Post by Invisible on Sept 28, 2008 12:50:36 GMT -8
History of Casinos on Pern[/u]
Gambling has existed on Pern since the settlement, but it wasn't until the Sixth Interval that it became an industry unto itself. Of course, Bitra had boasted gambling houses and even a couple of finer establishments for hundreds of turns, and Keroon and Ruatha both offered occasional opportunities to bet on runner races, but for most of history these places operated in relative isolation. The Sixth Interval saw casinos pop up everywhere there were people, especially in the central continent under Telgar's coverage.
Casino games were not the same as a friendly game in hold, hall, or weyr. For one thing it was much easier to spend more than you should. The people who run casinos were there to take the money of those who visited them - not just spend a companionable evening with friends having fun. Gambling had become a business, and crafters, cotholders, riders, and the Blood all flocked to throw their marks away.
It happened slowly, but gradually the casinos began to cater to different sorts. Not every casino welcomed everyone in, but regardless of that they all seemed to do well.
General Casino Rules[/u]
Each casino has its own particular rules, but there is one rule all casino owners adhere to: the sharing of information. Riders make spare marks delivering messages quickly to different casinos about who has won big, who was caught cheating, and who should be watched for any other reason. Other than that what each casino does with each other is their own business.
Casino patrons are expected to adhere to a few basic rules if they wish to continue gaming in an establishment. While quirks of the owners might allow for other rules as well these are the basic three found anywhere.
1. No cheating. If caught a lifetime ban is the easiest punishment you are likely to see.
2. No fighting. Some casinos are more lax with this rule and it might come down to how much money you've handed to the house on how much you're going to get away with. Those with any brains will opt to go with no fighting at all just to be safe.
3. No behavior that disturbs the gaming. Drinking is fine, but if you drink too much and disturb your game or those around you then it's time for you to go.
Typical Games of Chance[/u]
There are plenty of ways to gamble, but the casinos focus only on those that will bring in the most people. Telgar's casinos seem to favor dragonpoker, blackjack, dicing, and roulette. Each area tends to have its own local game that other areas don't focus on. For Telgar it's the roulette wheel. There are master woodcrafters who do nothing but design roulette wheels to sell to the casinos.
At Keroon and Ruatha, one finds tables devoted to betting on the races. At Bitra, blackjack is king. Casinos located very close to Weyrs often sponsor, at the appropriate times of turn, odds-based betting on the outcomes of dragonrider games and hatchings. Other regions have their own famous (infamous) specialties of the house as well.
High Rollers, Cheaters, Legitimate Business Men (or the people of casinos):[/u]
A whole gambling subculture has arisen over the turns as more people have turned to the casinos as a place to do their gambling. The first group to really stand out were the high rollers. They come from all walks of life, but the one thing they have in common is they've gambled, and won, enough to make a name for themselves. Some of these people are courted by casinos to come play at their tables and serve as a draw to other patrons. Some are, ever so politely, asked to not step inside certain casinos because the owners would rather not deal with the high and mighty people taking their marks. It's a hard living to make, but some do just that and don't bother with a real job. These people are in turn admired for their daring at such an occupation and reviled for contributing nothing to society.
It did not take casinos to bring the cheaters out into the world. This sort of person has always existed, but it was the casinos who made them a professional class unto themselves. It's very hard to cheat for any length of time at a casino and not get caught. If you're really good you might get away with it; if you're good enough, you might even come out with an honest job offer from the deal. You're just as likely to wind up 'disappearing' however, so few people risk it. Each cheater has his own method the same as any high roller, but one thing they all know is: no system is perfect and eventually it will fail you.
Most of the casinos in the Telgar area recognize card counting as a special class of cheating. It's technically not against the rules, but anyone recognized as a card counter is likely to be given a limit for how much they can play before the house will shut them out, or even excluded from the games altogether. Very good counters may be treated as local celebrities and welcomed to the casino on account of their ability to draw in other (less capable) players - so long as they don't overtax the casino's resources. In other parts of Pern, however, card counters are dealt with more harshly, being thrown out or 'mishandled' brutally for their offenses. Counting is risky also in that it is as likely to draw the wrath of fellow players as that of the house.
The people who visit casinos could not do so without the other important group of people related to organized gambling: casino owners. The only requirement to successfully run a good casino is a sharp business sense. A lot of crafters find their way to this profession when becoming disenchanted for whatever reason with their chosen field. Spare sons and daughters of the Blood might consider it a way to earn more marks than a tight-fisted father is willing to share. As far as anyone knows there has been no casino run by a dragonrider. They have, after all, their own duties to tend to. Best they come spend their marks than try to make them. While it is not currently the norm, one can occasionally find whole areas where every casino is controlled by one person.
