This is an accepted version of this page
88-466: Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, but in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game was played with just 20 cards, today it is usually played with a standard deck , although in countries where short packs are common, it may be played with 32, 40 or 48 cards. Thus poker games vary in deck configuration,
176-429: A blind bet (sometimes both). The dealer shuffles the cards, the player on the chair to their right cuts , and the dealer deals the appropriate number of cards to the players one at a time, beginning with the player to their left. Cards may be dealt either face-up or face-down, depending on the variant of poker being played. After the initial deal, the first of what may be several betting rounds begins. Between rounds,
264-448: A deck or pack of playing cards which are identical in size and shape. Each card has two sides, the face and the back . Normally the backs of the cards are indistinguishable. The faces of the cards may all be unique, or there can be duplicates. The composition of a deck is known to each player. In some cases several decks are shuffled together to form a single pack or shoe . Modern card games usually have bespoke decks, often with
352-441: A pair , is a hand that contains two cards of one rank and three cards of three other ranks (the kickers), such as 4 ♥ 4 ♠ K ♠ 10 ♦ 5 ♠ ("one pair, fours" or a "pair of fours"). It ranks below two pair and above high card. Each one pair is ranked first by the rank of its pair, then by the rank of its highest-ranking kicker, then by the rank of its second highest-ranking kicker, and finally by
440-461: A slot machine ; most video poker machines play draw poker, where the player bets, a hand is dealt, and the player can discard and replace cards. Payout is dependent on the hand resulting after the draw and the player's initial bet. Strip poker is a traditional poker variation where players remove clothing when they lose bets. Since it depends only on the basic mechanic of betting in rounds, strip poker can be played with any form of poker; however, it
528-438: A bet, they may only raise by X. In pot-limit poker, a player may bet or raise any amount up to the size of the pot. When calculating the maximum raise allowed, all previous bets and calls, including the intending raiser's call, are first added to the pot. The raiser may then raise the previous bet by the full amount of the pot. In no-limit poker, a player may wager their entire betting stack at any point that they are allowed to make
616-422: A bet. In all games, if a player does not have enough betting chips to fully match a bet, they may go "all-in," allowing them to show down their hand for the number of chips they have remaining. While typical poker games award the pot to the highest hand as per the standard ranking of poker hands, there are variations where the lowest ranked hand wins. In such games the best hand contains the lowest cards rather than
704-471: A descendant of Noddy , and Whist , a development of English Trump or Ruff ('ruff' then meaning 'rob') in which four players were dealt 12 cards each and the dealer 'robbed' from the remaining stock of 4 cards. Piquet was a two-player, trick-taking game that originated in France, probably in the 16th century and was initially played with 36 cards before, around 1690, the pack reduced to the 32 cards that gives
792-416: A five-high straight or straight flush. Suits are not ranked, so hands that differ by suit alone are of equal rank. There are nine categories of hand when using a standard 52-card deck , except under ace-to-five low rules where straights, flushes and straight flushes are not recognized. An additional category, five of a kind, exists when using one or more wild cards . The fewer hands a category contains,
880-419: A five-high straight), but cannot simultaneously rank both high and low (so Q ♠ K ♠ A ♣ 2 ♥ 3 ♦ is an ace-high hand). Under deuce-to-seven low rules, an ace always ranks high (so 5 ♥ 4 ♠ 3 ♥ 2 ♣ A ♦ is an ace-high hand). Under ace-to-six low rules, an ace always ranks low (so A ♣ K ♠ Q ♠ J ♦ 10 ♠
968-576: A kind and above a flush. Each full house is ranked first by the rank of its triplet, and then by the rank of its pair. For example, 8 ♠ 8 ♦ 8 ♥ 7 ♦ 7 ♣ ranks higher than 4 ♦ 4 ♠ 4 ♣ 9 ♦ 9 ♣ , which ranks higher than 4 ♦ 4 ♠ 4 ♣ 5 ♣ 5 ♦ . Full house hands that differ by suit alone, such as K ♣ K ♠ K ♦ J ♣ J ♠ and K ♣ K ♥ K ♦ J ♣ J ♥ , are of equal rank. A flush
SECTION 10
#17327910472431056-426: A kind and above four of a kind. Under high rules, an ace can rank either high (as in A ♥ K ♥ Q ♥ J ♥ 10 ♥ , an ace-high straight flush) or low (as in 5 ♦ 4 ♦ 3 ♦ 2 ♦ A ♦ , a five-high straight flush), but cannot simultaneously rank both high and low (so Q ♣ K ♣ A ♣ 2 ♣ 3 ♣ is an ace-high flush, but not
