NK - Period gambling

[Miriam Cook]

really good reference on how period bacgammon
is---
http://www.steamertrunkmerchants.com/backgammonhistory.htm
--Zahava



---Jennifer Carlson
<JCarlson at firstchurchtulsa.org> wrote:
>
> Her Excellency asked what kind of gambling was
done in period.
> 
> Dice, playing cards, backgammon, tennis
matches, bowls, and horse racing 
> all provided venues for gambling.  One would
assume, and I'm sure someone 
> can come up with documentation, that "making
book" is an ancient 
> profession.  I'm not sure if bagatelle is
period, but it was popular in 
> gambling salons in following centuries.  It
also seems plausible that 
> gentlemen might put a bit down "just to make
it interesting" on chess, 
> draughts (checkers), and which knight would
unhorse which. Of course, the 
> early form of the tournament, with defeated
knights losing their horse and 
> armor, is a form of gambling - they betted
their equipment that they could 
> best someone else.  Does anyone know when the
first national lottery was 
> established?
> 
> Heironymous Bosch (d. 1516) did a painting of
a man running a shell game.
> George de La Tour (late 16th, early 17th c)
painted at least 3 canvases on 
> the theme of card sharks taking in a naive
young nobleman.
> The queens Mary Tudor and Elizabeth of England
were both fond of card games 
> (whist is the period precursor of bridge).. 
Their father, Henry VIII, an 
> adept tennis player, had in his keeping a
French duke (a prisoner of war), 
> of whom the Great Harry is supposed to have
said "between the tennis court 
> and the card table, he practically paid his
ransom."
> 
> Sounds like a fun topic to do some reading on.
> 
> 
> Talana
> Backgammon, anyone?
> 
> 
> 

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