Poker is a historically ambiguous yet culturally diverse game, that is, it has existed throughout history through countries and their cultures, but the origin is still debated. The version of poker we see today is largely Americanized. It originated from the renaissance game of Primero, which involved betting and winning, similar to poker. Today, we see a large variety of poker being played around the globe. In essence, it is divided into three principal forms namely draw, stud and community. Although all the games on betist differ in their rules and outcomes, the essence of betting remains the same.
Stud poker:
Stud poker is a non-positional version of poker; whose most popular variant is the seven-card stud. This game, which was played during the American Civil war, is also quite commonly seen in homes and casinos today. In stud poker, every player gets a face-down and a face-up mixture of cards, which are dealt in multiple rounds of betting. Other variants of this type include the Razz, Mexican stud, High-low stud, etc.
Draw poker:
In draw poker, each player is dealt a complete hand before the first betting round, and this hand can be later developed or changed by drawing more cards, hence the name, Draw poker. Although quite obscurely seen in casinos and professional settings, the standard five-card draw poker is often the first variant learned by new players. Along with this, Gardena Jackpots, California lowball, Double draw, Kansas City lowball are the poker game’s popular variants.
Community Poker:
As the name suggests, community poker consists of a set of cards dealt face-up at the center of the table, which are shared by all the players. When combined with the incomplete face-down cards that each player has received, they make a complete hand. This game of poker, has many infamous variants, including Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha, High/Low Chicago, etc.
It is largely agreeable that poker requires neither a prodigy nor a savant to be good at the game, it is a game largely understood to be contingent on one’s luck and bluffing skills. Now as true as this is, luck and bluffing are just the tips of the iceberg. One’s luck, of course, is a make-or-break factor in the game, but It needs a lot more than that. It needs subtle alchemy of strategy, skill, patience, timing, consistency, and discipline. If one applies the strategies of poker in life, they could be the jack of all trades.