1144-560: A kind hands that differ by suit alone, such as 4 ♣ 4 ♠ 4 ♦ 4 ♥ 9 ♣ and 4 ♣ 4 ♠ 4 ♦ 4 ♥ 9 ♦ , are of equal rank. A full house , also known as a full boat or a tight or a boat (and originally called a full hand ), is a hand that contains three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, such as 3 ♣ 3 ♠ 3 ♦ 6 ♣ 6 ♥ (a "full house, threes over sixes" or "threes full of sixes" or "threes full"). It ranks below four of
1232-462: A kind hands that differ by suit alone, such as 9 ♠ 9 ♥ 9 ♦ 10 ♦ 8 ♥ and 9 ♣ 9 ♠ 9 ♥ 10 ♦ 8 ♦ , are of equal rank. In community card games, such as Texas hold 'em, three of a kind is called a set only when it comprises a pocket pair and a third card on the board . Two pair is a hand that contains two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank and one card of
1320-462: A kind of any rank. Each five of a kind is ranked by the rank of its quintuplet. For example, Q ♠ Q ♥ Q ♣ Q ♦ Q ranks higher than 6 ♣ 6 ♠ 6 ♦ 6 ♥ 6 . A straight flush is a hand that contains five cards of sequential rank, all of the same suit, such as Q ♥ J ♥ 10 ♥ 9 ♥ 8 ♥ (a "queen-high straight flush"). It ranks below five of
1408-600: A kind, twos" or "trip twos" or a "set of twos"). It ranks below a straight and above two pair. Each three of a kind is ranked first by the rank of its triplet, then by the rank of its highest-ranking kicker, and finally by the rank of its lowest-ranking kicker. For example, 6 ♥ 6 ♦ 6 ♠ Q ♣ 4 ♠ ranks higher than 3 ♦ 3 ♠ 3 ♣ K ♠ 2 ♠ , which ranks higher than 3 ♦ 3 ♠ 3 ♣ J ♣ 7 ♥ , which ranks higher than 3 ♦ 3 ♠ 3 ♣ J ♠ 5 ♦ . Three of
1496-597: A more elaborate final layout, or to clear the tableau and/or the draw pile or stock by moving all cards to one or more discard or foundation piles . In competitive patiences, two or more players compete to be first to complete a patience or solitaire-like tableau. Some use a common layout; in others each player has a separate layout. Popular examples include Spite and Malice , Racing Demon or Nerts , Spit , Speed and Russian Bank . List of poker hand categories#Straight flush In poker , players form sets of five playing cards , called hands , according to
1584-557: A move if possible or desired, and then discard a card to a discard pile . Almost all the games of this group are in the rummy family, but Golf is a non-rummy example. As the name might suggest, players exchange hand cards with a common pool of cards on the table. Examples include Schwimmen , Kemps , James Bond and Whisky Poker. They originated in the old European games of Thirty-One and Commerce . A very old round game played in different forms in different countries. Players are dealt just one card and may try and swap it with
1672-455: A neighbor to avoid having the lowest card or, sometimes, certain penalty cards. The old French game is Coucou and its later English cousin is Ranter Go Round , also called Chase the Ace and Screw Your Neighbour. A family of such games played with special cards includes Italian Cucù , Scandinavian Gnav , Austrian Hexenspiel and German Vogelspiel . Games involving collecting sets of cards,
1760-554: A new sequence. This concept spread to other 17th and 18th century games including Poque , Comete , Emprunt , Manille , Nain Jaune and Lindor , all except Emprunt being still played in some form today. It was the 17th century that saw the second of the two great innovations being introduced into trick-taking games: the concept of bidding. This first emerged in the Spanish game of Ombre , an evolution of Triomphe that "in its time,
1848-439: A positive expected value or who is trying to bluff other players for various strategic reasons. Thus, while the outcome of any particular hand significantly involves chance, the long-run expectations of the players are determined by their actions chosen on the basis of probability , psychology , and game theory . Poker has increased in popularity since the beginning of the 21st century (2001) and has gone from being primarily
SECTION 20
#17327910472431936-516: A recreational activity confined to small groups of enthusiasts to a widely popular activity, both for participants and spectators, including online, with many professional players and multimillion-dollar tournament prizes. While poker's exact origin is the subject of debate, many game scholars point to the French game Poque and the Iranian game As-Nas as possible early inspirations. For example, in
2024-429: A seven-five-high hand, such as 7 ♠ 5 ♣ 4 ♦ 3 ♦ 2 ♣ , is the best possible hand. Under ace-to-six low rules, where aces have the lowest rank, a six-four-high hand, such as 6 ♣ 4 ♠ 3 ♥ 2 ♥ A ♦ , is the best possible hand. Under ace-to-five low rules, where aces have the lowest rank and straights, flushes and straight flushes are not possible,
