Play, apply strategies, use tactics and, of course, bluff, but never relax. After all, sometimes it’s possible to understand that someone is sitting at the table better, only by losing everything to the last penny ...
Poker History
Before talking about the history of poker, you need to understand when and where card games appeared. Some experts believe that the first deck of cards was created in China. Others claim that these were not cards, but banknotes. And others talk about paper dominoes. Of course, there is no confirmation of any of these versions, but it is known that playing cards began more than one hundred years ago.
Indeed, during their excavations, archaeologists often find ancient maps with digital and graphic symbols on them. Moreover, on some cards there were only images, and on others - only numbers. It turns out that modern cards are a hybrid of two ancient decks. And if the history of poker does not lie, then the first such deck, consisting of 52 cards, appeared in France.
Hint of poker
The most ancient predecessor of poker is the Persian game as us. She needed five members and a deck of 25 cards. By the way, then the deck structure was different. It consisted of cards of five colors, marked with five different colors.
The next game, more similar to poker, appeared in 1526. Italian and Spanish players called her Primero. According to the rules, each player received three cards. The winner is the one who holds a combination of three or two cards of the same value or three suited.
In the 17th century, another analogue of poker appeared in England - breg. In Germany, it is known as Pohen, and in France as Poque. Probably, this is where the name of the modern game came from. The player who scored the highest combination of cards won. By the way, from that moment the history of poker began as a game for money. Now, the players have become much more cautious, and the fear of losing funds often forced them to give up.
Strategies from the Past
Poker is not just a mindless game. It requires strategic thinking and obeys certain laws of mathematics. To become a successful player, it would be nice to have knowledge in probability theory and be able to apply them.
The history of the poker game owes much to the great mathematician, philosopher and engineer of Italian origin Girolamo Cardano. And although he lived until the appearance of this fun itself, but the techniques that many now use were developed by this person. The fact is that at different periods of his life Cardano loved to play gambling, including Primero. And he did well. It happened that he did not have to earn a living, because all his expenses covered the winnings. After himself, he left the work "On Gambling", in which he described all the strategies developed.
Varieties of poker
In the twentieth century, poker began to develop rapidly, gaining immense popularity among a large number of fans. And if at first it was a battlefield for scammers and thieves who gathered at the tables of taverns, then later it became a national American game. Moreover, the history of poker knows several of its types. And here are the most popular ones:
- Texas Hold'em. Probably even those who have nothing to do with this game have heard of him. After all, this is the most popular type of poker, invented in Texas at the beginning of the twentieth century. At first, the players were dealt five cards each, but due to the fact that there were too many willing people at the table, their number was reduced to two. Cards are dealt “shirts” up, and then a “buy-in” consisting of five cards is laid out. They are common, i.e. everyone can use them to get a winning combination. The winner is the one who, after opening the last “buy-in" card, collects the highest combination.
- Omaha . This name did not appear in honor of the American city, since the birthplace of the game is Detroit. The popularity of this type of poker quickly spread throughout America, and then the whole world learned about it. The rules here are practically the same, but the number of cards received by the player is increased to four. To make a combination, you can use only two of them, the remaining three cards are taken from the “buy”.
- Badugi . Little is known about him, but now he is quickly gaining popularity. The word "badugi" in Korean means "dog with colorful hair." Locals believe that the purity of the breed is confirmed by the presence of different colors. Badugi rules suggest collecting a winning combination of four cards. Moreover, they should have different suits and colors.
- Poker Razz This kind of poker was invented in America during the Civil War. True, he was preferred more in the confederate states. Take part in the game can no more than 8 people. Each draws seven cards, but the combination collects only five. Ace is the youngest card here. It would be nice to have it in your hands, because this time the combination of the lower cards wins.
- Caribbean poker. A variation that is now popular in many casinos. It is also called Oasis Poker. It is very popular in the Caribbean, hence the name. The task of the players is to collect the highest combination of cards.
Poker. The story of the game in cyberspace
The Internet has greatly helped poker development. For some, this is a convenient option, as you can play your favorite game at any time and from anywhere. And this is the first. Secondly, in cyberspace, you can fight with players from all over the world. Thirdly, you can play without spending a single penny. All these advantages have led many offline poker fans to switch to online poker.
The story of poker does not end there, because it is a whole science in which there is still something to study. And while the game has so many fans, it will exist and develop.