Poker is a game which people play with a normal set (or deck) of 52 cards. Poker is a gambling game which involves some luck, but also some skill. In poker, players make bets against each other depending on the value of their poker hand. Bets are usually made with plastic or ceramic discs called chips. Bets may also be made with real money, but chips are more often used because they are easier to handle and count. At the end of the game, players either swap their chips for money, or the chips are counted to determine the order of winners.
There are many different kinds of poker. In draw poker, each player is dealt five cards. A player can decide to throw away a number of these cards and then take (draw) new cards to replace them.
In stud poker (for example, seven-card stud), some of each player's cards are laid (face-up) on the table so that the other players can see them. In community card poker (for example, Texas hold 'em), players share some of their cards in the center of the table.[1]
The history of poker is a matter of some debate. The name of the game likely descended from the French poque, which descended from the German pochen ('to knock'), but it is not clear whether the origins of poker itself lie with the games bearing those names. It closely resembles the Persian game of as nas, and may have been taught to French settlers in New Orleans by Persian sailors. It is commonly regarded as sharing ancestry with the Renaissance game of primero and the French brelan. The English game brag (earlier bragg) clearly descended from brelan and incorporated bluffing (though the concept was known in other games by that time). It is quite possible that all of these earlier games influenced the development of poker as it exists now.
English actor Joseph Crowell reported that the game was played in New Orleans in 1829, with a deck of 20 cards, four players betting on which player's hand was the most valuable. Jonathan H. Green's book, An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling (G. B. Zieber, Philadelphia, 1843), described the spread of the game from there to the rest of the country by Mississippi riverboats, on which gambling was a common pastime.
Soon after this spread, the full 52-card English deck was used, and the flush was introduced. During the American Civil War, many additions were made, including draw poker, stud poker (the five-card variant), and the straight. Further American developments followed, such as the wild card (around 1875), lowball and split-pot poker (around 1900), and community card poker games (around 1925). Spread of the game to other countries, particularly in Asia, is often attributed to the U.S. military.
The game and jargon of poker have become important parts of American culture and English culture. Such phrases as ace in the hole, beats me, blue chip, call the bluff, cash in, pass the buck, poker face, stack up, up the ante, when the chips are down, wild card, and others are used in everyday conversation even by those unaware of their origins at the poker table.
Modern tournament play became popular in American casinos after the World Series of Poker began in 1970. It was also during that decade that the first serious strategy books appeared, notably The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky (ISBN1880685000), Super System by Doyle Brunson (ISBN1580420818), and The Book of Tells by Mike Caro (ISBN0897461002).
Pokers popularity has experienced an unprecedented spike in recent years, largely due to the introduction of online poker and the invention of the hole-card camera which finally turned the game into a spectator sport. Viewers can now follow the action and drama of the game, and broadcasts of poker tournaments such as the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour have brought in huge audiences for cable and satellite TV distributors.
The game of poker is played in hundreds of variations, but the following overview of game play applies to most of them.
Depending on the game rules, one or more players may be required to place an initial amount of money into the pot before the cards are dealt. These are called forced bets and come in three forms: antes, blinds, and bring-ins.
Like most card games, the dealer shuffles the deck of cards. The deck is then cut, and the appropriate number of cards are dealt face-down to the players. In a casino a "house" dealer handles the cards for each hand, but a button (any small item used as a marker, also called a buck) is rotated among the players to determine the order of dealing and betting in certain games. In a home game, the right to deal the cards typically rotates among the players clockwise, but a button may still be used.
After the initial deal, the first of what may be several betting rounds begins. Between rounds, the players' hands develop in some way, often by being dealt additional cards or replacing cards previously dealt. During a round of betting, there will always be a current bet amount, which is the total amount of money bet in this round by the player who bet last in this round. To keep better track of this, it is conventional for players to not place their bets directly into the pot (called splashing the pot), but rather place them in front of themselves toward the pot, until the betting round is over. When the round is over, the bets are then gathered into the pot.
After the first betting round is completed (every participating player having called an equal amount), there may be more rounds in which more cards are dealt in various ways, followed by further rounds of betting (into the same central pot). At any time during the first or subsequent betting rounds, if one player makes a bet and all other players fold, the deal ends immediately, the single remaining player is awarded the pot, no cards are shown, no more rounds are dealt, and the next deal begins. This is what makes it possible to bluff.
At the end of the last betting round, if more than one player remains, there is a showdown in which the players reveal their previously hidden cards and evaluate their hands. The player with the best hand according to the poker variant being played wins the pot.