2112-428: A straight). Under deuce-to-seven low rules, an ace always ranks high (so 5 ♠ 4 ♠ 3 ♠ 2 ♠ A ♠ is an ace-high flush). Under ace-to-six low rules, an ace always ranks low (so A ♥ K ♥ Q ♥ J ♥ 10 ♥ is a king-high flush). Under ace-to-five low rules, straight flushes are not possible (so 9 ♣ 8 ♣ 7 ♣ 6 ♣ 5 ♣
2200-935: A third rank (the kicker), such as J ♥ J ♣ 4 ♣ 4 ♠ 9 ♥ ("two pair, jacks and fours" or "two pair, jacks over fours" or "jacks up"). It ranks below three of a kind and above one pair. Each two pair is ranked first by the rank of its higher-ranking pair, then by the rank of its lower-ranking pair, and finally by the rank of its kicker. For example, 10 ♦ 10 ♠ 2 ♠ 2 ♣ K ♣ ranks higher than 5 ♣ 5 ♠ 4 ♦ 4 ♥ 10 ♥ , which ranks higher than 5 ♣ 5 ♠ 3 ♣ 3 ♦ Q ♠ , which ranks higher than 5 ♣ 5 ♠ 3 ♣ 3 ♦ J ♠ . Two pair hands that differ by suit alone, such as K ♦ K ♠ 7 ♦ 7 ♥ 8 ♥ and K ♣ K ♠ 7 ♣ 7 ♥ 8 ♣ , are of equal rank. One pair , or simply
2288-428: A token called a dealer button (or buck ). In a casino , a house dealer handles the cards for each hand, but the button (typically a white plastic disk) is rotated clockwise among the players to indicate a nominal dealer to determine the order of betting. The cards are dealt clockwise around the poker table , one at a time. One or more players are usually required to make forced bets , usually either an ante or
2376-494: A vast amount of cards, and can include number or action cards. This type of game is generally regarded as part of the board game hobby. Games using playing cards exploit the fact that cards are individually identifiable from one side only, so that each player knows only the cards they hold and not those held by anyone else. For this reason card games are often characterized as games of chance or "imperfect information"—as distinct from games of strategy or perfect information , where
2464-474: Is François Rabelais , whose fictional character Gargantua played no less than 30 card games, many of which are recognisable. They include: Aluette , Bête , Cent, Coquimbert , Coucou , Flush or Flux, Gé (Pairs), Gleek , Lansquenet , Piquet , Post and Pair , Primero , Ronfa , Triomphe , Sequence, Speculation , Tarot and Trente-et-Un ; possibly Rams , Mouche and Brandeln as well. Girolamo Cardano also provides invaluable information including
2552-413: Is a hand that contains five cards all of the same suit, not all of sequential rank, such as K ♣ 10 ♣ 7 ♣ 6 ♣ 4 ♣ (a "king-high flush" or a "king-ten-high flush"). It ranks below a full house and above a straight. Under ace-to-five low rules, flushes are not possible (so J ♥ 8 ♥ 4 ♥ 3 ♥ 2 ♥ is a jack-high hand). Each flush
2640-441: Is a hand that contains five cards of sequential rank, not all of the same suit, such as 7 ♣ 6 ♠ 5 ♠ 4 ♥ 3 ♥ (a "seven-high straight"). It ranks below a flush and above three of a kind. Under high rules, an ace can rank either high (as in A ♦ K ♣ Q ♣ J ♦ 10 ♠ , an ace-high straight) or low (as in 5 ♣ 4 ♦ 3 ♥ 2 ♥ A ♠ ,
2728-599: Is a hand that contains four cards of one rank and one card of another rank (the kicker ), such as 9 ♣ 9 ♠ 9 ♦ 9 ♥ J ♥ ("four of a kind, nines"). It ranks below a straight flush and above a full house. Each four of a kind is ranked first by the rank of its quadruplet, and then by the rank of its kicker. For example, K ♠ K ♥ K ♣ K ♦ 3 ♥ ranks higher than 7 ♥ 7 ♦ 7 ♠ 7 ♣ Q ♥ , which ranks higher than 7 ♥ 7 ♦ 7 ♠ 7 ♣ 10 ♠ . Four of
Poker - Misplaced Pages Continue
2816-434: Is a hand that does not fall into any other category, such as K ♥ J ♥ 8 ♣ 7 ♦ 4 ♠ ("high card, king" or "king-jack-high" or "king-high"). Note that under ace-to-five low rules, straights, flushes and straight flushes are not possible, so such hands are instead high card hands. It ranks below one pair. Each high card hand is ranked first by the rank of its highest-ranking card, then by
2904-769: Is a king-high hand). Under ace-to-five low rules, straights are not possible (so 10 ♥ 9 ♠ 8 ♣ 7 ♣ 6 ♦ is a ten-high hand). Each straight is ranked by the rank of its highest-ranking card. For example, J ♥ 10 ♥ 9 ♣ 8 ♠ 7 ♥ ranks higher than 10 ♠ 9 ♠ 8 ♣ 7 ♥ 6 ♠ , which ranks higher than 6 ♣ 5 ♠ 4 ♥ 3 ♠ 2 ♦ . Straight hands that differ by suit alone, such as 9 ♣ 8 ♣ 7 ♣ 6 ♦ 5 ♦ and 9 ♠ 8 ♠ 7 ♠ 6 ♥ 5 ♥ , are of equal rank. An ace-high straight, such as A ♣ K ♣ Q ♦ J ♠ 10 ♠ ,
2992-642: Is a nine-high hand). Each straight flush is ranked by the rank of its highest-ranking card. For example, 10 ♣ 9 ♣ 8 ♣ 7 ♣ 6 ♣ ranks higher than 8 ♥ 7 ♥ 6 ♥ 5 ♥ 4 ♥ , which ranks higher than 6 ♠ 5 ♠ 4 ♠ 3 ♠ 2 ♠ . Straight flush hands that differ by suit alone, such as 7 ♦ 6 ♦ 5 ♦ 4 ♦ 3 ♦ and 7 ♠ 6 ♠ 5 ♠ 4 ♠ 3 ♠ , are of equal rank. An ace-high straight flush, such as A ♦ K ♦ Q ♦ J ♦ 10 ♦ ,
