Gambling became popular in China in the last phase of the
imperial dynasty i.e. from 1644 to 1912. Canton, Macao, Shanghai
and Hong Kong became the famous for their liquor and gambling.
These areas inhabited foreigners, usually Americans, who were
known to be rough. Moreover, majority of these inhabitants were
males. Chinese natives indulged in gambling along with the
foreigners. Famous gambling games in China include Mah Jongg and
Pai Gow. Pia Gow consists of a bank having one woodpile. The
banking duties are entrusted to one of the players. Other
players are given four tiles of the woodpile, which they have to
group in pairs of two such that the player?s pair should have a
greater value than the bank. If the player succeeds then he wins
the bet. A lot of money can exchange hands over this game. Mah
Jongg, meaning ?sparrow? is an ancient game which was developed
primarily for the rich class of China. The game is said to have
been invented by a fisherman to prevent sea sickness. It is said
that the fisherman invented this game to distract the other
fishermen from the surroundings, so that they do not feel sea
sick in the middle of the sea. Later, a Chinese general heard of
the game and engaged his soldiers in it at night to prevent them
from falling asleep. The game underwent a lot of variations and
every region called it with a different name. Finally, the game
was standardized in early 1990s. the game consists of 136 to 144
tiles depending on the whether the players choose to play with
flowers or seasons. The play resembles rummy except for the fact
that the game is played with tiles. The game also uses a pair of
dice and chips to keep the score. It requires four players, the
aim of each being to obtain a set of tiles. The set types that
are permitted are ?kong?, ?pung? and ?chow?. A complete hand
contains four sets and a pair of similar tiles. The fist one to
have this combination of fourteen tiles wins. Another game is
Sci Bo, meaning ?two dice?. This game is a betting game with
players betting on the total of their dice. It is played with
three dice. The bets include small bets that is the total may
fall; between the range of four to ten, or big bets i.e. the
total may fall between eleven to seventeen. The players shake
the dice in a cup and keep the cup upside down with the dice
hidden in the cup. Wagers are then made on the outcome. The
player guessing the total can earn hugs sums. It is rumored that
skilful players can predict the total by hearing the clanking of
dice in the cup. In casinos the entire game is mechanized. Bets
are placed on the number marked on the table. The dice are then
shaken using a vibrating platform. The results are displayed on
a screen. Other famous gambling games include Keno and Pachinko.
Despite the popularity of these gambling games, not all Chinese
states are ready to legalize it. While Macao has legalized
gambling, Shanghai carries it on illegally. In Hong Kong, only
horse raising is legalized and The Hong Kong Jockey Club earns
huge revenue.
About the author:
Mansi gupta writes about asian gambling. Learn more at
http://www.asiangamblinggames.com .
|
