Pai Gow Poker is a popular casino game that has gained immense popularity in recent years. It is a game of skill and chance that combines elements of traditional Chinese dominoes with poker. However, not many people know about the origin of this exciting game.
The history of Pai Gow Poker dates back to the 19th century, and it was invented by Sam Torosian, a renowned casino owner in California. In 1985, he introduced this new game in his Bell Card Club Casino in Los Angeles, which became an instant hit among the players.
Sam Torosian was born in Iran and migrated to the United States at a young age. He started his career as a dealer and later went on to become one of the most successful casino owners in California. He was always on the lookout for new games to attract more players to his casino.
In the early 1980s, Sam Torosian came across a traditional Chinese dominoes game called Pai Gow. He found it interesting but realized that it would not attract many players as it lacked excitement and thrill. This is when he came up with an idea to combine Pai Gow with some elements of poker to create a new game that would be more appealing to players.
Sam Torosian spent several months developing and testing different variations of this new game until he finally came up with Pai Gow Poker. The game became an instant hit among the players because it combined the best elements of both games – strategy and luck.
Initially, Sam Torosian faced some challenges while trying to patent his new invention. He realized that he had made a mistake by not consulting any lawyers before introducing Pai Gow Poker into his casino. He had wrongly assumed that since casinos were not allowed to patent their games, individual inventors were also not required to do so.
However, Sam Torosian soon realized his mistake and tried to rectify it by filing for a patent for Pai Gow Poker. Unfortunately, he was too late, and his application was rejected as another casino had already patented a similar game called Fortune Pai Gow.
Despite this setback, Sam Torosian continued to promote and develop his new game. He introduced several variations of Pai Gow Poker, such as Progressive Pai Gow and Pai Gow Mania, which became popular among the players.
In conclusion, Sam Torosian was the mastermind behind the invention of Pai Gow Poker. His creativity and innovation have brought joy and excitement to millions of players worldwide. Today, this game is enjoyed by people of all ages and nationalities in casinos around the world.