The following are poker hands, from best to worst:
Poker chips are small disks. They made by various materials including molded plastic, colored metal molded clays. They are used in table games as play money. Modern poker traces its roots towards the 1800s, and in those days, players used what you could to help keep a tally. Coins, gold dust and nuggets were used until they considered replacing with something which would indicate them. Thus, the casino chips happen to be introduced within the gambling business.
Poker rooms started using casino chips to simply manage the cash and then collect charges. In those days, casino chips were created of ivory, bone, paper wood. However, the most generally used chips were created of composite clay. One problem made an appearance due to the developing casino chips which was cheating. Some players considered sneaking some chips in their hands. To avoid this, manufacturers created differentiated disks. Consequently, a range of styles was created. With time, other manufacturers could use many other materials for making casino chips, for example, plastic and metal.[2]
Read the original:
Poker - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Podcast: Lexi Gavin-Mather talks about her life in poker and finding love on the circuit - PokerStars - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Crypto Whales Bet 300K USDT On A Crazy Hand Of Poker At CoinPoker - Cryptonews - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Two implicated in poker box theft | News - Jamaica Star Online - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Taxi driver and tattoo artist held after cops find poker boxes in car | Loop Jamaica - Loop News Jamaica - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Two charged after theft of poker boxes from St Elizabeth bar - Jamaica Observer - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Introducing Lukas "RobinPoker" Robinson's Poker on a Boat: The WPT Voyage Experience - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Support The Quad City Areas VFWs During This Poker Run - 97X - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Poker Player Ryan Garcia Upsets Heavily Favored Devin Haney in What Should Have Been a Title Fight - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Dustin Melanson Crushes Final Table to Become WSOPC Playground Main Event Champion - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Above the Felt's Poker Room Grand Opening in Wisconsin - World Casino Directory - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Poker in the Ears Episode 305: Lexy Gavin-Mather Tells Her Poker Story - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Poker Hall of Famer Crandell Addington Passes Away at 85 - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- The best NBA poker players of all time - Dunkest - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Best Offshore Poker Sites for the US Players in 2024 - ReadWrite - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- "Groundbreaking Ruling" Sees Poker Sites Ordered to Refund Losses to Players - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Josh Reichard Leads Final 16 in WPT SHRPS; Lonis, Linde & Tice in Contention - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- BetMGM And Z4 Nevada Online Poker Rooms Expected In 2025 - PlayUSA - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- BR Boat Club hosts 35th annual poker run to benefit Dreams Come True - Unfiltered with Kiran - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- News: Poker player forfeits chip lead for birth of his son - pokerstrategy.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- The 6 Best Tether Poker Sites in 2024 USDT Poker Sites Reviewed - Cryptonews - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Lorenz Schollhorn Wins the Biggest-Ever WPT Prime Gold Coast Championship - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- World Series of Poker Broadcast Schedule Released - CardsChat.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Tarpon man used housemate's shotgun to ambush him after night of poker, police say - Tampa Bay Times - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Bubble Bursts on Day 2 of WPT SHRPS as 101 Players Advance; Josh Reichard Leads - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- "Dirty Diaper" Comes Back to Haunt Rigby as Opponents Play it Back at WPT SHRPS - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- "One of My Biggest Dreams": Reigning POY Bin Weng Reflects on WPT SHRPS Victory - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- 'Like poker night for women': Younger generations are clicking with mahjong - The Jewish News of Northern California - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Robin Weigert ('We Were the Lucky Ones') reveals that tennis, poker and water parks helped the cast bond for the ... - WiscNews - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Millions of Dollars on the Table in This Week's High Stakes Poker Episode - PokerNews.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Ben Ludlow Riding Wave of Momentum onto WPT Voyage - World Poker Tour - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- News: WSOP Mystery Millions to award the bracelet at random - pokerstrategy.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- ACR Poker Guaranteeing Thousands Of Online Seats With Venom Fever - Poker News - CardPlayer.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Blind River Bar Reopening In Time For Tickfaw 200 Poker Run - SpeedontheWater - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Mystery Bounties, Ontario Online Poker and the Sale: Q&A with Partypoker's Jaime Staples - Pokerfuse - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- News: Second half of 2024 WPT schedule is out - pokerstrategy.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Over $1500 Added Value in our PokerNews Home Games on PokerStars in April - PokerNews.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- PokerNews Freerolls Every Weekend on WPT Global - PokerNews.