3080-410: Is also popular. Most patience or card solitaire games are designed to be played by one player, but some are designed for two or more players to compete. Patience games originated in northern Europe and were designed for a single player, hence its subsequent North American name of solitaire. Most games begin with a specific layout of cards, called a tableau , and the object is then either to construct
3168-520: Is called a Broadway straight , while a five-high straight, such as 5 ♠ 4 ♦ 3 ♦ 2 ♠ A ♥ , is called a baby straight , bicycle or wheel and is the best possible hand in ace-to-five low games (where it is a high card hand, not a straight). Three of a kind , also known as trips or a set , is a hand that contains three cards of one rank and two cards of two other ranks (the kickers), such as 2 ♦ 2 ♠ 2 ♣ K ♠ 6 ♥ ("three of
3256-423: Is called a royal flush or royal straight flush and is the best possible hand in ace-high games when wild cards are not used. A five-high straight flush, such as 5 ♥ 4 ♥ 3 ♥ 2 ♥ A ♥ , is called a steel wheel and is both the best low hand and usually the best high hand of the showdown in ace-to-five high-low split games. Four of a kind , also known as four cards ,
3344-633: Is considered one of the national card games of Italy. Cassino is the only fishing game to be widely played in English-speaking countries. Zwicker has been described as a "simpler and jollier version of Cassino", played in Germany. Tablanet (tablić) is a fishing-style game popular in Balkans . The object of a matching (or sometimes "melding") game is to acquire particular groups of matching cards before an opponent can do so. In Rummy , this
3432-413: Is done through drawing and discarding, and the groups are called melds. Mahjong is a very similar game played with tiles instead of cards. Non-Rummy examples of match-type games generally fall into the "fishing" genre and include the children's games Go Fish and Old Maid . In games of the war group, also called "catch and collect games" or "accumulating games", the object is to acquire all cards in
3520-483: Is first mentioned in a French translation of a 1440 sermon by the Italian, Saint Bernadine , the name actually referring to two different card games: one like Pontoon and one like Commerce . In the 16th century printed documents replace handwritten sources and card games become a popular topic with preachers, autobiographists and writers in general. A key source of the games in vogue in France and Europe at that time
3608-436: Is only possible when using one or more wild cards, as there are only four cards of each rank in the deck. Five of a kind, aces, A ♥ A ♦ A ♣ A ♠ Jkr , becomes possible when a joker is added to the deck as a bug , a form of wild card that may act as a fifth ace. Other wild card rules allow jokers or other designated cards to represent any card in the deck, making it possible to form five of
Poker - Misplaced Pages Continue
3696-981: Is ranked first by the rank of its highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its second highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its third highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its fourth highest-ranking card, and finally by the rank of its lowest-ranking card. For example, K ♦ J ♦ 9 ♦ 6 ♦ 4 ♦ ranks higher than Q ♣ J ♣ 7 ♣ 6 ♣ 5 ♣ , which ranks higher than J ♥ 10 ♥ 9 ♥ 4 ♥ 2 ♥ , which ranks higher than J ♠ 10 ♠ 8 ♠ 6 ♠ 3 ♠ , which ranks higher than J ♥ 10 ♥ 8 ♥ 4 ♥ 3 ♥ , which ranks higher than J ♣ 10 ♣ 8 ♣ 4 ♣ 2 ♣ . Flush hands that differ by suit alone, such as 10 ♦ 8 ♦ 7 ♦ 6 ♦ 5 ♦ and 10 ♠ 8 ♠ 7 ♠ 6 ♠ 5 ♠ , are of equal rank. A straight
3784-641: Is that poker was popularized in the American South in the early 19th century, as gambling riverboats in the Mississippi River and around New Orleans during the 1830s helped spread the game. One early description of poker was played on a steamboat in 1829 is recorded by the English actor, Joe Cowell . The game was played with twenty cards ranking from Ace (high) to Ten (low). In contrast to this version of poker, seven-card stud only appeared in
3872-408: Is the game of President , which is probably derived from an Asian game. Card exchange games form another large category in which players exchange a card or cards from their hands with table cards or with other players with the aim, typically, of collecting specific cards or card combinations. Games of the rummy family are the best known. In these games players draw a card from stock , make
3960-417: Is usually based on simple variants with few betting rounds, like five card draw. Another game with the poker name, but with a vastly different mode of play, is called Acey-Deucey or Red Dog poker. This game is more similar to Blackjack in its layout and betting; each player bets against the house, and then is dealt two cards. For the player to win, the third card dealt (after an opportunity to raise
