Poker, in some form or another, has been played for centuries. Although historians have many theories about the true origin of the game, poker-like games were played hundreds of years ago in Germany, Persia, France, and Great Britain. Each of these precursors included cards, bluffing, and betting on hands. Modern poker includes many variations, most of which fall into three categories: straight, stud, and draw.
In straight poker, players are dealt a hand and bet on that hand. Raising and re-raising in various rounds. In stud poker, players are dealt their hands in a series of face-down and face-up rounds. Betting follows each round. Players are dealt a hand of either five or seven cards. If seven cards are dealt, each player selects from the hand the five cards that make the best poker hand. In draw poker, each player receives a complete hand. The players bet and then can choose to discard unwanted cards and receive new ones. One of the most popular poker variations played today is Texas Hold’em, a variant in which players are dealt a partial hand. “Community cards” are then dealt face-up on the table. Any or all of the players can use any or all of the community cards to make the best hand. This is a variant of stud poker.
These days, you don’t have to go to Vegas or wait for Friday night to find a poker game. And you don’t even have to leave your house. You can join an online poker game any time. Just Google “online poker” to find a long list of sites that offer games 24 hours a day. Although the games may be the same, there are many differences between playing poker online and playing in a brick and mortar casino. Some of the differences seem to favour online play, while others make playing live games seem more attractive. Some players enjoy playing online because they like to play quick games or to play many games at the same time. Obviously, players can only play one game at a time in a live setting, and the game goes at its own pace.
Another major difference between live an online poker is the players’ interaction (or lack of interaction). In an online game, players have no opportunity to see each other or learn each others’ tells. This can be frustrating for advanced players, but a plus for novices who often are not even aware of their own tells. If you are a poker fan, online poker offers many opportunities. It is easy to find exactly the kind of poker game you like to play (Omaha, Texas Hold ‘Em, etc.) online, and you can even play more than one game at a time. In short, playing online is an easy and fun way to get your poker “fix”.
By stickystebee
www.betfred.com/poker