Poker School Site

Web Poker – Studying History!

Welcome to our Poker school, where you can learn more about poker games, rules and strategies, read poker reviews, understand the difference between real life poker and web poker or internet poker, and learn poker in general. First, look at the table below to learn the schedule of poker lessons and pick classes that would be the most convenient for you:

There seem to be a difference of opinion on the origin of Poker game. Besides, there seems to be no clear or direct early ancestor of the game. Most probably, Poker derived its modern form from elements of many different games. The consensus is that poker is a very ancient game because of its basic principal.

The origin of the word Poker is also a subject of debate. Most dictionaries and game historians say it comes from an eighteenth-century French game poque. Other sources provide references to pochspiel, which is a German game. In pochspiel, there is an element of bluffing where players would knock on the table and say “Ich Poche!” (I knock!) when they wanted to pass or open. Some say it may even have been derived from the Hindu word "pukka". There are those who also believe that "poke" probably came from "hocus-pocus", a term widely used by magicians. The game of Poker later evolved to include 32 cards, and eventually the modern day deck of 52 not counting the two Jokers.

English actor Joseph Crowell reported that the game was played in New Orleans in 1829, with a deck of 20 cards, four players betting on which player's hand was the most valuable. Jonathan H. Green made one of the earliest written references to Poker in 1834. In his writing, Green mentions rules to what he called the "cheating game", which was then being played on Mississippi riverboats. He soon realized that his description was the first reference to the game, and since it was not mentioned in anywhere, he chose to call the game Poker.

The game he described was played with 20 cards, using only the aces, kings, queens, jacks and tens. Two to four people could play, and each was dealt five cards. By the time Green wrote about it, poker had become the number one cheating game on the Mississippi boats, on which gambling was a common pastime. As it spread up the Mississippi and West during the gold rush, it is thought to have become a part of the frontier, pioneering ethos.

The game of Poker has evolved through the years to the present day casinos around the world. Its history is rich with famous places and characters. During the Wild West period of United States history, a saloon with a Poker table could be found in just about every town from coast to coast.

The poker slang and the game itself have become important parts of American and English cultures. Such phrases and clichés as ace in the hole, ace up one's sleeve, beats me, blue chip, call one's bluff, cash in, poker face, when the chips are down, wild card, and others are used in everyday conversation, even by those who have no idea of their origin.

Today, poker is the most popular casino game. Land casinos become way too tight for it. So, poker moves to the virtual reality. More and more people want to learn how to play poker. It’s not just money that attracts people. The other reason is that poker today is one of the fastest growing sporting events. The pinnacle of the poker world, The World Series of Poker, attracts players from all over the world every year to compete for money and titles as the world's top Poker players.