What is Poker?
Poker is a card game where players compete against each other to win a pot. To win the pot, players must first raise their ante (which varies from game to game) and bet into the pot in the center of the table. The player who has the highest hand at the end of the hand wins the pot. The betting rounds are done clockwise until all the players have called or folded.
Poker has evolved from earlier card games, but the origins of the game are unknown. Most people believe that it is a mash-up of several different games. Jonathan H. Green first attached the word “Poker” to a game played by two to four people using only the aces and face cards.
Depending on the variation of the game, two players may have identical hands. In the case of a flop, the dealer can’t fold unless his opponent has a higher hand. The minimum hand is sometimes a pair of jacks. This doesn’t mean that your hand is a flop, but it is better than none.
Regardless of its origins, the game has a colorful history. It was first played in the seventeenth century in France. Some researchers believe it may have been developed by card hustlers. The word poque came from this game, and it became the source of the word poker. Its popularity soared with the introduction of a 52-card deck.