WagerPast
Gambling History
The History of Playing Cards: From Asia to the Joker
How playing cards travelled from Asia to Europe in the 1370s, why cities banned them, and how French suits and the euchre…
The History of Lotteries: From Bruges to New Hampshire
How lotteries grew from medieval Bruges to Elizabeth I, Jamestown, the Louisiana scandal and New Hampshire’s 1964 sweepstakes, with disputed dates noted.
Poker History
The History of Texas Hold’em: From Robstown to Las Vegas
How Texas Hold’em grew from a Texas road gamblers’ game to the 1970 World Series of Poker, and why its origin, dates…
The Origins of Poker: Where Did the Game Come From?
How poker began: the poque, pochen and as-nas theories, the first New Orleans references, the 52-card pack, the draw, stud and wild…
How the World Series of Poker Began: Reno to Las Vegas
How did the World Series of Poker begin? Follow it from a 1969 Reno gathering to the 1970 Horseshoe vote, the first…
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Casino History
The History of Blackjack: From Twenty-One to the Casino
How blackjack grew from Spanish veintiuna and French vingt-et-un into a Nevada casino game, and why the story of its name is…
The History of Slot Machines: From Brooklyn to Las Vegas
How the slot machine evolved from Sittman and Pitt’s 1891 Brooklyn poker machine to Fey’s Liberty Bell, the 1909 ban and Nevada’s…
The History of Roulette: From Paris Salons to Monte Carlo
Who invented roulette? Not Pascal, historians say. Follow the wheel from 18th-century France to the Blanc brothers’ single zero and Monte Carlo.
Sports Betting History
Famous Gamblers
Charles Wells: The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo
Charles Wells won heavily at Monte Carlo roulette in 1891, then was convicted of fraud. The documented story, with the disputed amounts…
Ken Uston: The Blackjack Player Who Took Casinos to Court
Ken Uston left the Pacific Stock Exchange for blackjack, was barred in Atlantic City in 1979 and won a landmark 1982 New…
Edward O. Thorp: The Professor Who Beat Blackjack
Who was Edward O. Thorp? Follow the MIT mathematician from a 1958 Las Vegas trip to Beat the Dealer, the casinos’ 1964…
Famous Bets
Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas Odds: The 42-1 Story
Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson in 1990 at 42-1. How the Mirage set the line, who bet what, and where the accounts…
Ashley Revell’s $135,300 Roulette Bet: What Happened
On April 11, 2004, Ashley Revell put $135,300 on red at a Las Vegas roulette table and was paid $270,600. Here is…
Leicester City’s 5000-1 Title Bets: What Happened
What happened to the 5000-1 bets on Leicester City to win the 2016 Premier League? Stakes, cash-out choices, payouts and the bookmakers’…
