There are many early versions of Poker. Some of these games were played as far back as the eighteenth century. Jonathan H. Green is credited with attaching the name “poker” to the game after witnessing it played on a riverboat in the Mississippi River. Green described a game played between two to four people using 20 cards, but only containing Aces and face cards. This game later spread worldwide, and a 52-card deck was introduced shortly thereafter.

In poker, each player is dealt seven cards, one at a time. Players reveal their hands clockwise around the table. The best hand wins the pot. The process begins with the antes and blinds, and ends with a reveal of the players’ hands. The winner is the player with the highest hand. Depending on the variation, players are dealt cards one at a time. The next phase of the game is the betting phase. The winner of a round is the player who has the highest five-card hand.

For more than ten players, two separate games are organized. For fewer than five players, there are fewer versions of Poker. Three-Card Monte is a variation with fewer cards. Other variations include Spit-in-the-Ocean and Hold-the-head Poker. There are many variations of this game, so try to find the one you enjoy best. Just be sure to learn the laws of Poker before you play!