Poker

From ArticleWorld


The term Poker refers to many different card games where wagering is involved. Generally cards are partially or wholly concealed, and the players make wagers into a central ‘’pot’’. The pot is awarded to the player, or players, with the best hand (combination of cards). Poker can also refer to Video Poker, which is a single player game based on poker hand rankings.


History

Although open to debate, ‘’’Poker’’’ likely descended from the French game, ‘’poque’’. The French game likely descended from the German game ‘’pochen’’. It is more likely that different aspects of Poker were influenced by many earlier games. In 1829, English actor, Joseph Crowell reported that the game was being played, with twenty cards, in New Orleans. The game spread to the rest of the country via the Mississippi riverboats. Soon after, the fifty two card deck started being used. Many changes, and additions, to the game were made during the American Civil War, including the addition of new hands, variations of the game itself and the split-pot. The jargon of poker is an important parts of American culture. Many poker terms are used in common conversation, to this day. Examples of this are, ‘’ace in the hole’’, ‘’high roller’’, and ‘’wild card’’. More popular than ever, the game today is broadcast on television and some players are achieving celebrity status.

Famous Quotes

‘’Nobody is always a winner, and anybody who says he is, is either a liar or doesn’t play poker.’’ – Amarillo Slim

‘’There are few things that are so unpardonable neglected in our country as poker…Why, I have known clergymen, good men, kindhearted, liber, sincere, and all that, who did not know the meaning of a ‘’flush’’. It is enough to make one ashamed of one’s own species.’’ – Mark Twain

‘’If you can’t spot the sucker within the first half hour at the table, the you are the sucker.’’ – Amarillo Slim

‘’Cards are war, in disguise of a sport.’’ – Charles Lamb