Playing cards is an old age tradition which has served the humans in both its good and bad times and Poker is the latest version of it. From being a game of chance to an act of skill it has improved and gained immense following in the popular culture. Starting from some emperor’s court to each smartphone it has emerged as a platform where you can not only have fun but you could earn as well. Of course, the nature of the game seems gambling but it has a highly mathematical background. Betist has numerous versions across the globe so the number of players and rules also varies accordingly.
Gameplay:
The number of players can be in between 2 to 14 but mostly there are 6, 7 or 8 people. Cards are shuffled from the standard 52-card deck having four suits namely hearts, clubs, diamond and spades. The combination of cards the player has is called a hand and the best hand wins. In the match, you will either have to call (i.e., match) the bet, raise (i.e., increase) the bet, or concede (i.e., fold) it. The value of a hand varies inversely to its appearance frequency. So, the cards with least probability to appear are the high rank cards. The ranking of the cards is A(high), K, Q, J,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3, 2, A (low only in the straight).
Format:
Poker is played in three formats i.e., draw poker, stud poker and community-card poker. Players try to trick each other that they have the best hand and others have to call the match or concede. Players can even win by bluffing that they have the best hand if the player with actual higher hand do not call the bet. The game may have “no-limit” or a fixed limit. One who wins the aggregate of all the bets made by all the players wins the “pot” or the game. You win either by having the highest rank hand or if nobody calls your bet.
Now the technology has brought poker to such an extension where it has become a trend. Players have become social media influencers and people really look up to them in awe. But that’s only a bubble. Poker has also made its way into the hands of teens who lose themselves in this wonderland without understanding its intricacies. So, prepare yourself before you dive into the thrilling world of poker.