So you have been playing the classic casino card game of poker for a while now and you have a pretty good online poker game going at least once a week. But what do you really know about the game you are playing? Today we look at ten facts relating to the history and rules of poker that you might not know. Sure, some of these are well known, but others are only known by a handful of people. So if you are a new poker player or a seasoned professional, this is the post for you…
Poker Was Invented in The USA
While the exact time it was invented is unknown its first rule books have been found to date back to the early 19th century, with the first book being the in 1937 edition of ‘Hoyle: An Encyclopedia Of Indoor Games‘ but even till today some historians dispute this and said it was first played in Persia years before.
The Longest Poker Game Lasted 3102 Days
If you visited the poker lounge ‘The Bird Cage Theatre ‘ in Arizona during the 1880’s you might have noticed a group of people playing poker each and every night there for over 8 years! Apparently, it was an unintentional poker tournament with big money, but because it was taking place during the wild-west days no one wanted to walk away from the table, so the game just kept going.
Poker Was Once Played With Only 20 Cards
If the history of poker finds its origins with the Persian game of ‘As-Nas’ (this is disputed) then the original game of poker was played with just 20 cards and the above image is what those cards looked like! With no real numbers as such, just images depicting their value.
The First Poker Game on TV Was 1973
There had been plenty of TV shows and movies before it showing people playing poker, but in 1973 on the channel CBS Sports the very first poker tournament was broadcast. These days there are whole channels dedicated to poker with some showing poker games and tournaments 24hrs a day.
Most Online Poker Players
During a super promotion of the site in 2009, pokerstars.com reported 307,016 who played on a total 42,814 virtual tables making it the most players playing poker online on one site. In fact, there were so many players the site’s servers barely managed to keep up, but held in there just about. This number has never been beating and a lot of that is down to the sheer number of online poker sites you can play.
The World’s Biggest Poker Win Was $23.3 Million
It was a professional poker player Antonio Esfandiari who owns the title for the biggest win on a single game of poker when he won a massive $23.3 Million (£17 Million) at an all-stars poker tournament in Las Vegas.
People Played Poker Online BEFORE The Internet!
That seems like it would be impossible, but some university students played online poker via IRC chat protocol. It was played with imaginary money but is often seen as the advent of bigger online poker players like the World Series of Poker.
Professional Poker Player is a Real Job
Unlike someone claiming to be a professional slot player when it comes to poker you really can be a professional player. While it was not always the case these days there are poker leagues with the biggest name players getting sponsored shirts and caps. You can even start by reading books to become a better poker player!
The Word “Poker” Means Brag!
The games name of ‘poker’ derives from the French word “Porque” and the German word “pochen” which roughly translated means to boast or brag. Which given how you play the game with a poker face is quite interesting.
They Used to Bet on Poker With Real Gold
Have you ever seen a wild-west movie where they are playing poker and someone puts a large chunk of gold onto the table and the other players bite it to inspect the quality? Well back in the days of outlaw times they really did bet on poker games with gold nuggets and gold dust. But in a point of full-circle, some poker games in the Arab states like Dubai are now played with bars of gold! Only now they are quality tested and hallmarked.
Do you have any other amazing facts about poker you would like to share with everyone? If you do why not leave a comment below and share your knowledge.