How Pirates Used To Gamble – Gambling In History

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Posted: December 30, 2022

Updated: December 30, 2022

  • Gambling on a pirate ship
  • Did pirates gamble?
  • How pirates used to gamble

No, this article is not to debate who is going to be Johnny Depp’s new wife. Or whether he will have another Pirate movie. However, we are going to discuss how pirates used to gamble. We are not talking about modern pirates. However, we are talking about the typical pirates from history. Therefore, the ones who had eyepatches lost limbs. We are going to introduce you to the general history of pirates.

However, we are going to focus on their gambling habits. Furthermore, you can still try to play pirate-themed slots. All you have to do is to register at an online gambling site in the US. However, keep in mind that even if pirate movies are cool. Any form of piracy is illegal and unethical. Therefore, this article is just an account of history.

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How Pirates Used To Gamble

Before talking about how pirates used to gamble. First, we have to talk about how pirates lived. Because it is a common assumption that pirates are stupid and aggressive. When they weren’t stealing. Pirates were varying from uneducated to straight-out smart and unexpectedly educated. Therefore, we have a rather wide variety of pirates. Because back in the day, it was freer and more affordable to live a pirate life.

Furthermore, piracy was a political and philosophical motion. Therefore, they wanted to acquire total democracy and freedom within their community. More than often pirates came from regions where authoritarian law was established. Law is extremely important when someone is a gambler. For example, you can learn more about offshore betting. – In our modern days, all you have to do is to register at Vave Casino.

The Coinage

There is one more thing to keep in mind before we would debate how pirates used to gamble. Because money was entirely different back then. Therefore, it was not as easy to have multiple currencies as today. People had property and valuables. For example, back then the pirates used gold, silver, and brimstone. Furthermore, gems, and other valuables they have acquired. Therefore, they had to wager what they had. More than often, they also wagered debt, or rarely information.

How pirates used to gamble
Picture Source: Public Domain Pictures

Before we would jump to fantasy conclusions, it’s important to highlight one fact; Pirates had rules. Therefore, one of the rules was that gambling is not allowed on the fleet. Everyone who wanted to gamble on the fleet has managed to gamble. Playing tabletop games or board games. Therefore, they had their chips created for it.

Marias And Talonmarias – How Pirates Used To Gamble

If we talk about how pirates used to gamble. Then we have to start by saying; Yes, they did play some varieties of poker. They still are. However, there was a card game they adored above everything else. According to Pirates Ahoy, pirates played Marias and talonmarias. These two varieties of the same deck of a card can be played with a traditional set of Hungarian cards. The deck consists of 32 cards. Therefore, this is a trick-taking game.

Often the pirates played this card game, the winner was winning the wagered object. Keep in mind that pirates did not comply with any gambling rules. They liked to invent their variables. Therefore, for every pirate ship, probably there were four or five different sets of rules and tabletop games which they used to play.

Dice Variables

Another interesting thing about how pirates used to gamble is the fact that they loved dice games. However, they had their ivory balls. Therefore, this ivory ball had numbers written all over them each side. This is probably one of the first variations of D&D dies. However, some people assume that pirates created dies out of human bones.

How pirates used to gamble
Picture Source: Pexels

This is questionable. However, since pirates had no laws against killing they did kill many while stealing booty. They probably had people who tried to make dies out of human bones. However, the most common die was made out of ivory. The reason behind this was the quality of the bone. Many trinkets are created out of the same material.

On The Land – How Pirates Used To Gamble

According to World History, one of the doom of pirate society was land-based gambling. Because it was one of the main reasons behind losing money. Therefore, many pirates knew that they wouldn’t be able to keep their wealth. This is why they have decided to bury their treasure. While burying a treasure is often just used in fiction. There were a few pirates in history who did that.

However, the examples of these pirates are extremely small. Therefore, if you have played with a pirate, you have to be in a safe place. Because pirates also liked to scam people, only to never return. However, some pirates also frequented the available Bays. This is why the opposite also applied to many. If you were friends with a pirate, you likely had a comrade in him. Because he kept returning for different businesses.

How Pirates Used To Gamble And Live

If we are debating how pirates used to gamble, then you also have to understand the way they had to live. According to Boat Tours Johns Pass, pirates loved alcohol and tabletop games. However, if we are putting the two together, then the result might not be as cinematic as one might expect. Because we all know how hard it is to debate with a group of drunk people.

How pirates used to gamble
Picture Source: Pexels

In conclusion, you pirates were not always gambling for cash. One thing you have to know about pirate society is that they treated each other well. Therefore, there were shares they received from the pot. Some ranks received two shares instead of one.

However, keep in mind that in their society, they also valued each other.  For example, if someone has lost a limb, they receive a large amount of money as compensation for their body parts. Therefore, pirates did have ethics and honor toward each other.

Gamble Like A Pirate Online

For some reason, the sea can not be bound by law. For example, the Historic Riverboat Casino made a huge profit out of the fact that there is no law on the sea. Therefore, the invention of casino boats has been the biggest exploit against land-based casino restrictions. Furthermore, we are living in the digital age. Therefore, we have countless casino sites you could play at. We recommend you register at Vave Casino.

There you will find several different themed slot machine games. Furthermore, you can play live card games with other gamblers. Play some pirate shanties and a sea-wave ASMR, and your room will turn into a makeshift time machine to the times. Where pirates played card games on the sea.

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