The Online Poker Expert

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The origins of the game of poker are somewhat murky but there is some evidence that the version of poker we play today is derived from several ancient games. Some think it came from the 16th century Persian card game known as As Nas, which is played similarly to modern five-card stud and has similar poker hands. But poker also has similarities with the 18th century French game poque and the 500-year-old German game poch or pochspiel, which both contain elements of bluffing and betting. Poch is still played today in Germany under the names Poch, Pochspiel, Pochen, Bock and or Bocken.

Historians have included the Hindu word pukka as another possible source of the name, while some claim that the word has more nefarious origins. It has been said that it originates from the underworld slang word poke, which is used by pickpockets and cardsharps to indicate extracting a sucker of “his poke” (his cash and valuables). A few even believe that the word poker came from the famous term used by magicians: hocus pocus.

Whatever its origins, poker as we know it today is commonly believed to have been born in the United States in the 18th century. There’s a lot of evidence for that poker theory when you think about how many terms from the game are now part of the English language:

• ace in the hole
• ace up your sleeve
• beats me
• blue chip
• call your bluff
• cash in
• high roller
• pass the buck
• poker face
• up the ante
• when the chips are down
• wild card
• odds are

These and many other poker terms (visit www.seriouspoker.com/dictionary.html for others) have been part of the lexicon for decades. It’s ironic really, because some people still look down their noses at poker. Little do they realize that some of the words they use often come straight from the world of cards and clay chips.

These more common terms have been joined by the words “shuffle up and deal,” which can be heard at virtually any poker tournament. Bravo’s Celebrity Poker viewers heard that every week while that show was on the air, which sent those words out over the mainstream airwaves in a way they hadn’t been before. Celebrity Poker, and the more recent Poker After Dark, World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker (WSOP) and High Stakes Poker are only some of the TV shows that have featured poker — and their collective audience is massive. But TV’s stake in poker pales in comparison to that of the Internet, which has breathed new life into the game in a way that nobody probably expected. There are now not only lots of international Internet poker millionaires but new poker fortunes are being made even by people who don’t play the game. A whole new industry has sprung up worldwide that offers poker clothing, collectibles, poker accessories and every manner of poker chip sets, in addition to poker chip carrying cases and playing cards.

So whether poker began in Persia, Germany or the good old U.S.A., it doesn’t matter. It’s clear that poker is now the world’s game.

If you’re ready to learn to play poker, you’ll definitely want to understand its rules and specific poker strategies. To read articles, poker software reviews and participate in discussion forums, visit www.winatpoker.com. Remember, never go to the poker table unarmed — with information, that is!

Image: Les Joueurs de Carte by Paul Cézanne via Wikipedia