Poker

Poker

I

INTRODUCTION

Poker, any of several card games in which players bet on the value of their hands for the purpose of winning a pool (or pot) formed by the money wagered.

Poker is universally popular, not only for its suspenseful betting but also because it involves psychological ploys such as bluffing (betting on a weak hand as though it were strong). Poker can be played among friends for small stakes or in big-money games, including large tournaments offering millions of dollars in prize money. Unlicensed gambling for money, including poker games, remains illegal in many states, however.

II

BASIC RULES

Poker has many different variations, each with rules set by the dealer or by agreement of the players. As few as two and as many as ten (or occasionally more) players can participate in a poker game, but the typical number is four to seven. Larger games sometimes require two decks to play.

The core rule of poker is the relative ranking of the cards and the possible hands. Poker is typically played with a standard 52-card deck with four suits—diamonds, hearts, spades, and clubs—and 13 cards in each suit. From highest to lowest rank, the 13 cards are ace (A), king (K), queen (Q), jack (J), 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 (deuce). Sometimes certain cards are designated as wild cards (cards that can be used to represent any suit or card value). These can be extra cards, often called jokers, or any other cards the dealer selects (such as deuces or red jacks).

Winning and losing in poker is determined by the value of each player’s five-card hand. From highest to lowest, these are the possible hands:

• Five of a kind—five cards of the same rank (only possible if wild cards are being used).
• Royal flush—the A-K-Q-J-10 in the same suit.
• Straight flush—any five cards in the same suit in sequence (such as 9-8-7-6-5 of diamonds).
• Four of a kind
• Full house—three of a kind plus a pair (such as three kings and two 4s).
• Flush—any five cards of the same suit but not in sequence.
• Straight—any five cards in sequence, but not all of the same suit. The ace may be counted as high (above the king) or low (below the two) in a straight.
• Three of a kind
• Two pairs
• One pair
• High card—the highest card in a hand.

If two players have the same hand, the winner is determined by the value of the highest card (or cards), meaning that two kings beats two queens, and a full house of three 9s and two 5s beats one with three 8s and two jacks. If the high cards are the same, then the next highest cards are used, and on down until a winner is determined. If all five cards are equal, the players split the pot.

III

KINDS OF POKER

Poker games fall into several main categories: draw, stud, shared cards, and miscellaneous games. Each category has many different games, often with colorful names such as Texas Hold ’Em, Let It Ride, or Double Revenge. In any of these games, wild cards may be used to vary the action. The wild cards must be announced before the deal.

A

Draw

Draw poker is named for the draw, which allows players to exchange their cards for new ones from the deck. Five cards are dealt at one time to each player. After a round of betting, players may trade in their cards for new ones (so that a player exchanging three cards will get three new cards dealt from the deck). Sometimes the number of cards a player may trade in is limited. Another round of betting then occurs and the remaining players reveal their cards (called the showdown). Players can fold (drop out of a hand) at any time during the game, forfeiting the money they have already bet.

B

Stud

In stud poker cards are dealt or revealed in stages, with rounds of betting between each stage. For example, in five-card stud players receive one card facedown and one card faceup and then take turns betting. Additional cards are dealt faceup one by one with betting after each card. After five cards have been dealt (the last one sometimes facedown) and the betting is over, the remaining players reveal their cards and the winner is determined. Seven-card stud is the same except that the first deal features two cards facedown and one card faceup, with a total of seven cards dealt. Players then select the five best cards to make up their hand.

C

Shared Cards

In shared cards poker, players receive some cards of their own and some cards are shared by all players (community cards). Players then combine their cards with the community cards to form the best five-card hand. One popular form of shared cards poker is Texas Hold ’Em. In this game each player receives two cards facedown, then five community cards are dealt in intervals—first three cards at once, then the last two one by one. Betting occurs after each deal.

D

Miscellaneous

Many other poker variants can be played. They include games with less than five cards (such as Guts), games in which the pot is split between two hands (such as the highest hand and the lowest hand, known as High-Low), or games in which you can see your opponents’ cards but not your own (such as Indian Poker).

IV

BETTING

Poker betting follows specific rules, although there are a number of variations. The basic poker bet is called the ante, which all players must put in the pot before the game starts. (An alternate method requires the first several players to make automatic bets known as blinds.)

After the ante and the initial deal, the first round of betting starts with the player to the left of the dealer. This bettor can check (make no bet), make a bet, or fold. To stay in the game, subsequent bettors must call (match the current bet) or raise (increase the total bet). A round of betting ends when no player makes a further bet or a set limit of turns around the table has been reached. In the next round of betting, the player to the left of the bettor that started the last round of betting must make the first wager, or opt to check or fold. Often there are ground rules specifying the minimum and maximum amounts allowed for bets and raises.

If all players but one fold before the final card is dealt, the remaining player automatically wins the hand (and does not have to show his or her cards). If two or more players are still in after the final round of betting, then all remaining hands are revealed and the winner takes the pot.

V

HISTORY

The principles of poker may date back to ancient times but the game’s actual origins are unclear. Early forms may have included an Asian betting game dating to the 10th century ad and a Persian game known as às nàs. A European game called primero (or primera), popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, bears a resemblance to modern poker. Similar games such as brag (England), pochen (“to bluff” in German), and poque (French for “bag” or “pocket”) emerged in the 18th century.

French traders brought poque to North America in the 1700s, where it spread and acquired its modern name. Poker was a popular game on Mississippi River steamboats and in the saloons of the Western frontier during the 1800s, when the 52-card deck became standard and official rules were drawn up.

The game grew rapidly in the United States in the 20th century, boosted by increased leisure time and a relaxed view of gambling, which was legalized in Nevada in 1931. Soldiers played poker to pass the time during World War II (1939-1945) and it became popular as a home game. In 1970 Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, started the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP). Beginning with just a handful of players, the tournament grew into one of the largest and richest events in the world. A spot in the WSOP costs each entrant $10,000, but many players can avoid the entry fee by winning smaller “satellite” tournaments to get in.

VI

POKER TODAY

In the early 2000s poker tournaments became a popular feature on cable television and interest in the game soared. Today poker is played by millions of people around the world, both in person and on the Internet. The proliferation of poker Web sites means players can practice as much as they want without leaving their homes and without the risk of large losses (many games are played for small or pretend stakes). Boosted by the poker boom, the WSOP also grew tremendously, with more than 8,700 players competing for $82.5 million in prize money in Las Vegas in 2006.

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