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- NFL Draft is poker season, and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy might simply be its latest QB bluff - Yahoo Sports - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Local goes all-in with poker club - Sandusky Register - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- The Commerce Casino & Hotel and the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Forge Historic Partnership - PR Newswire - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- World Series of Poker at Turning Stone awards record $6.2 million in winnings (See top players) - syracuse.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Jakub Michalak Puts on a Grand Performance in the Merit Poker Carmen Series High Roller - PokerNews.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Snake Helps Thief With Casino Robbery - Poker News - CardPlayer.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Life Outside Poker: Farah Galfond on Days of Our Lives, Balancing Poker & Family - PokerNews.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Commerce Casino Announced As New Home of The 2024 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions - Poker ... - CardPlayer.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Attention, Ontario Poker Players: You Can Win a WSOP 2024 Main Event Seat for Just $20 - Pokerfuse - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Everygame Poker Launches Fast Fortune - Their Own Spin & Go Game! - Business Wire - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- PokerStars UKIPT and ESPT Team Up for Spectacular Summer Stop in Spain - PokerNews.com - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- How poker chips sparked Marquette to its 87-69 comeback win over Western Kentucky - Marquette Wire - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Brett Murray Embraces His Role as The God of Thunder - World Poker Tour - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- $100000 Paid Out to Whistleblowers: How WPT Global Rewards "Integrity in Poker" - Pokerfuse - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Video Poker Takes Your Money In 10 Lines Of BASIC - Hackaday - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Plug Pulled 500 Hours Into Poker Bankroll Challenge: "We Just Take the L" - PokerNews.com - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Everygame Poker Offer Free Spins on Popular Slot Releases - World Casino Directory - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Everygame Poker's Easter Free Spins feature New Rockstar World Tour and No Deposit Bonus for Chinese Slot - WebWire - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Balatro's dev doesn't really care for Poker, almost named the game Joker Poker - GoNintendo - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Junglee Poker's Dhina Dhin Dha Tournament Series Wraps up with a Bang More Action-Packed Events Anticipated Ahead - The Week - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Fausto Tantillo Goes Runner-Runner to Snag the Chip Lead on Day 2 of the Merit Poker Carmen Series Main Event - PokerNews.com - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- World Poker Tour turns to AI dubbing - Broadcast - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Fouad Rabahie Becomes the Maestro of ESPT Madrid Main Event - PokerNews.com - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- John Malkovich Reflects on Iconic Rounders Role as Teddy KGB in GQ Interview - PokerNews.com - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- This Week in Poker Podcasts for March 25, 2024 - Pokerfuse - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Rumored Ryan Garcia in Millions of Debt from Poker - HighstakesDB - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- 'Pioneer Woman' Ree Drummond credits church and poker for family reunion - Yahoo Entertainment - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- FRIESEN: Poker game pays off, as Jets join shootout in the 'Wild West' - Winnipeg Sun - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Sugen Singh Takes The Trophy in the 2024 Sunbet Poker Tour Time Square Main Event - PokerNews.com - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- High Stakes Legend Tom Dwan Signs with ACR Poker As ACR Pro - PR Newswire - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- DeSantis gave the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to run online sports bettings in Florida. Now the states racetracks and poker rooms are fighting... - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Theres another run at opening Dallas poker houses - The Dallas Morning News - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Amidst Accusations, Tom Dwan Named Ambassador of Unregulated Poker Site - PokerNews.com - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Poker Returns to Potawatomi in Milwaukee on May 3 With Brand-New Room - PokerNews.com - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- PokerStars Players in India Moved to Junglee Poker Platform - PokerNews.com - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Triton Poker: Holz Cracks Aces for Fourth Title; Rokita Comes Out on Top in Rollercoaster Heads-Up - PokerNews.com - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Poker roguelike sensation Balatro sells more than 500000 copies in just 10 days - PC Gamer - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- News: Tomas Geleziunas goes back-to-back in the Dublin Poker Festival - pokerstrategy.com - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Top 10 Richest Poker Players Ever - Net Worth Rankings 2024 - Techopedia - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Your Questions About the Pennsylvania Online Poker Bill, Answered - Pokerfuse - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Virtue Poker (VPP) Do the Risks Outweigh the Rewards Monday? - InvestorsObserver - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Indie Poker-Like Game 'Balatro' Has Sold More Than 500,000 Copies in Two Weeks - Bloomberg - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- This Week in Poker Podcasts for March 11, 2024 - Pokerfuse - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]