Online Poker: A Short Introduction
TakeBonus August 18, 2017 General

Online Poker: A Short Introduction

Poker is a card game that combines gambling, strategy and skills. All variations of poker involve betting as a part of the play, and determine the winner according to the combination of players' cards, part of them remaining hidden until the last hand. The game varies in the number of cards that are being dealt, the number of shared cards, the number of cards that remain hidden, and also the betting procedures.

In standard poker, the bets are made according to the place a player believes is worth in comparison to the other players at the table. Once the game has started, the action proceeds as each player must either match (call) the maximum previous bet, or fold, and as a fact lose all further involvement in the hand. What you should keep in mind is the fact that a player who matches a bet may also raise (increase) the bet. The round ends when all the players have called the last bet or folded. If all but one player folds any round, then he is the winner without having to show the cards. If more players remain in contention after the final round, then a showdown takes place and the hands are revealed. In the end the player with the winning hand takes the big pot.

Poker: A History

In1937, R.F. Foster wrote: the game of poker, as first played in the United States, five cards to each player from a twenty-card pack, is undoubtedly the Persian game of As-Nas. In the 1990s other experts started to challenge the notion, but what is certain is the fact that the game called poque existed in France, the region where poker is said to have originated. The name of the game is likely to have originated from the Irish Poca or the French poque which makes it unclear if the game of the poker has origins in those actual games. Yet it is commonly regarded that the game shares the same ancestry with the Renaissance game of primero and the French brelan. Bluffing was also common with the English game brag. So it is quite possible that all of these games influenced the development of poker as it's known today.

Gameplay

In a casual play, the turn to deal the cards rotates from a player to another and it is marked by a token called the dealer button. In a casino, the role is taken by a house dealer who handles the cards each hand while the button is rotated clockwise between players to determine the order of betting. Regarding the cards, its pretty simple: they are dealt clockwise around the poker game, one at a time.

One or several players are usually required to make forced bets. The cards are shuffled by the dealer while the player to his right cuts the cards and the dealer deals the cards to all players, beginning with the one who sits to his left. After the cards have been given to the players, the first of what may be several betting rounds begin. At the end of each round, all bets are gathered into the central pot.

Variations in Poker

There are four main families that comprise the many variations of poker. They are as such:

  •  Straight;
  •  Stud Poker;
  •  Draw Poker;
  •  Community Card Poker.

Online Poker

Online Poker is simply the traditional card game of poker played over the Internet. There are plenty of different venues that offer the many variations of the game, including completely free games.

For many years poker was played in the back of smoky bars or in casinos, until the early 2000s when an accountant from Tennessee elevated the game to primetime. Prior to this moment, most poker played on the internet was done in chat rooms and was only recreational.

That changed when technology advanced and therefore safe and secure payments were offered to players in a safe environment where they could bet against each other.

In 2003 people started to take this kind of play more seriously when Chris Moneymaker qualified for the World Series of Poker Main Event. He ended up taking home $2.5 million when he won the tournament and revolutionized the game.

Soon before long competitions were showcased on ESPN and many players around the world just flocked to play poker online.

What you need to play online poker

Before starting to play online poker, you should know hat the requirements for the game are minimal and there is a high chance you can play it on any kind of device: computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet.

How much money do I need?

As a fact, you don't need much money. You can try your luck first at free games to see how you accommodate yourself with the game. After you have had some fun you can make a deposit ranging form $50 to $200 which will keep you going for a while.

The key is playing games that don't exhaust your bankroll. For instance if you decide to deposit $50, then you should stick to $1 tournaments and accumulate some more bucks.

You should also know that you might play with as low as $0.01 which makes $50 a massive bankroll and chances that you go broke are very low.

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