Whiz Poker

Card games of various sorts have been around for many centuries. One of the first recorded games of cards that held a resemblance to modern poker was the German game of Pochspiel. Dating from the 15th century, this game incorporated hand ranking, betting, and the use of the “bluff.” The evolution of card games such as this to the game we know as poker really took off with its introduction to the New World.

Coming into the continent via the Mississippi River from New Orleans in the mid 1700′s, the focus of the game became more on the wagering aspect than just the play of the cards. By this time a standard 52 card deck was the primary playing tool for games such as stud or straight poker. There was a 20-card variation played along the lines of a British version.

The game of poker spread to the western part of the country during the California Gold Rush. It was out West that the card rank of the Flush first appeared in the game. The “Draw” also developed during this phase of poker’s evolution. During the War Between the States further variations emerged. 5-card stud was introduced and the hand rank of the “Straight” came into being.

By 1875 the concept of the “Wild Card” was included. By the turn of the 20th century further variations such as “Lowball” and the “Split-Pot” poker variations were established in the game. The mid 1920′s saw the first poker games that incorporated “Community” cards. As the century has progressed, new games of poker such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha poker have been born and raised to worldwide popularity. As ever, the prime focus is still in the excitement of the gamble.

Poker has long been the game of choice when people gathered to entertain themselves. One of the most popular images of the game comes from the long line of classic movies set in America’s Wild West of the 1800′s. From swinging saloon doors, smoky barroom tables, and the girls who worked the room, cowboys seemed to gravitate to the poker tables no matter how far out into the wilds they roamed. From this culturally iconic age have emerged term and conditions that are still with us today whether we remember their history or not.

Although the term “dead man’s hand” originally referred to any number of combinations, it has canonized itself in poker legends as a two-pair hand of Aces and Eight’s. This was supposedly the hand being played by Wild Boll Hickok when he was gunned down from behind on August 2, 1876. While it has been popularly agreed that his hand included only the black suits of Clubs and Spades, the term still applies to any color combination of an Aces and Eight’s pair. Since the popularization of this murder, many players have quickly folded when they receive this ill-fated combination in their draw.

Another term from the Wild West involves the situation when a player, assured of victory with a strong hand, will bet everything he can to maximize his stake. Wagering “the Nuts” refers to the practice of including their horse and wagon as stake by placing the nuts of his wagon’s wheels on the table. It was still a risky play as losing would mean the player was then stranded with no transportation out of town.