Asian Gaming Directory
Gambling grew to be more popular in China, Asia during the far end of the imperial dynasty from 1644 to 1912. Shanghai, Macao, Canton and Hong Kong were noted for their liquor and gambling and these Asian areas were occupied by foreigners, mainly Americans, who were known to be dynamic individuals and the Chinese would spend long hours gambling with the Americans.
The famous gambling in China games include Mah Jongg and Pai Gow which consist of a bank with one woodpile.
The banking duties are assigned to one of the players, while the other players are given four tiles of the woodpile, which they would have to group in pairs of two, such that that player’s pair would exceed the bank’s value. In the event of the player having a greater value then he wins the wager. In this game there is a high tendency for loads of money to exchange hands.
An ancient Asian game called Mah Jongg meaning ‘sparrow’ was devised for the top-notch category of people in China. Interestingly the game is believed to have been invented by a fisherman with the objective to ward off sea sickness. This game became popular with the fishermen who would distract themselves to avoid getting sea-sick.
The game grew to be popular with the soldiers over a period of time and was played extensively to keep them awake at night. The game went through a lot of changes and modifications and was known by different names in different regions. Finally in 1990 the game was standardized and now consists of 136 to 144 tiles solely dependable on what the players plan to play with, be it flowers or seasons.
The Asian game is similar to that of the traditional ‘rummy’ except for the difference that it is played with tiles and uses dice and chips to keep a track on the score. The game necessarily requires 4 players and the objective of each is to get a set of tiles. The set types that are permissible are ‘kong’, ‘pung’ and ‘chow’. A complete hand would comprise of four sets and a pair of similar tiles. A winning combination would in effect mean 14 tiles, anyone with that number in hand would emerge a winner.
Another common game is ‘Sci Bo’ meaning ‘two dice’. The Asian game is primarily a betting game with players wagering on the total of their dice. It is played with three dice and the wagers include small bets ranging from four to twelve and big bets ranging from eleven to seventeen. The players shake the dice in a cup vigorously and keep the cup tilted downwards with the dice hidden in the cup; bets are then placed on a probable outcome.
The player that guesses the right number has an opportunity to earn big sums of money. It is also believed that some skilful players are able to predict the total by just listening to the clattering noise of the dice in the cup. In casinos the game is totally mechanized and wagers are placed on the number marked on the table. The dice is shaken on a vibrating platform and the results are immediately displayed on a screen.
Despite the fact that these games are so popular in China, Shangai is yet to legalize gambling though it goes on illegally while gambling in Macau is legal. In Hong Kong, Asia, horse racing is legalized and huge revenue is earned by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
