Poker Games
Online Poker Games : What's your Game?
There are dozens upon dozens of books on poker history, poker strategy and poker celebrities. Thousands of pages have been written about the game with a thousand-year history. It’s difficult to address the status of the modern game in a small space. But we’ll try.
Texas Hold'Em : A Bit of History
The youngest players today are misinformed if they think that this fascinating and challenging game started with Chris Moneymaker’s World Series of Poker win in 2003. Yes, Texas Hold ‘Em is played in hundreds of locations around the world. Its growth is primarily due to the television coverage of major tournaments. Marketing and advertising will do that to any product or service.
But the modern game of poker owes its existence to people in Persia, Europe and the “American West,” as much as it does to the celebrity players of today. In addition, 21st century poker players should thank guys like Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim, “Sailor” Roberts and Johnny Moss for spreading the word about poker in general and Hold ‘Em in particular. This poker variety exploded in popularity since it was introduced to Las Vegas crowds in the 1960s. Today, when someone mentions “poker” the mind immediately turns to Texas Hold ‘Em.
Hold ‘Em has been called the “Cadillac of poker” by the legendary Doyle Brunson, perhaps the last surviving member of a group of men who carried the torch for poker through the 1960s and 1970s. The game has traveled the world and players from Sweden, Australia, Viet Nam and France have joined thousands of others in lucrative tournaments and cash games around the globe.
Poker: Women Too!
Women have become a force in what used to be a man’s game. Linda Johnson played in her first tournament in 1978 and is now recognized as “The First Lady of Poker.” Today, female players such as Kathy Liebert, Jennifer Harman, Clonie Gowen and Mimi Tran are successful professionals.
Poker : A Way of Life… and Living
Organized poker action is available nearly everywhere. For example, the European Poker Tour (EPT) followed the amazing growth of the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour. But the EPT was not only a result of poker’s success in the United States. It is also a major influence on the worldwide growth of the game. First-place winners sometimes take home as much as $100,000 from an EPT tournament.
A player who feels he or she is ready for a professional challenge can choose from a wide variety of events and tours, including the Irish Poker Open, the Heartland Poker Tour in the U.S. