In the first century AD, people from Europe and America began playing poker. The game was first popularized in the South, particularly on the Mississippi River. In the 1830s, gambling riverboats brought the game to the American cities of Louisiana, New Orleans, Chicago, and Boston. As more Americans began to learn the rules of the game, it became a global sensation. Since then, poker has become an immensely popular pastime all over the world.
The game has its origins in a seedy world. The word ‘poke’ may have originated in a world where card hustlers used the word as slang to cheat their unsuspecting opponents. Perhaps the “r” was added to confuse players who knew the slang. Regardless of the origins of the name, the game is a simple, fast-paced, and very competitive form of gambling, with the element of cheating present.
A game of poker involves bluffing and using a deck of cards. A standard 52-card deck is used. Cards are ranked from A (high) to J, Q, and 10. Aces are ranked highest, while the lower cards are ranked low. There are also three jokers, which are symbols that represent different hands. Unlike the other games, however, the joker has no place in the game.