Poker

History of the game of poker

The game of poker developed as early as the 16th century. It was brought to the USA from France. Today’s poker variants developed there. In the 70’s a real boom arose around the game. For a long time it was a pure game of chance. But with the World Series of Poker, the first strategy tournaments also emerged. The change from a game of chance to a game with strategy took its course.

The individual strategies developed further and poker gained a good reputation. In the past, everyone immediately had cheaters and card tricks in mind when they thought of poker. There were many cheats who wanted to make a quick buck. Many of these attempts came to a tragic end when the cheaters were discovered.

Development of poker into a popular game

With the first poker strategies, the game at the poker table experienced a turning point. The first poker tournaments were developed and spread very quickly. The card game gained a positive image and became more and more respectable. In 2003, the amateur player Chris Moneymaker won the big World Series of Poker tournament. With that, the poker boom could hardly be stopped. The great demand was also made possible by the development of online poker. It spread faster and faster through online casinos.

In the past, the classic poker game was played in the local casino. But this required a lot of staff and space. A game could also be quite protracted. Therefore, it was no longer lucrative enough for most casinos. Instead, slot machines were set up. Slot machines offered significantly more people the opportunity to play. There were then many private poker rounds. But the number of players on the internet increased rapidly.

Playing poker in an online casino

Especially for beginners, online poker is the better choice. Because you don’t have to sit around a poker table with players who are better than you. The software of the online casinos supports you during the game. This has the advantage that you can learn very quickly. It also allows you to try out different strategies in an uncomplicated way. The most difficult part of the game is certainly bluffing. When you are sitting opposite your fellow players at the table, the first attempts are difficult. However, this part is not necessary in online games. Bluffing is an important part of poker. That’s why professionals are reluctant to play online. But to master it, you have to practise it. Otherwise your tactics will be seen through too quickly by the other players.

In the big online casinos you can also register for tournaments. The winners sometimes also qualify for tournaments such as the World Series of Poker. With a kind of wild card, you are then guaranteed participation. Chris Moneymaker came to the WSOP in 2003 with just such an online qualification. He took the chance and won the big tournament as an amateur player.

As the number of online poker players increased, so did the acceptance. In addition, the general interest among the public grew. Tournaments became bigger and more sought after. Furthermore there was public coverage. This also included broadcasting on television. Which in this case ensured a higher level of attention for poker. The online poker providers themselves organise high-stakes poker tournaments. In this way, they also bring poker players together outside the internet.

Rules of conduct in poker

When playing poker, there are a few unwritten laws to observe. It is important to always remain polite. You should remain friendly towards your fellow players and the croupier even if you lose. Of course, there is a difference between playing online poker and sitting at a real poker table. Nevertheless, it is a game where respectful behaviour towards each other is important. The casinos and also regular players attach particular importance to this. And that’s why there are a few important points to keep in mind.

Avoid conflicts when playing poker

Don’t let a fellow player provoke you in a poker game. Always stay out of the way and don’t get involved. You should never try to deliberately delay the game yourself. Just ignore if your opponent behaves rudely. This is easiest at the online casino. You can deactivate the online chat with the other players. You can also switch tables immediately. This way you have other players to play a game of poker with. As long as you don’t let yourself be provoked, the other player will give up quickly. In this case, remaining friendly helps you to continue the game properly.

You must also always pay attention to when it is your turn to play. The internet often shows you when it’s your turn. If it is not your turn to act, it is a big mistake. There are many casinos where this is directly considered an attempt to cheat. In that case, they exclude you from the game. A ban from future games is also possible.

No discussions in the middle of the game

Do not discuss a strategy or the cards in the chat while the game is still going on. This is annoying for your fellow players who are concentrating. Furthermore it is not fair. Just try to avoid chatting during the game. Afterwards, you can get useful tips on strategies. Your fellow players will be happy to help you at the beginning. This way you can learn from the others what you can do better next time. You can ask questions in the chat. You are also sure to get some information you didn’t expect.  During a game, however, you are not allowed to ask questions about your cards. By doing so, you would give away their value. The game is disturbed by this and it can happen that it is aborted. This also applies to strategies. Each player concentrates on his strategy. If you want to give meaningful tips to another player, you have to wait for the end of the game.

Proper betting

In an online poker game, you place your bet virtually. Therefore, these rules of conduct are important once you sit down at a real poker table. In many movies, jetons are simply thrown into the middle. However, throwing them wantonly is disrespectful. Therefore, you should always put down your bet properly. That way the others can see how much you are betting. After all, this is important so that the other players can call. Or they can even increase their bets in response. Otherwise, the game will be unnecessarily delayed by your misbehaviour. The croupier can even send you away from the table if you do this.

Ranking of card combinations

In the game of poker, as mentioned above, you have five cards. It depends on which cards you have in your hand. Depending on the combination, they have a different value. This value determines whether you win. Especially if another player asks you to turn over the cards. Depending on the cards, you have to decide whether you prefer to bluff. We have put together the most important combinations for you. Find detailed information about those poker cards in our guide. So you will be well prepared to start your first poker round. You can look over and over again until you know the card combinations and the value of a hand by heart.