Games such as “Texas Hold em” are sure to give away the origins of the game, and if you are wondering where in the USA it originated from, the answer would be New Orleans. The same place where famous music genres such as jazz, and cocktails were invented. It may not be possible to track down the exact location where the game was first held, but according to historical literature, it was first developed in Louisiana. However, the largest game of Poker ever held took place on the other side of the world in the Isle of Man, an island situated between England and Ireland.
Early versions of Poker had just 20 cards
Early versions of the game of Poker only ever needed 20 cards to play with, instead of the full deck of 52 cards which you would usually play nowadays in person or on casino sites like online slots NetBet and players didn’t even need to be more than 4 per game. It was also a much less complicated game and the 4 players were dealt 5 cards each before betting began to see who had the best hand. Only after the mid-1800s was the 52-deck card game introduced and additional rules implemented, as well as different versions of the game.
A little-known fact about Poker chips
Back in the day when it was first introduced to the world, Poker was played using gold nuggets, or gold coins. Thereafter with the need to standardize a unit, chips in the form of money took over. Other such games like Blackjack became just as popular over time, however, unlike Poker, it is played against the house instead of the players.
When chips started to be rolled out, they were made from unusual materials such as clay, ivory, bone and wood. These were also created to be exchanged for real money. Nowadays they are mostly made out of either clay, sand, or chalk, and more specifically compression moulded chips.
Broadcasting the first poker tournament
During the 21st century, Poker games have rarely been broadcasted over television or radio, however, in the 1970s this was the trend, and there was one tournament that was broadcasted on television and it was also the first-ever world series tournament held in Las Vegas, Nevada in the USA.
Poker Evolved From A Famous game – Dominos
The exact manner in which the game of Poker originated is not a well-known fact. It is however said to have been derived from another game – Dominos, the game of tiles, which the majority of us have played. In the year 969 A.D. The emperor “Mu-Tsung” used to play “domino cards” on the eve of a New Year with his wife, and the concept of “bluffing” has always been around to date, which Poker is famous for.
Other Weird and Wonderful Facts
- There are over 300 million, 7 card poker hand combinations.
- “Stacking” is a method used by professional players to fool the other players into wrongly assuming the chips that they have available.
- Some of the more superstitious poker players gamble in dirty clothes, as a sure way to success.
