Originally called “poque” in France, poker made its way to the New World via French settlers. It has also been said that the term may have been coined by card hustlers who cheated unsuspecting opponents.
There are hundreds of different variations of the game, but the basic rules remain the same. The goal is to create the best possible hand using five cards.
A hand that contains five cards of the same suit is known as a flush. A hand that contains two pairs of the same rank is known as a pair of kings.
The ante is a small bet that each player must make before the cards are dealt. The ante is typically $1 or $5.
Another ante-like bet is the three-card brag. This was a popular gentleman’s game during the American Revolution.
The pot is the aggregate of all the bets made by all the players in one deal. If two players tie for the highest card, then the high card breaks the tie.
The showdown is the moment when all the hands are revealed. The best hand wins the pot. There are several variants of the poker game, but the most common is Texas Hold’Em. The jack is the first card dealt and the player who receives the jack becomes the first dealer.
Depending on the type of poker you play, the ante will vary. In the case of Texas Hold’Em, the ante is usually a small bet.