Gambling has existed on Pern since the settlement, but it wasn't until the Sixth Interval that it became an industry unto itself. Of course, Bitra had boasted gambling houses and even a couple of finer establishments for hundreds of turns, and Keroon and Ruatha both offered occasional opportunities to bet on runner races, but for most of history these places operated in relative isolation. The Sixth Interval saw casinos pop up everywhere there were people, especially in the central continent under Telgar's coverage.
Casino games were not the same as a friendly game in hold, hall, or weyr. For one thing it was much easier to spend more than you should. The people who run casinos were there to take the money of those who visited them - not just spend a companionable evening with friends having fun. Gambling had become a business, and crafters, cotholders, riders, and the Blood all flocked to throw their marks away.
It happened slowly, but gradually the casinos began to cater to different sorts. Not every casino welcomed everyone in, but regardless of that they all seemed to do well.
General Casino Rules[/u]
Each casino has its own particular rules, but there is one rule all casino owners adhere to: the sharing of information. Riders make spare marks delivering messages quickly to different casinos about who has won big, who was caught cheating, and who should be watched for any other reason. Other than that what each casino does with each other is their own business.
Casino patrons are expected to adhere to a few basic rules if they wish to continue gaming in an establishment. While quirks of the owners might allow for other rules as well these are the basic three found anywhere.
1. No cheating. If caught a lifetime ban is the easiest punishment you are likely to see.
2. No fighting. Some casinos are more lax with this rule and it might come down to how much money you've handed to the house on how much you're going to get away with. Those with any brains will opt to go with no fighting at all just to be safe.
3. No behavior that disturbs the gaming. Drinking is fine, but if you drink too much and disturb your game or those around you then it's time for you to go.
Typical Games of Chance[/u]
There are plenty of ways to gamble, but the casinos focus only on those that will bring in the most people. Telgar's casinos seem to favor dragonpoker, blackjack, dicing, and roulette. Each area tends to have its own local game that other areas don't focus on. For Telgar it's the roulette wheel. There are master woodcrafters who do nothing but design roulette wheels to sell to the casinos.
At Keroon and Ruatha, one finds tables devoted to betting on the races. At Bitra, blackjack is king. Casinos located very close to Weyrs often sponsor, at the appropriate times of turn, odds-based betting on the outcomes of dragonrider games and hatchings. Other regions have their own famous (infamous) specialties of the house as well.
High Rollers, Cheaters, Legitimate Business Men (or the people of casinos):[/u]
A whole gambling subculture has arisen over the turns as more people have turned to the casinos as a place to do their gambling. The first group to really stand out were the high rollers. They come from all walks of life, but the one thing they have in common is they've gambled, and won, enough to make a name for themselves. Some of these people are courted by casinos to come play at their tables and serve as a draw to other patrons. Some are, ever so politely, asked to not step inside certain casinos because the owners would rather not deal with the high and mighty people taking their marks. It's a hard living to make, but some do just that and don't bother with a real job. These people are in turn admired for their daring at such an occupation and reviled for contributing nothing to society.
It did not take casinos to bring the cheaters out into the world. This sort of person has always existed, but it was the casinos who made them a professional class unto themselves. It's very hard to cheat for any length of time at a casino and not get caught. If you're really good you might get away with it; if you're good enough, you might even come out with an honest job offer from the deal. You're just as likely to wind up 'disappearing' however, so few people risk it. Each cheater has his own method the same as any high roller, but one thing they all know is: no system is perfect and eventually it will fail you.
Most of the casinos in the Telgar area recognize card counting as a special class of cheating. It's technically not against the rules, but anyone recognized as a card counter is likely to be given a limit for how much they can play before the house will shut them out, or even excluded from the games altogether. Very good counters may be treated as local celebrities and welcomed to the casino on account of their ability to draw in other (less capable) players - so long as they don't overtax the casino's resources. In other parts of Pern, however, card counters are dealt with more harshly, being thrown out or 'mishandled' brutally for their offenses. Counting is risky also in that it is as likely to draw the wrath of fellow players as that of the house.
The people who visit casinos could not do so without the other important group of people related to organized gambling: casino owners. The only requirement to successfully run a good casino is a sharp business sense. A lot of crafters find their way to this profession when becoming disenchanted for whatever reason with their chosen field. Spare sons and daughters of the Blood might consider it a way to earn more marks than a tight-fisted father is willing to share. As far as anyone knows there has been no casino run by a dragonrider. They have, after all, their own duties to tend to. Best they come spend their marks than try to make them. While it is not currently the norm, one can occasionally find whole areas where every casino is controlled by one person.