4048-426: Is worth as compared to the other players. The action then proceeds clockwise as each player in turn must either match (or "call") the maximum previous bet, or fold , losing the amount bet so far and all further involvement in the hand. A player who matches a bet may also "raise" (increase) the bet. The betting round ends when all players have either called the last bet or folded. If all but one player folds on any round,
4136-517: The Piquet pack its name. Reversis is a reverse game in which players avoid taking tricks and appears to be an Italian invention that came to France around 1600 and spread rapidly to other countries in Europe. In the mid-17th century, a certain game named after Cardinal Mazarin , prime minister to King Louis XIV , became very popular at the French royal court. Called Hoc Mazarin , it had three phases,
4224-533: The University of Auckland amongst others. In a January 2015 article published in Science , a group of researchers mostly from the University of Alberta announced that they "essentially weakly solved" heads-up limit Texas Hold 'em with their development of their Cepheus poker bot . The authors claimed that Cepheus would lose at most 0.001 big blinds per game on average against its worst-case opponent, and
4312-437: The rules of the game . Each hand has a rank , which is compared against the ranks of other hands participating in the showdown to decide who wins the pot . In high games, like Texas hold 'em and seven-card stud , the highest-ranking hands win. In low games, like razz , the lowest-ranking hands win. In high-low split games, both the highest-ranking and lowest-ranking hands win, though different rules are used to rank
4400-719: The 18th century and is mentioned several times, for example, in Jane Austen 's Pride and Prejudice . The first rules of any game in the German language were those for Rümpffen published in 1608 and later expanded in several subsequent editions. In addition, the first German games compendium, Palamedes Redivivus appeared in 1678, containing the rules for Hoick ( Hoc ), Ombre, Picquet (sic), Rümpffen and Thurnspiel. The evolution of card games continued apace, with notable national games emerging like Briscola and Tressette (Italy), Schafkopf (Bavaria), Jass (Switzerland), Mariage ,
4488-517: The 1937 edition of Foster's Complete Hoyle , R. F. Foster wrote that "the game of poker, as first played in the United States, five cards to each player from a twenty-card pack, is undoubtedly the Persian game of As-Nas." However, in the 1990s the notion that poker is a direct derivative of As-Nas began to be challenged by gaming historians including David Parlett . What is certain, however,
SECTION 50
#17327910472434576-522: The actual cards. In point-trick games, the number of tricks is immaterial; what counts is the value, in points, of the cards captured. Many common Anglo-American games fall into the category of plain-trick games . The usual objective is to take the most tricks, but variations taking all tricks, making as few tricks (or penalty cards) as possible or taking an exact number of tricks. Bridge , Whist and Spades are popular examples. Hearts , Black Lady and Black Maria are examples of reverse games in which
4664-472: The aim is to avoid certain cards. Plain-trick games may be divided into the following 11 groups: Point-trick games are all European or of European origin and include the Tarot card games . Individual cards have specific point values and the objective is usually to amass the majority of points by taking tricks, especially those with higher value cards. There are around nine main groups: In beating games
4752-462: The ancestor of Austria's Schnapsen and Germany's Sixty-Six , and Tapp Tarock , the progenitor of most modern central European Tarot games . Whist spread to the continent becoming very popular in the north and west. In France, Comet appeared, a game that later evolved into Nain Jaune and the Victorian game of Pope Joan . Card games may be classified in different ways: by their objective, by
4840-440: The best known of which is Happy Families . Highly successful is its German equivalent, Quartett, which may be played with a Skat pack , but is much more commonly played with proprietary packs. Games involving passing cards to your neighbors. The classic game is Old Maid which may, however, be derived from German Black Peter and related to the French game of Vieux Garçon . Pig , with its variations of Donkey and Spoons ,
4928-409: The bet) must have a value in-between the first two. Payout is based on the odds that this is possible, based on the difference in values of the first two cards. Other poker-like games played at casinos against the house include three card poker and pai gow poker . A variety of computer poker players have been developed by researchers at the University of Alberta , Carnegie Mellon University , and
