Anyone who’s ever taken a trip to their local casino or turned their TV’s on after midnight will have encountered people playing poker at one time or another. This game is slightly unique for casinos because your chances of winning rely heavily on your level of skill for the game. Though most like to pretend it isn’t the case, when you’re pouring coins into a slot machine or spending money at the roulette table, the odds are stacked against you winning, meaning if you play for long enough the casino will take all your money – this is not the case with poker.
I personally know a couple of professional poker players, and though they probably do have the same mindset as less talented gamblers, I have to admit they tend to win quite a lot of money when they join tournaments. Perhaps this is a game you should learn how to play, but before you do, here are 7 interesting facts about poker you probably didn’t know…
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The word “poker” existed in the English language hundreds of years before the game was invented. Mainly, it was used to describe metal rods designed to help create fires.
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When Christopher Columbus first made his voyage to America, his fellow sailors used large leaves to play a rudimentary version of the game, thus stopping them from going completely mad.
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Most countries around the world have their own rules for poker, and so anyone playing should definitely ask for a written copy or at least an explanation before sitting down at a table.
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Many superstitious people believe that playing poker in unwashed clothing is the best way of achieving success. I don’t know if that’s true, but it will certainly help by altering your opponents concentration levels.
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Poker is one of the most watched sports on television today, coming third only to football and car racing. It’s also the most common form of online gambling through websites like Maple Casino.
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Groucho Marx admitted to loving the game of poker more than he loved his family in a diary entry during the latter part of his career in the 1960’s. Sadly, he also noted he hardly ever won a penny when playing in casinos.
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The youngest player ever to win the world series of Poker did so at the tender age of 22, whilst the older player ever to win was an astonishing 80 years old.
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Years ago, the game of poker was played with a deck of only 20 cards. This soon changed, and now a full deck is used for most variations.
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The very first televised poker competition was broadcast in 1973, and the winner grabbed himself a whopping $130,000.
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More than 20% of the American public play poker according to a recent study.
So there you have it my risk-taking friends, you should have just learnt a few new facts about one of the most popular games in the world. Incidentally, if you want to learn how to play poker like a pro, there’s usually a free-play option on most casino websites, so you can do this without spending a penny.
Have fun!
