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Poker
is a card game, the most popular
of a class of games called vying
games, in which players with fully
or partially concealed cards make
wagers into a central pot, which
is awarded to the player or players
with the best combination of cards
or to the player who makes an uncalled
bet. Poker
can also refer to video poker, a
single-player game
seen in casinos much like a slot
machine,
or to other games that use poker
hand rankings.
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Game play: Poker is played in a multitude
of variations, but most follow the same
basic 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.
For
each hand, 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. The ability to win 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.
The
most popular poker variants are as follows:
Draw poker: Players each receive five
- as in five-card draw - or more cards,
all of which are hidden. They can then
replace one or more of these cards a
certain number of times. Stud poker:
Players receive cards one at a time,
some being displayed to other players
at the table. The key difference between
stud and 'draw' poker is that players
are not allowed to discard or replace
any cards. Community card poker: Players
combine individually dealt cards with
a number of "community cards"
dealt face up and shared by all players.
Two or four individual cards may be
dealt in the most popular variations,
Texas hold 'em and Omaha hold 'em, respectively.
See
betting (poker) for detailed rules regarding
forced bets, betting actions, limits,
stakes, and all-in situations. See List
of poker variants and poker hand rankings
for order of play and other details
for the most common poker variants.he
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 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. As it
spread up the Mississippi and West during
the gold rush, it is thought to have
become a part of the frontier, pioneering
ethos.
Harry
Truman's poker chipsSoon 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). The 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 and
clichés as ace in the hole, ace
up one's sleeve, beats me, blue chip,
call one's bluff, cash in, high roller,
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. Notable champions from
these early WSOP tournaments include
Johnny Moss, Amarillo Slim, and Doyle
Brunson. It was also during that decade
that the first serious strategy books
appeared, notably Super/System by Doyle
Brunson and The Book of Tells by Mike
Caro, followed later by The Theory of
Poker by David Sklansky.
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.
History of
Blackjack
History of Baccarat
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