5016-514: The current position is fully visible to all players throughout the game. Many games that are not generally placed in the family of card games do in fact use cards for some aspect of their play. Some games that are placed in the card game genre involve a board. The distinction is that the play in a card game chiefly depends on the use of the cards by players (the board is a guide for scorekeeping or for card placement), while board games (the principal non-card game genre to use cards) generally focus on
5104-399: The deck. Examples include most War type games, and games involving slapping a discard pile such as Slapjack . Egyptian Ratscrew has both of these features. Climbing games are an Oriental family in which the idea is to play a higher card or combination of cards that the one just played. Alternatively a player must pass or may choose to pass even if able to beat. The sole Western example
5192-518: The earliest rules of Trappola . Among the most popular were the games of Flusso and Primiera, which originated in Italy and spread throughout Europe, becoming known in England as Flush and Primero . In Britain the earliest known European fishing game was recorded in 1522. Another first was Losing Loadum , noted by Florio in 1591, which is the earliest known English point-trick game . In Scotland,
5280-400: The equipment used (e.g. number of cards and type of suits), by country of origin or by mechanism (how the game is played). Parlett and McLeod predominantly group cards games by mechanism of which there are five categories: outplay, card exchange, hand comparison, layout and a miscellaneous category that includes combat and compendium games. These are described in the following sections. Easily
5368-462: The far more interesting games of Costly Colours and Cribbage . Players play in turn and add the values of the cards as they go. The aim is to reach or avoid certain totals and also to score for certain combinations. In fishing games, cards from the hand are played against cards in a layout on the table, capturing table cards if they match. Fishing games are popular in many nations, including China, where there are many diverse fishing games. Scopa
SECTION 60
#17327910472435456-409: The final one of which evolved into a much simpler game called Manille that was renamed Comète on the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1682. In Comète the aim is to be first to shed all one's hand cards to sequences laid out in rows on the table. However, there are certain cards known as ' stops ' or hocs : cards that end a sequence and give the one who played it the advantage of being able to start
5544-423: The first sets of rules, those for Piquet appearing in 1632 and Reversis in 1634. The first French games compendium, La Maison Académique , appeared in 1654 and it was followed in 1674 by Charles Cotton 's The Compleat Gamester , although an earlier manuscript of games by Francis Willughby was written sometime between 1665 and 1670. Cotton records the first rules for the classic English games of Cribbage ,
5632-450: The game of Mawe , testified in the 1550s, evolved from a country game into one played at the royal Scottish court, becoming a favorite of James VI . The ancestor of Cribbage – a game called Noddy – is mentioned for the first time in 1589, "Noddy" being the Knave turned for trump at the start of play. The 17th century saw an upsurge in the number of new games being reported as well as
5720-485: The high and low hands. Each hand belongs to a category determined by the patterns formed by its cards. A hand in a higher-ranking category always ranks higher than a hand in a lower-ranking category. A hand is ranked within its category using the ranks of its cards. Individual cards are ranked, from highest to lowest: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2. However, aces have the lowest rank under ace-to-five low or ace-to-six low rules, or under high rules as part of
5808-526: The higher its rank. There are 52 ! ( 52 − 5 ) ! = 311,875,200 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}{\frac {52!}{(52-5)!}}=311{,}875{,}200\end{matrix}}} ways to deal five cards from the deck but only 52 ! ( 52 − 5 ) ! 5 ! = 2,598,960 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}{\frac {52!}{(52-5)!5!}}=2{,}598{,}960\end{matrix}}} distinct hands, because
5896-424: The highest cards; some variations may be further complicated by whether or not hands such as flushes and straights are considered in the hand rankings. There are also games where the highest and lowest hands divide the pot between them, known as "high low split" games. Other games that use poker hand rankings may likewise be referred to as poker . Video poker is a single-player video game that functions much like
