Poker

 Poker

Most modern poker games begin with one or two players making a forced wager (the blind or the ante) in the first round. Each player places a wager based on how valuable their hand is compared to others. The action continues clockwise. Each player then must match (or "call") their maximum previous bet or fold. This will result in losing all of the money bet and any further involvement in poker. A player who matches a wager may also "raise" the stakes. All players must have either called or folded the last bet to end the betting round. If any player fails to call the last bet or folds, the remaining players take the pot. If more than one player is still in contention at the end of the betting round, a showdown will take place. The winning hand is revealed and the pot is taken by the player who has the best hand.

With the exceptions of initial forced wagers, money is not placed in the pot by players who believe that the bet will have positive expected value or are trying to deceive other players. Although the outcome of any given hand will be determined by luck, the long-term goals of players can be determined by their decisions based on psychology, probability and game theory.

Poker has seen a rise in popularity since the early 20th century. It was once a hobby that was only enjoyed by a few enthusiasts, but has now become a very popular sport for spectators and players alike, with professional players and multi-million-dollar prizes in tournaments. [2]

Poker's origins remain a matter of dispute. However, game scholars often point out the French game Poque or the Persian game As-Nas for possible inspirations. R. F. Foster stated that the game of poker as it was first played in America, with five cards per player, from a twenty-card deck, "is undoubtedly the Persian-based game of As-Nas." David Parlett, one of the leading gaming historians, challenged the notion that poker is an As-Nas-derived game. It is clear, however, that poker was popularized in the American South during the early 19th Century, when gambling riverboats along the Mississippi River and around New Orleans in 1830s helped spread it. Joe Cowell, an English actor recorded one early description of poker on a steamboat in 1829. The game featured twenty cards ranging from Ace (highest rank) to Ten (10 lowest). [4]

Contrary to this poker variant, seven-card Stud was only introduced in the middle 19th century. It was heavily promoted by the US Military. It became a common fixture in many casinos after the second World War and was popularized by the World Series of Poker in 1970s. [6]

Over the next few decades, Texas Hold 'Em (and other community-based card games) became dominant in the gambling world. The popularity of poker increased significantly with the advent of televising it. This resulted in the poker boom of 2003-2006. Poker has become a popular pastime around the world. Poker Basics