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52
CARDS IN A DECK THERE ARE 52 CARDS IN A DECK, SO 2,598,950 POSSIBLE POKER HANDS. THE ODDS OF A ROYAL FLUSH ARE 649,740 TO 1. THAT ONE COULD BE YOU.
Even with those odds, statistics show that many of us are willing to gamble, crossing our fingers and whispering into the ear of Lady Luck. According to a recent study by Gambling.net, nearly 75% of adults in the UK gamble. A 2012 survey revealed that mobile gambling was up 75% year-on-year and it is estimated that 164 million people in the world will be using mobile devices to access online gambling by 2018. Gambling has gone mainstream. From pubs and clubs to private casinos; whether we’re jumping up-and-down in the bookies or gambling via our mobile phones, we are a nation of chancers, confident enough to bet on the role of a dice, the spin of a wheel or the turn of a card. Or a horse, a dog, a football being kicked. How about all six of your numbers being picked in the National Lottery draw? The UK Gambling Commission, who, four times a year, take a survey of more than 4,000 adults whose demographics are representative of the UK as a whole, showed that bingo and lottery draws are the most popular form of gambling - but the trends look very different based on frequency. Gambling is gaming. It is a social experience and one of the oldest known pursuits of mankind. Many of us play not in the hope of winning big and clearing our mortgage, but as a social interaction. Archeological evidence suggests that even the earliest caveman was a gambler and in Greek mythology Zeus, Hades and Poseidon are said to have split the Universe by sharing heaven, hell and the sea with the throw of the dice. Gambling has a long and convoluted history but at its most basic level it is about interaction, deciding whether or not to take an action in the hope of a desired result. A result that you have no control over. New games have emerged from the likes of Europe and China – in live playing environments and across technology - and people are still trying to predict the future of gambling. The pursuit of gambling continues to adapt. Baccarat is an interesting example. Created in the 1400s by Felix Falguiere, it is still being enjoyed over 600 years later and is particularly popular with the Chinese market. On iTunes there are at least 50 Baccarat apps (in English and Chinese) and at Les Ambassadeurs in Mayfair it is the most popular table game with its members. ‘We have a large Chinese membership,’ says Rod Ariss, Les Ambassadeurs’ casino manager. ‘And while we offer other traditional table games such as Blackjack and American Roulette, members are drawn to Baccarat. These are always the most popular tables.’