machine. The one-armed bandit is the first love for experienced gamblers and newcomers alike. What many experienced gambling fans already know, newcomers often learn the hard way; all slot machines are not created equal.
Nickel slots are by far the most inexpensive way for a newcomer to learn the ropes of casino slot machine gambling. Many of the features are the same, and there are tricks and techniques the seasoned gambling aficionado uses to increase fun and, yes, payoffs. Nickel slots may offer lower payouts, but there is still nothing like the thrill of hitting the jackpot, no matter what machines your casino offers.
Casinos feature just about everything; ‘single coin’ machines, dollar, and progressive slots. The single coin machines are just what their name implies; you are gambling one nickel, quarter, or dollar coin. The dollar slots have a feature where you can play either one coin or more until you reach the maximum bet. (Some dollar slots take up to six quarters, sometimes even more to reach the max). These slots usually have higher payouts depending on how many coins you play. Those used to gambling that maximum amount usually get the best jackpots.
Progressive slots are another type altogether. This is a machine that increases its’ big jackpot depending on how much gambling money has been inserted into the machine up to that point. Some progressive slots are tied to other machines, while others are standalone. Smart players check the readouts on progressive slots until they find the machine with the highest payout. Be sure to double-check the casino guidelines on each machine, as the big money usually doesn’t come unless you bet the maximum.
No matter which machines you prefer; take your time, read the instructions and stick with your spending limits. If you maintain financial control, you will have quite a bit of fun. In fact, you’ll have a blast!
Casino Games - Craps
Craps is one of the simpler casino games to learn. It is also another of the more popular casino games often played at parties, barbecues and sometimes even on the street. The lure of this game is that you only need a pair of dice and a few friends and you’ve got all you need for a game of Craps.
However, it is the casino version of the game that gives Craps its reputation of being a fast paced, exciting game. Players often begin with this game in the casino because of its ease of play. The basic concept is this: you place a bet on what is referred to as the “passline bet.” You make your wager before you roll the dice. If you roll a 7 or 11, then you win. If you roll a 12, 3 or 2, you lose. Any other number becomes the point number, meaning that number must be rolled again before the seven for you to win anything. If you roll the seven before you roll the point number, then you lose.
However, you do have the option to bet again in addition to your original bet. It is known as the odds bet: meaning the casino (online or real) does not have their usual house advantage and it also hedges on true odds. Many casinos and online casino sites offer lessons for Craps as it is one of the most popular and exciting games played. There is usually a great amount of money riding on Craps games and the atmosphere around the Craps table is filled with cheering spectators, all vying for the opportunity to see a player win big. This is the best way to get in the game when you are checking out a casino.
Most online casinos will allow you to play the game for free before offering you the option to play for real money. So what are you waiting for? Stop by at an online casino today and see for yourself what the fuss surrounding a game of Craps is all about.