5984-430: The idea is to beat the card just played if possible, otherwise it must be picked up, either alone or together with other cards, and added to the hand. In many beating games the objective is to shed all one's cards, in which case they are also "shedding games". Well known examples include Crazy Eights , Mau Mau , Durak , and Skitgubbe . This is a small group whose ancestor is Noddy , now extinct, but which generated
6072-409: The largest category of games in which players have a hand of cards and must play them out to the table. Play ends when players have played all their cards. Trick-taking games are the largest category of outplay games. Players typically receive an equal number of cards and a trick involves each player playing a card face up to the table – the rules of play dictating what cards may be played and who wins
6160-410: The latter being the game played by the aforementioned card cheats. All three are recorded during the 15th century, along with Karnöffel , first mentioned in 1426 and which is still played in several forms today, including Bruus , Knüffeln , Kaiserspiel and Styrivolt . Since the arrival of trick-taking games in Europe in the late 14th century, there have only been two major innovations. The first
6248-518: The middle of the 19th century, and was largely spread by the US military. It became a staple in many casinos following World War II and grew in popularity with the advent of the World Series of Poker in the 1970s. Texas hold 'em and other community card games began to dominate the gambling scenes over the next couple of decades. The televising of poker was a particularly strong influence increasing
6336-418: The next hand begins. This is what makes bluffing possible. Bluffing is a primary feature of poker, distinguishing it from other vying games and from other games that use poker hand rankings . At the end of the last betting round, if more than one player remains, there is a showdown , in which the players reveal their previously hidden cards and evaluate their hands. The player with the best hand according to
6424-749: The notable exceptions of the British Isles , the Iberian Peninsula , and the Balkans . However, we do not know the rules of the early Tarot games; the earliest detailed description in any language being those published by the Abbé de Marolles in Nevers in 1637. The concept of trumps was sufficiently powerful that it was soon transferred to games played with far cheaper ordinary packs of cards, as opposed to expensive Tarot cards. The first of these
6512-412: The number of cards in play, the number dealt face up or face down, and the number shared by all players , but all have rules that involve one or more rounds of betting . In most modern poker games, the first round of betting begins with one or more of the players making some form of a forced bet (the blind or ante ). In standard poker, each player bets according to the rank they believe their hand
6600-403: The order in which cards are dealt or arranged in a hand does not matter. Moreover, since hands differing only by suit are of equal rank, there are only 7,462 distinct hand ranks . Five of a kind , or five cards , is a hand that contains five cards of one rank, such as 3 ♥ 3 ♦ 3 ♣ 3 ♠ 3 ("five of a kind, threes"). It ranks above a straight flush but
6688-420: The players' hands develop in some way, often by being dealt additional cards or replacing cards previously dealt. At the end of each round, all bets are gathered into the central pot. At any time during a betting round, if one player bets, no opponents choose to call (match) the bet, and all opponents instead fold , the hand ends immediately, the bettor is awarded the pot, no cards are required to be shown, and
6776-428: The players' positions on the board, and use the cards for some secondary purpose. Despite the presence of playing cards in Europe being recorded from around 1370, it is not until 1408 that the first card game is described in a document about the exploits of two card sharps ; although it is evidently very simple, the game is not named. In fact the earliest games to be mentioned by name are Gleek , Ronfa and Condemnade,
6864-467: The poker variant being played wins the pot. A poker hand comprises five cards; in variants where a player has more than five cards available to them, only the best five-card combination counts. There are 10 different kinds of poker hands, such as straight flush and four of a kind. Poker has many variations , all following a similar pattern of play and generally using the same hand ranking hierarchy. There are four main families of variants, largely grouped by
