Poker howto
Poker is a popular card game in which players, each holding one or more cards whose face value is concealed, place wagers into a central pot. The pot 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.
about 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 call (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.
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. Each player will
attempt to make the best five card poker hand using the community
cards and their own face down cards. 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.
howto 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 and 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.
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). 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.