People have more options than ever before when it comes to gambling. There are over 1000 land-based casinos in the United States, and it is estimated that there are another 1700 casinos throughout Europe. Meanwhile, online betting sites and casinos are flourishing – making gambling accessible almost anywhere you can get an internet connection. Unfortunately, not every gambling site is legit, so you need to take steps to ensure you select a reputable online casino. Sites like NoDepositz can help steer you in the right direction.
With the internet bringing everybody closer to each other you are more likely to encounter casino games that you have never run into before. Some may be unknown to you but popular in their country of origin, some may be found in both online and land-based casinos and some are definitely a little strange and unlikely to be found in any popular books on developing your casino skills. Here is a list of some of the more obscure (and sometimes weird) casino games people play.
Chicken Challenge
At the ‘Tropicana Hotel and Casino’ located in Atlantic City, they offer a game that pits man against chicken in a game of Tic-Tac-Toe. Any player who is able to beat Ginger the chicken in Tic-Tac-Toe can win up to $10,000. The Tropicana isn’t the first casino to offer the chicken challenge. A number of years ago Ginger was at the Mount Airy Casino Resort taking on all comers. Ginger is actually 15 different chickens, each of which will play for around 2 hours a day. According to the trainer it takes around 3 months for a chicken to learn the game so with that much time invested there is no shame if you lose.
Belgium Birdsong
Belgium is well known for its chocolate and its beer, but it is also home to Vinkensport which translates to “finch sitting”. In this game, gamblers wager on which finch will make the highest number of bird calls over a period of time. Male finches are lined up in cages and a timekeeper starts the contest. There are actually judges who determine if a bird call is valid as each chirp has to end on a particular note. The game is considered part of Flemish cultural heritage with records showing it dates back as far as 1596. Birdsong isn’t the game for you if you are in a hurry. Competitions generally run for around 1 hour.
Sic Bo
Unlike the previous 2 games, there is a good chance that you will find Sic Bo at your local casino or on online gambling sites. The game originated in China and is played using 3 dice. The Sic Bo table shows every possible dice combination with the payout odds for each combination. Players simply place their bets on the combination they favor, the dealer activates the shaker where the dice are located and if your numbers come up you are paid at the odds displayed. Unlike craps, every roll in Sic Bo results in a win or a loss on all bets.
Pai Gow Poker
Okay – Pai Gow Poker isn’t that obscure as it can be found in many online and land-based casinos, but it is often overlooked by people not familiar with the game. It is based on the Chinese domino game Pai Gow but uses playing cards rather than the traditional dominos. Pai Gow is easy to learn once you get the basics down. Players compete against the dealer. Every player and the dealer receive 7 cards from which they must form the best possible 5 card hand and 2 card hand.
Card Craps
In California, it is illegal for dice to be used to determine the outcome of a casino game. You would think this would put an end to playing Craps in Californian casinos, but operators have gotten around the rule by using cards instead of dice. The method used to select cards varies depending on the casino. In some casinos, a player selects two cards from a deck that only contains cards valued 1 through 6 while in others a player will draw a single card from a deck with assigned card values of 1 through 12.
If you need a break from the most popular casino games try one of the above if you get the opportunity.