The history of poker and its main types

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Play, use strategies, use tactics and of course bluff, but never relax. After all, sometimes you can understand that someone better is sitting at the table only after losing everything to the last penny…

History of poker

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 still others talk about paper dominoes. Of course, there is no confirmation of any of these versions, but it is known for sure that people started playing cards more than one hundred years ago.

After all, during their excavations, archaeologists often find old maps with digital and graphic symbols printed 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 is right, then the first such deck, consisting of 52 cards, appeared in France.

Poker hint

The most ancient predecessor of poker is the Persian game ace us. It required five participants and a deck of 25 cards. By the way,back then the deck structure was different. It consisted of cards of five suits, marked with five different colors.

The next game, more like poker, appeared in 1526. Italian and Spanish players called her Primero. According to the rules, each player received three cards. The winner was the one who had combinations of three or two cards of the same value or three of the same suit in his hands.

In the 17th century, another analogue of poker appeared in England - breg. In Germany it is known as pohen and in France as poque. This is probably where the name of the modern game came from. The player with the highest combination of cards wins. By the way, from that moment began the history of poker as a game for money. Players are much more cautious now, and the fear of blowing money often made them 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 of the theory of probability and be able to apply it.

The history of the game of poker is largely due to the great mathematician, philosopher and engineer of Italian origin Girolamo Cardano. And let him live before the advent 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 gamble, including in Primero. And he did well. It happened that he did not have to earn a living, because all his expenses were covered by winnings. After himself, he left the work "On Gambling", in which he described all the developed strategies.

Varieties of poker

In the twentieth century, poker began to develop rapidly, gaining immense popularity with a large number of fans. And if at first it was a battlefield for swindlers 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 at once. And here are the most popular ones:

• Texas Hold'em. Probably even those who have nothing to do with this game have heard about it. After all, this is the most popular type of poker, invented in Texas at the beginning of the twentieth century. At first, players were de alt five cards each, but due to the fact that there were too many people at the table, their number was reduced to two. The cards are de alt face-down, and then a "buy" 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 collects the highest combination after the opening of the last card of the "buy-in".
• Omaha. This name did not appear in honor of the American city, since Detroit is the birthplace of the game. The popularity of this type of poker quickly spread throughout America, and then the whole world learned about it. The rules here are almost the same, but the number of cards received by the player has been increased to four. To make a combination, you can use only two of them, the remaining three cards are taken from"buy".
• Badugi. Little is known about him, but now he is rapidly gaining popularity. The word "badugi" in Korean means "dog with multi-colored hair." Locals believe that the purity of the breed is confirmed by the presence of different colors. The Badugi rules suggest making a winning combination of four cards. Moreover, they must have different suits and colors.
• Poker Razz. This type of poker was invented in America during the Civil War. True, he was more preferred in the confederate states. No more than 8 people can take part in the game. Everyone picks up seven cards, but collects a combination of only five. Ace is the lowest card here. It would be nice to have him in hand, because this time the combination of low 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 score the highest combination of cards.

Poker. Game history in cyberspace

The Internet has greatly helped the development of poker. For some, this is a convenient option, as you can play your favorite game at any time and from anywhere. And this is 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 players to switch to online poker.

The story of poker does not end here, because it is a whole science, in which there is still somethingstudy. And as long as the game has so many fans, it will continue to exist and develop.