Poker Strategy – Part 1

The origins of poker strategy are obscure. While
some historians trace it back to the ancient China and Egypt, others
claim that Indian Ganjifa cards are the precursor to the game. Still
others trace it back to Spain, France and Germany.

The card game, which essentially depends
on hand rankings and betting, then spread West during the gold rush
and American Civil War on the river boats of the Mississippi. The game
then travelled in horse carriages and in wagon trains, coast to coast,
and as it did, it evolved. There were changes in the number and composition
of the deck but the rules remained essentially the same.

But little is known about the export
of the game to England. And it was thanks to an inadvertent comment
made by the American ambassador to an English duchess that the game
gained popularity and then notoriety in the United Kingdom.

Schenck was a trusted aide of President
Abraham Lincoln and played a part in helping him get elected as President
in 1860. In return for the favour, Lincoln sent Schenck as ambassador
to England.

Poker hasnt changed much since the
mid-19^th century but the medium has. Its still played
with a deck of cards, and fortunes are still made and lost. But the
game has since moved out of smoky saloons to glitzy and garish casinos
and card rooms. And from there, thanks to the proliferation of the Internet,
to the online version of the game.

The game got a shot in the arm in 2000
with the launch of Poker Spot, which was promoted by champion Dutch
Boyd. Poker Spot was the first online poker room to conduct tournaments.

Shortly thereafter, television jumped
onto the poker bandwagon and began covering the main tournaments. This
went a long way towards making poker the game it is today.