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Web Casino Online Poker History
Being one of the most popular of the card games, poker earns the distinction of being one of the oldest card games that has evolved from a variety of games that were played in the 15th century. There are many variations to the modern game of poker but the basic quality of it being equal chance game remains in nearly all variations. The variants of the game of poker differ basically on grounds of the way the cards are dealt, the formation of the hand, winning of the pot at showdown, the rounds of betting allowed and the limits on bets.
Having said that about poker, the question remains as to how did poker originate and what is its history. Due to the absence of any concrete or clear evidence that states the true origin or history of poker various theories float when the history of poker is discussed. However the one thing which finds consensus among all historians regarding the origins of poker is that it is a very old game and that the modern day form of poker that we are familiar with has evolved from a mix of various historical card games.
Here is a description of how the name "poker" and the game itself might have evolved.
The name "Poker"
The name poker is also a topic of debate when the history of poker is being discussed. There are many theories relating to the origin of the name "poker".
Chinese: as per a belief it is said that poker could have emerged from China where the game of "Domino cards" were played around 900 A.D. Although playing cards had not originated in that era, "domino cards" could be the foundation of the birth of poker.
Persian: although the Persian game As Nas had evolved around the 17th century, it has close resemblance to the game of poker. The game is played with 25 cards deck having 5 suits. Similar to the game of poker, As Nas has a meted deal, hierarchical hand rankings and betting rounds.
Egyptian: there are evidences that suggest the use of playing cards in the 12th and 13th century. These cards can be linked to the game of "Ganjifa" or "Treasure cards" that was played around the 16th century and has some bearing with the game of poker.
French: the French nations were considered to be avid players of card games during the 15th century. The most popular theory citing the birth of poker relates to the French game "Poque" which involved betting and bluffing. The game was played with card decks that had the still known suits, the hearts, spades, diamonds and clubs.
English: although there is no direct link between poker and the English card games, yet there are theories that support that poker could have evolved from the "casino" style games Brag, Faro and Primero that involved a dealer known as the "banker" against a number of players known as "punters".
German: the German game "Pochspiel" also has resemblance to the game of poker in many ways. Originated from the game "poque", this game involved declaring the hand either by opening or passing just as in modern day poker. Also the game had some element of bluffing which was introduced for the first time in the betting world.
As per another myth the word poker could have emerged from "poke" which was used by pickpockets. There were cardsharps that used a 20 card deck for a game that was based on cheating. These cardsharps were experts in cheating and tried to "wager" or "poke" the contestants. Therefore poker could have emerged from the word poke.
Therefore there are numerous theories that relate to the origin of the name poker. Similarly there are many theories that describe the origin or birth of the game of poker. What most historians agree on is the fact that modern day poker could be a result of combination of various card games.
Web Casino Online Poker Evolution
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