The History Of Chuck-A-Luck
Chuck A Luck is a gambling game that employs three dice and a
wire cage or cone-shaped chute. The dice used are standard
six-sided cubes numbered from 1 to 6 at each side. The chute,
which can be made of either leather or metal, is usually called
a 'horn'.
The use of metal chutes in the game of Chuck A Luck is
associated with the so-called tinhorn gamblers, who were
actually gamblers with little money, thus the choice of metal
over the higher-priced leather. An early version of the game was
played by the dice being thrown or "chucked" - hence the name. A
heavy welded metal birdcage device eventually became the
standard use where only the dealers are allowed to turn the
cage.
The Chuck A Luck cage has been loosely interchanged by many with
any birdcage tumbler. This is only true on the basis of the
game's definition as long as there are three dice in the cage.
Cages are also used for other games such as High/Low (Under and
Over) but with a different number of dice.
Origins of Gambling and Gaming in the US
Long before casinos came to be, card, dice and gaming table
possession were outlawed in some places. As time passed, laws
were relaxed to allow casual gaming or games for purely
recreational purposes and not for trade. However, general
hostility toward professional gamblers took a long time to go
away and sometimes resulted in lynching.
There were places, however, that accepted gambling as a harmless
form of recreational activity. Legal gambling took the form of
card, dice and animal racing games that were perceived to be
proper gentlemen's diversion. The wide appeal of gambling is
attributed to its association with the frontier spirit, which
relies on high expectations, risk-taking and opportunism.
Lotteries were widespread and used mainly to raise revenues.
Some of the earliest and most prestigious universities such as
Harvard and Yale were established using proceeds coming from
lotteries. Dice and card games in taverns and roadhouses slowly
initiated casino gaming. Casinos were established as the
population increased.
During the highest point of California gambling, Faro was the
most popular game played in saloons; followed by several dice
games such as high/low, chuck a luck and grand hazard. The
spread of settlers beyond California expedited the spread of
gambling as well. Since then, laws have been enacted across the
country in a bid to bestow respectability and recognition of
legal gambling.
Origins of Chuck A Luck
Chuck A Luck is an old game that originated in English pubs. It
was then known as "Sweat Cloth" and was introduced in the US
sometime around 1800 as "Sweat". It also became known by several
other names such as "Chucker Luck", "Chuck-Luck" and "Chuck"
during the mid-to-late 1800's. It was only after 1900 that it
was called "Birdcage" and eventually "Chuck A Luck".
"Sweat" was played using a cup and three dice, which were
thrown. Due to allegations of cheating by operators in the use
of weighted or trick-shaped dice and the practice of trick dice
throwing, the cup was replaced by a birdcage-like device which
was flipped several times by the dealer and displayed the
results when the cage stopped and the dice dropped.
Chuck A Luck took a more advanced form through "Grand Hazard",
another type of dice game. The main difference lies in the
layout. At present, the game can be found only in a handful of
casinos worldwide, overshadowed by more recent versions of the
simple dice game. Casino dice games have indeed come a long way,
considering that tossing up dice holds traces of the ancient
cult, being associated with the rituals of fortune telling.