Poker is the casino game that everyone loves. It’s a true game of skill that puts you head-to-head with other players, letting you test your skills against humans rather than the house. What isn’t to love? But Poker is also a fascinating subject unto itself. We’ve put together a list of Poker facts that, although seeming unbelievable, just so happen to be true. Take a look at our list, and be sure to bring up these facts the next time you’re playing Poker online. If anyone doesn’t believe you, just tell them to look it up!
The Game That Lasted Eight Years
We’re starting on a doozy here, so stick with us. There is a lot to take into account with this unbelievable tale. The story is that in 1881, at the Bird Cage Theatre in Arizona, a Poker tournament existed that lasted for 8 years. To be clear; we’re not saying that the tournament occurred over8 years, with the players going home and coming back on weekends. We’re saying that the tournament went on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and didn’t end for 9 years. How is this even possible?
Looking into the story, there is perhaps more going on here than the surface. First and foremost, the story is unverified, meaning that it could just be a tall tale. On the other hand, there are so many accounts of this happening that it has to be taken seriously. As far as we can tell, however, the secret to the story is that it isn’t the same players that participated for the full 8 years. Players switched in and out, keeping the game going, meaning that the tournament never technically came to an end. So, it’s perhaps better to say that Poker was played for 8 years, without the table ever being empty.
Poker Goes Online
Everything is available online these days, including an enormous selection of hundreds of online casinos. But that wasn’t the case just a few decades ago. In 1998 it was a momentous occasion when the Planet Poker website launched. Users signed up, and on the 1st January 1998 played a real money Poker game online for the first time.
To be clear, Poker was available to play online long before that, but not with real money. That money transactions occurred online was an enormous breakthrough, ushering us into a new era of connectivity. If it wasn’t for the Planet Poker site, it might have been much longer before online casinos became the norm.
Calling Lady Luck
How many times have you drawn a Royal Flush in your life? If the answer is never, don’t be surprised. It turns out that the chances of drawing a Royal Flush are astronomically low. How low, you’re wondering? How about 649,740 to 1? Surprised? Don’t be. You have to take into account not just the total number of cards, but the possible combinations of all the cards put together.
So, the next time you’re playing online, like at Lucky Creek, and consider what you’re asking for when you hope for a Royal Flush. It’s probably much more realistic to just hope for a triple instead.
What’s In A Name?
Have you ever thought about what the name Poker means? It doesn’t make much sense calling the game Poker, when you actually stop to think about it. Well, it turns out that there is a rather logical reason. Poker originally comes from France, though was called Poque. The game made its way over to New Orleans, like most gambling games of the time, and the locals immediately took a liking to it.
The only problem was that, as we all know, English-speakingpeople don’t pronounce French very well. So Poque became Poker, and the name stuck. Yes, the card game Poker is the result of Westerners pronouncing French so poorly that everyone just gave up and changed the name.
Anna Kournikova
In Texas Hold’Em if your opening hand is an ace and a king, AK, it is referred to as the Anna Kournikova. Just a silly little play on the letters? No, it turns out that there is much more to it than that. Stick with us for this one.
You’ll know Anna Kournikova as an attractive tennis player that is as much a model as she is a player. Though, pay attention to her record and notice something very interesting. Although she always seemed to be in the spotlight, she never actually played very well. In fact, she never won a title in her whole career. Hence, the general consensus is that she looks better than she plays.
The same is true for starting with an ace and a king in Texas Hold’Em. It looks like a great starting hand, but more often than not doesn’t result in the win you think it will. Hence, the AK is a better-looking hand than it plays.
Dead Man’s Hand
You might know this one, given that it’s a fairly often told tale. If you get a pair of aces and eights, this is the Dead Man’sHand. The name comes from the assassination of Wild Bill Hickok, who was playing Poker at the time of his shooting. Word is that in his hand at the time of the assassination was the Dead Man’s Hand.
A great story, but not entirely validated. Look into it and you’ll find that there are many contradictory stories about the cards that were, in fact, in his hand. If there were any cards of not at all, which isn’t entirely set in stone. Either way, the hand retains the name, regardless if the story is true or not.
Too few Cards
Last on our list is a fact regarding the number of cards in a deck. Did you know that Poker was once played with just 20 cards? The game with 20 cards is much faster, and winning combinations are far fewer. But, in 1830 someone finally had the good sense to add more cards, dramatically expanding the game.
If you’re the adventurous type, you can still get your hands on a 20-card deck. Why you would is another story, but the option exists.
