If you thought you’ve heard of most of the games of chance out there, it may come as a surprise to you to discover that many weird and wonderful gambling games have never enjoyed the fame of well-loved casino games such as roulette and jackpot slots. Our list of obscure games will make great small talk next time you’re in your favorite casino chat room.
Panguingue
Also called Pan, this card game is similar to rummy and originated in the Philippines in the 19th century. It traveled to the US in the early 20th century where it enjoyed some popularity in Las Vegas and casinos in the Southwest. These days, you can play casino versions of the game in some California establishments, but you’ll need to do a bit of searching to find a game of Panguingue on offer.
In the US, the original game consisted of a 320-card deck drawn from eight decks of cards but with all the jokers, 10s, nines, and eights removed. In some places outside the US, players use five, six, or 11 decks and remove a set of spades. When played in the Philippines, players have a 40-card Spanish deck consisting of all the jacks, kings, cavaliers, aces, and all the two to sevens. A player is dealt 10 cards, and the game consists of a series of plays and folds with the last player standing taking the pot. Next time you’re looking for interesting games in addition to some unusual bingo games, you should definitely try Panguingue.
Fafi
Fafi is a popular game in South Africa’s townships, but few outside these communities have ever heard of it. It’s thought the betting game – similar to a numbers racket – started in the country’s Chinese communities. Players pick a number they want to gamble on by interpreting their dreams – there’s a system for this, too! For example, a dream about a thief may represent the number seven, while one about the ocean could be interpreted as the number three for a ship, or 26 for water.
Once the lucky number has been chosen, a bet is placed; a runner then hands a bag to an officiator that contains the bets, the players’ names, and their money. The officiator draws the winning number and whispers it to the runner, who uses a hand gesture to let the gamblers know which number has won and that person is paid out.
Yahtzee
Yahtzee was originally a dice game made by Milton Bradley in the US in the 1940s. It was originally marketed as “Yatzie” by the National Association Service of Toledo, Ohio, before the name was changed to “Yahtzee” by game entrepreneur Edwin S. Lowe in 1956. The aim of the game is to use five dice to make certain combinations and score points. Each player rolls the dice three times to make these combinations. The game has 13 rounds, and the various scoring categories have point values, with the winner scoring the most points.
Now Yahtzee is available as a casino game and can be enjoyed online anywhere, anytime, with rules similar to the original version.
Jenga
Here’s another old party-game favorite that you might not know is available in digital form these days. It has been imaginatively made into an online casino slot game which, although it requires more luck than a steady hand, is still bags of fun and does require a bit of skill from the player.
Uno
The shedding-type card game (where you have to get rid of the cards in your hand before other players) was first played in the US in 1971 and has since made its way into the family games box the world over. But did you know that Uno (meaning “one” in Italian and Spanish) has been translated into an online casino format? You may also not be aware that in early 2021 Mattel Films announced that it was developing an action heist comedy movie based on the game. It seems we will be seeing quite a bit more of this fun card game!
E-games gaming
One of the hottest gaming trends right now involves betting on online games. That’s right! Now you can bet on your favorite casino table games – or any other betting game for that matter – without actually taking part in the game. Sometimes, you’re even allowed to put down on another player’s holdings.
Liar’s poker
Liar’s poker started as an American bar game. It combines statistical reasoning with bluffing and is played with the eight-digit part of the serial number found on US dollar bills. Typically, the numbers are ranked using the one or “ace” as the highest value, with zero as “10”, down to two as the lowest.
Gamers hold one bill each, which the other players do not see. Gamblers must guess how many times a particular number appears on the bills held by all the players. Subsequent guesses or bids must increase in quantity or may be equal in quantity but higher in value than previous bids. Once all other players have challenged the bid, the round ends. Surprisingly, it is not one of the most popular gambling games in prison.
Most people who play online casino games have probably never heard of liar’s poker, but the game has appeared on the big and small screens many times, including in The Getaway (1972,) The Long Goodbye (1973,) Semi-Tough (1977,) and Hall Pass (2011) as well as the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati, Hustle, and The Wire.
There are more games to discover at Borgata Online
Fans of online casino games will be pleased to know that new versions of old classics are always being added to our library of games here at Borgata Online, along with all the latest “fresh faces.” When you register at our online casino, you’ll gain access to the best casino games available, including online slots, table and card games, our ever-popular live dealer titles, and perhaps a few betting games you’ve never heard about, too!