Poker
Poker has many variations, each following the same pattern of
play.
The right to deal each hand typically rotates among the players
and is marked by a token called a 'dealer' button or buck. In a
casino, a house dealer handles the cards for each hand, but a
button (typically a white plastic disk) is rotated clockwise
among the players to indicate a nominal dealer to determine the
order of betting.
One or more players are required to make forced bets to create
an initial stake for which the players will contest. The dealer
shuffles the cards, he cuts, and the appropriate number of cards
are dealt to the players one at a time. Cards may be dealt
either face-up or face-down, depending on the variant of poker
being played. 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. At the end of each round,
all bets are gathered into the central pot.
At any time during a betting round, if a player makes a bet,
opponents are required to fold, call or raise. If one player
bets and no opponents choose to match the bet, the hand ends
immediately, the bettor is awarded the pot, no cards are
required to be shown, and the next hand begins. This possibility
of winning a pot without showing a hand makes bluffing possible.
Bluffing is a primary feature of poker, one that distinguishes
it from other vying games and from other games that make use of
poker hand rankings.
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.
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History
The history of poker is a matter of debate. It closely resembles
the Persian game of as nas, and may have been taught to French
settlers in New Orleans by Persian sailors. The name of the game
likely descended from the French poque, which descended from the
German pochen ('to knock'). Yet it is not clear whether the
origins of poker itself lie with the games bearing those names.
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.
As it spread up the Mississippi and West during the gold rush,
it is thought to have become a part of the frontier pioneer
ethos.
Poker /
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Poker’s popularity experienced an unprecedented spike in the
first years of the 21st century, largely because of the
introduction of online poker and the invention of the hole-card
camera, which turned the game into a spectator sport. Viewers
could 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 brought in huge audiences for
cable and satellite TV distributors. Because of the increasing
coverage of poker events, poker pros are becoming more and more
like celebrities, with poker fans all over the world entering
into expensive tournaments for the chance to play with them.
This increased camera exposure also brings a new dimension to
the poker professional's game—the realization that their actions
may be aired later on TV.
Major poker tournament fields have grown dramatically because of
the growing popularity of online satellite-qualifier tournaments
where the prize is an entry into a major tournament. The 2003
and 2004 WSOP champions, Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer,
respectively, won their seats to the main event by winning
online satellites.
Play Poker /
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