Friedrich Schiller said that “an individual plays only when he is human in the full sense of the word, and he can be wholly human only when he is playing”.
According to the historians, in 49 B.C. the famous ancient Roman commander Julius Caesar finally defeated the Galls. With this victory in hand he set his sights on Rome. He wanted to seize supreme power in the Eternal City. The Roman senators were quick to respond and forbade him from and his troops to come back to Rome.
The great Roman leader did not take heed to their words. The words he used are now part of history: “Alea iacta est” or “The die has been cast”. He then crossed the river Rubicon, and of course long civil wars ensued.
This is one of the most important episodes in Roman history. Many know the tale, but few actually know the hidden truth. It turns out that Caesar was a passionate gambler and he actually cast the die. He believed that the die possessed the power to predict the future, so he entrusted his future to the die.
People have always liked to gamble. They have gambled in ancient times, and they keep gambling to this day. Although it is an exciting and possibly profitable pastime, there are some that do not look kindly upon gambling. In ancient Rome for example the word “player” was nearly a swearword. That’s how much people did not like gamblers and gambling.
On the other hand though, people realized that there is little they can do to prevent gamblers from pursuing their dreams. The Greeks for example even had a goddess of the fate, Tyche. The Romans as well had Fortune. She and Zeus had a child which was endowed with the gift of inventing various dangerous amusements, which caused the people to lose a lot of money, cheat, scuffle and commit suicides.
Tyche of course loved her child and could not punish her for the cruel pranks she pulled on all those mortals. Not only did she wink at her daughter’s mischief, but she also gave her a large beautiful house, to which her daughter allured the most credulous players and made their like miserable.
A lot of time has passed and things have certainly changed. People do not believe in gods and goddesses anymore. They do not believe that the gods have us at their mercies and do as they please with us, the mortals. One thing has remained unchanged though. People still want to play games, they still want to gamble.
As time moved on, special premises were built where people could quench their thirst for gambling. People would come in and gamble with each other and they would pay a part of their winnings to the owner of the establishment. In the 16th century these establishments were named casinos. The term is Italian in origin and it is still in use today.
All types of player would come to these gambling establishments. Their skills, characters, and financial possibilities varied. Some of them were even famous public figures such as Chancellor Bismarck, composers Berlioz and Brahms, the writer Dostoyevsky, the poet Mayakovskiy and the automobile king Citroen.
Just because they were famous did not meant that they were any better than regular gamblers. Fortune would play tricks on them as it would any other gambler. It was all about skill. If you were a skilled player, then you would win. If not, you would lose. Citroen for example was a skilled and lucky gambler. He loved to play for high stakes, in order to impress other rich men. Journalists never grew tired of writing that the automobile king is as lucky on the green cloth, as in business.
Mayakovskiy on the other hand was not very lucky and he would often lose. He loved billiards, cards and particularly the roulette. At the billiard table he would often win, but he would lose all the other games. He eventually ran into quite a substantial debt.
There are several factors that make a casino popular. Some are popular because they offer great games, some are popular because celebrities play there, but others are popular because of certain legends. Take the legend of monsieur Blanchard for example. According to the legend he played at “Casino Monte Carlo” and won big twice. The first time he went to the casino, a pigeon spoiled him. He was not upset. Instead he interpreted it as a good sign and entered the casino. As luck would have it he won, and won big.
He then decided that he would not enter the casino again unless another pigeon would again spoil him. He had to wait for the new dove for several days, but his expectations paid for themselves. The second time around he won even more money. Thus a legend was born: if a bird spoils you on your way to a casino, you will have good luck.
Always keep in mind that the main value of any casino game is entertainment. Keep it light and play for fun. Losing and winning are both part of the game. You will not win all the time, sometimes you will lose some money. But that makes the game even more exciting, even more captivating.