Poker
Poker: From the ‘cheating game’ to respectability
There is a dispute among card
historians as to the exact origins of the card game known as
‘Poker’. Some claim that it is a derivation of a centuries old
Persian game called ‘Ậs Nas’, while others insist that it is
Chinese in origin started Emperor Mu-tsung. The French imported
a Spanish card game called ‘Pochen’ (which they renamed
‘Poque’) into New Orleans which most people agree was the
beginning of the game we now know as Poker.
The game of Poker quickly spread
up the Mississippi via the Riverboat gamblers of the 1800’s.
The earliest written accounts of the card game of Poker was
made by Jonathan H. Green where he referred to Poker in his
writings as ‘The Cheating Game’, a name that probably refers to
both the idea of ‘bluffing’ (a major
part of the game and until Poker seldom found in card games)
and the amount of money lost to those who were unfortunate
enough to lose their money to the riverboat gamblers of the
period.
Poker soon became a part of
Americana during this country’s Wild West era. There was hardly
a saloon or hotel that didn’t have a Poker game in progress
either in a backroom or at a table.
Until recently Poker was
relegated to a card game that was played at a ‘boy’s night out’
gathering or by professionals at gaming casinos or illegal
gambling houses. With the growth of the internet and the sudden
rise of Poker variants such as “Texas Hold’ Em” Poker has now
found its way into the social mainstream. Now everyone from
housewives to professional gamblers are playing the game.
Poker Explodes
The game of poker has taken off
like wildfire in both the United States and abroad. Poker sets
are ‘flying’ out of the game stores and many stores have poker
tables on back order because of the recent demand. There are
now cable channels that are dedicated to the card game, and
high stakes games are now televised nationally. Poker has
become a true cultural phenomenon; one that the internet has
taken full advantage of.
Before the advent of internet
gaming sites, a poker player had to sit down at a table with
other players in order to wager on a poker game. Since a major
part of poker gambling involves ‘bluffing’ (pretending that you
have a better hand than you actually have) the visual signals
that one player could glean from another (often called ‘tells’)
were critical for true gambling success. Now card players can
play, wager, and bluff without ever seeing their opponent,
shifting the emphasis from physiological clues to psychological
pressure.
Currently there are literally
hundreds of poker websites which cater to the beginner player
all the way up to gambling poker professionals where hundreds
of thousands of dollars can be won or lost on a single hand.
Most of the online poker sites attempt to create a relaxed and
‘player-friendly’ environment in an attempt to allay the fears
of first time players. Most allow new players a large amount of
freedom to ‘roam’ the various ‘rooms’ and even observe actual
games in progress so that they can get a ‘feel’ for the
differences of online play verses the more traditional ‘live’
poker game.
The card game of poker has had an
image overhaul. No longer is it a game played by card sharks
and men in smoke filled rooms hidden away from the general
public. It is now played by housewives, businessmen, and even
little old ladies in Pasadena.
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