6952-408: The popularity of the game during the turn of the millennium , resulting in the poker boom a few years later between 2003 and 2006. Today the game has grown to become an extremely popular pastime worldwide. Straight flush [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] In casual play, the right to deal a hand typically rotates among the players and is marked by
7040-403: The protocol of card-dealing and betting: There are several methods for defining the structure of betting during a hand of poker. The three most common structures are known as "fixed-limit," "pot-limit," and "no-limit." In fixed-limit poker, betting and raising must be done by standardized amounts. For instance, if the required bet is X, an initial bettor may only bet X; if a player wishes to raise
7128-712: The rank of its lowest-ranking kicker. For example, 9 ♣ 9 ♦ Q ♠ J ♥ 5 ♥ ranks higher than 6 ♦ 6 ♥ K ♠ 7 ♥ 4 ♣ , which ranks higher than 6 ♦ 6 ♥ Q ♥ J ♠ 2 ♣ , which ranks higher than 6 ♦ 6 ♥ Q ♠ 8 ♣ 7 ♦ , which ranks higher than 6 ♦ 6 ♥ Q ♦ 8 ♥ 3 ♠ . One-pair hands that differ by suit alone, such as 8 ♠ 8 ♦ 10 ♥ 6 ♣ 5 ♠ and 8 ♥ 8 ♣ 10 ♣ 6 ♠ 5 ♣ , are of equal rank. High card , also known as no pair or simply nothing ,
7216-939: The rank of its second highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its third highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its fourth highest-ranking card, and finally by the rank of its lowest-ranking card. For example, K ♠ 6 ♣ 5 ♥ 3 ♦ 2 ♣ ranks higher than Q ♠ J ♦ 6 ♣ 5 ♥ 3 ♣ , which ranks higher than Q ♠ 10 ♦ 8 ♣ 7 ♦ 4 ♠ , which ranks higher than Q ♥ 10 ♥ 7 ♣ 6 ♥ 4 ♠ , which ranks higher than Q ♣ 10 ♣ 7 ♦ 5 ♣ 4 ♦ , which ranks higher than Q ♥ 10 ♦ 7 ♠ 5 ♠ 2 ♥ . High card hands that differ by suit alone, such as 10 ♣ 8 ♠ 7 ♠ 6 ♥ 4 ♦ and 10 ♦ 8 ♦ 7 ♠ 6 ♣ 4 ♣ , are of equal rank. Under deuce-to-seven low rules,
7304-401: The remaining player collects the pot without being required to reveal their hand. If more than one player remains in contention after the final betting round, a showdown takes place where the hands are revealed, and the player with the winning hand takes the pot. With the exception of initial forced bets, money is only placed into the pot voluntarily by a player who either believes the bet has
7392-752: The strategy is thus so "close to optimal" that "it can't be beaten with statistical significance within a lifetime of human poker playing." Card game#Comparing games A card game is any game that uses playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, whether the cards are of a traditional design or specifically created for the game (proprietary). Countless card games exist, including families of related games (such as poker ). A small number of card games played with traditional decks have formally standardized rules with international tournaments being held, but most are folk games whose rules may vary by region, culture, location or from circle to circle. Traditional card games are played with
7480-406: The trick. There are two main types of trick-taking game with different objectives. Both are based on the play of multiple tricks , in each of which each player plays a single card from their hand, and based on the values of played cards one player wins or "takes" the trick. In plain-trick games the aim is to win a number of tricks, a specific trick or as many tricks as possible, without regard to
7568-506: Was Triomphe , the name simply being the French equivalent of the Italian trionfi . Although not testified before 1538, its first rules were written by a Spaniard who left his native country for Milan in 1509 never to return; thus the game may date to the late 15th century. Others games that may well date to the 15th century are Pochen – the game of Bocken or Boeckels being attested in Strasbourg in 1441 – and Thirty-One , which
7656-568: Was the introduction of trump cards with the power to beat all cards in other suits. Such cards were initially called trionfi and first appeared with the advent of Tarot cards in which there is a separate, permanent trump suit comprising a number of picture cards. The first known example of such cards was ordered by the Duke of Milan around 1420 and included 16 trumps with images of Greek and Roman gods. Thus games played with Tarot cards appeared very early on and spread to most parts of Europe with
7744-537: Was the most successful card game ever invented." Ombre's origins are unclear and obfuscated by the existence of a game called Homme or Bête in France, ombre and homme being respectively Spanish and French for 'man'. In Ombre, the player who won the bidding became the "Man" and played alone against the other two. The game spread rapidly across Europe, spawning variants for different numbers of players and known as Quadrille , Quintille, Médiateur and Solo . Quadrille went on to become highly fashionable in England during
#242757