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Texas Hold’em Where Does It Come From

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
What is Texas Hold’em: Texas hold ‘em (or simply hold ‘em or holdem) is the most popular of the community card poker games. It is the most popular poker variant played in casinos in the western United States, and its no-limit form is used in the main event of the World Series of Poker (abbreviated WSOP), widely recognized as the world championship of the game.

How Texas Hold’em poker came to be is a popular debate topic among history-mongers and poker players. Some believe that the history of Texas Hold’em poker began in China in 900 A.D.

According to findings in history, Texas Hold’em poker had its earliest roots from the “domino card” game that was a popular pastime of Emperor Mu-tsung. The emperor has been reported to have played the game wit his wife on New Year’s Eve, 969 A.D. The date is believed as some as the birth date of the history of Texas Hold’em poker.

But history was changed when archaeologists found fragments of cards that are reminiscent of the cards used in Texas Hold’em poker. These relics from 12th or 13th century Egypt made a great impact on the history of the game. This important discovery on the history of Texas Hold’em poker led them to believe that modern cards used in Texas Hold’em poker originated from the Indian card game, Ganjifa.

A Persian game called “as nas” is also believed to be a precursor of the modern Texas Hold’em poker game, according to history. As Nas is also a bluffing game of five cards. But the deck used in As Nas is composed of 25 cards of 5 suits each, unlike the deck used in Texas Hold’em poker where there are 52 5-suited cards. Even so, many people believe that Texas Hold’em poker could trace back its history to the ancient game of As Nas.

According to history, Persian sailors were said to have taught the game to the Germans during the 16th or 17th century, who called in “Pochen” and passed it on to the French. At this point in history, the game came to be known as “Poque” and employed the modern Texas Hold’em poker technique of bluffing.

The French brought this earlier version of Texas Hold’em poker to their settlements in New Orleans. From there, the history of Texas Hold’em poker traveled up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. It was this point in time that the history of Texas Hold’em poker began to show consistency. Word of the game spread over the whole of United States through wagon trails, and later on, through rail tracks.

When the Civil War that changed the annals of American history occurred, Texas Hold’em poker experienced another drastic change. It was here that Texas Hold’em poker began to adopt the traditional English version deck of cards. The Texas Hold’em poker deck is composed of 52 cards with 5 suits - diamonds, hearts, clubs, and spades. The “joker”, the Texas Hold’em poker wild card, was also introduced in 1875.

Know your limit and play within it…



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Texas Hold’em Card Game

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008
Texas Hold-em can be a lot of fun. Please always play with the intention of having fun and leave the heavy gambling to the pros. Many lives have been destroyed because of addiction to gambling.

A message about gambling: Gambling (or betting) is any behavior involving risking money or valuables (making a wager or placing a stake) on the outcome of a game, contest, or other event in which the outcome of that activity depends partially or totally upon chance or upon one’s ability to do something.

A Simple warning about gambling: Know your limit and play within it…

Texas Hold’em card game is the version of poker that you see in television shows such as ESPN’s broadcast of the World Series of Poker. Due to the crowd-drawing power of television, the Texas Hold’em card game found its way to people’s living room, computers, and pocket PC.

The Texas Hold’em card game follows two general limit structures: no-limit and low-limit. The no-limit Texas Hold’em card game is the type that you most often see played on television and casinos. The low-limits on the other hand are found mostly in online game rooms and are best suited for beginners. Examples of a low-limit Texas Hold’em card game is one that uses the betting structure of $2/$4, $3/$6, or $4/$8.

Texas Hold’em Card Game Basics

Each player in the Texas Hold’em card game is dealt two initial cards, called “pocket” or “hole” cards. The players make up their 5-card poker hand from these two cards and the 5 community cards that are dealt later in the game. The winner in the Texas Hold’em card game is the player holding the highest-ranking hand.

Texas Hold’em Card Game Betting Rounds

Every Texas Hold’em card game starts with two forced bets called the blinds. The blind bets are posted by the two players to the left of the dealer. Once the blinds are posted, the dealer deals two cards to each player. The first Texas Hold’em card game betting round begins.

The Texas Hold’em card game players have the options to bet, raise, check, or fold. Check happens when the player does not make a bet and transfers the control of the pot the next player. Folding is forfeiting the Texas Hold’em card game.

When the last player finishes his move, the dealer turns over three cards called the flop at the center of the table. Another betting round follows where players bet, raise, check, or fold, depending on their odds. After this round, the dealer flips the fourth card called the turn and another round of betting follows.

The showdown in Texas Hold’em card game occurs after the dealer shows the last community card called the river followed immediately by a final betting round. At this point in the Texas Hold’em card game, the players reveal their hands and whoever has the best hand wins.

Texas Hold’em Card Game Odds

In the Texas Hold’em card game, you would most likely be dealing with odds. There are four kinds of odds and these are the outs, pot odds, hand odds, and implied odds. These factors help you calculate or estimate your chances of either winning the pot or striking a hand.

Hand odds and outs are the commonest factors you deal with when calculating your percentage of winning. In Texas Hold’em card games, outs are the cards left in the deck after the seven cards (pocket and community cards) are dealt. So if you an Ace and a King of spades and the flop shows two other spades, you know that you have 9 outs since there are only 13 cards in each suit.

Odds are slightly more complicated than the outs. To calculate your odds in a Texas Hold’em game, you need to know how many outs you have based on the cards revealed at the flop and the cards in your pocket.

Remember: Play for fun and have fun playing…



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