Online Poker Guide
The history of Poker is thought to have evolved over more than ten centuries from various games, all involving the basic principals of ranked card or domino combinations and the use of ‘bluffing’ to deceive opponents.
One popular belief is that a game similar to poker was first invented by the Chinese sometime before 969 A.D, when The Emperor Mu-tsung is reported to have played "domino cards" with his wife on new years eve.
It is also written, Egyptians in the 12th & 13th centuries were known to have used a particular form of playing cards, and in 16th century Persia “Ganjifa” or “Treasure Cards” were used for most betting games. A Ganjifa deck consisted of 96 designed cards, made from paper thin slices of ivory or precious wood. The Persians played a game called “As Nas” which utilized 25 cards, where rounds of betting are arranged in order of rank.
In 1834, Jonathan H. Green made one of the earliest written references to poker as the "cheating game," which was being played on Mississippi riverboats. The Cheating Game quickly began to replace the popular card game of 3-card monte on the gambling circuit. Gamers embraced the new game as it was perceived as a more challenging gamble than the notoriously rigged 3-card game.
During the Wild West period of history, all saloons had Poker tables in just about every town from coast to coast. Extremely popular during the Civil War, the soldiers of both armies played this game.
The Basics To Playing Online Poker
- The objective of Poker is to obviously win the pot, and to do this you need to have the highest ranking hand, or be a good con artist by bluffing the other players into folding by making them believe you have the winning hand. To do this it will depend on the actual game you are playing, as there are a number of different Poker games, and each one has their own combination for the best win. Online Poker has become extremely popular, and there are a great many strategies available to suit each game. Also available Online is Multi hand Video Poker where you could play as many as 100 games simultaneously - however a game like this is played automatically by the computer.
- For beginners wanting to play online, it would be advisable to select a recommended Poker room that offers free poker games - this will give you the opportunity to get the feel of the game, or better still, once you have signed up, which will not cost you anything unless you intend on wagering, click onto an active table and watch the game in progress and how it is played.
- The game starts with the dealer handing out the cards clockwise from his/ her left. As soon as the cards are dealt, the players then have four options. You could check the bet (bet nothing but still remain in the game), call the previous bet (bet the same amount as the previous bet), raise the previous bet (increase the amount of the previous bet), or fold (giving up a chance to win the pot by not matching a bet and relinquishing your cards).