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Poker is basically a five-card game, where players bet on who holds
the best card combination. The best card hand will of course win the
pot money. Often played with many players, each player will have to
either bet, raise the stakes if they feel that the hands they are dealt
with are good or fold if they feel that another player’s hand is better. The
origin of the name Poker is still unclear. Many say that the name came
from the French game Poque or the German game pochspiel. Others claim
that it came from a Hindu word while others believe it to have evolved
from the term hocus pocus. It is also in poker that the term
“bluffing” is used. Because there are cards that other players cannot
see, some players who are expert in “bluffing” can make it appear that
they have an unbeatable card and force other players to fold even if
their cards are actually not so high. Poker has been associated with
this kind of trick play that it has often been called “bluff.” Through
the years, poker has given birth to so many variations but still only
one rule remains, only five cards can be played and the others
discarded. These cards are then used to make different hand
combinations. These are the straight flush, which consists of five
cards in suit and sequence, including the Ace. The royal flush will
have the Ace, the king, Queen, Jack and 10 of the same suit. Four of a
kind, on the other hand, consists of four cards with same rank and one
odd card. The next in line is the full house, has three cards of
the same rank with another two of the same rank. The flush consists of
five cards in the same suit regardless of the rank while three of a
kind must have three of the same rank and two who are odd cards. Two
pair has two pairs with the same rank and one odd card while the one
pair has two cards of the same rank with three odd cards. When there
are no combinations formed, the one with the highest card will win the
game. Origins of the game Poker, like all modern games,
seem to have evolved from different games played around the world. One
noted origin of poker is from the Chinese game, which makes use of
domino cards. Egyptians have also been known to play a similar form of
game during the 12th and 13th century. In the 16th century, there is
also a game called Treasure cards, which is quite similar. A treasure
card deck has 96 cards. As Nas, another game played by the Persians
also have similar rounds of betting and hierarchical combination
rankings. The French game, Poque and the German game Pochen,
which became immensely popular in the 17th and 18th centuries as well
as the Spanish game Primero during the 16th century was supposed to
also influenced the poker game. These games utilized bluffing and the
same dealing of cards. In fact, Primero is actually referred to as the
mother of the modern poker. The Poker game purportedly started in
the early periods of the 19th century in New Orleans, a former French
Territory before being placed under the jurisdiction of the United
States by virtue of the Louisiana Purchase. History traces its roots
from the floating saloons in Mississippi. As early as 1843, there are
already references made to poker in books and journals that were
published. Unlike the modern version of poker which makes use of
a 52-deck of cards, early poker makes use of a 20-card deck. The top
hand combination were four aces or four kings with an ace. The 52-card
deck were however used in mid-1830s because it can accommodate more
players with far longer betting rounds.
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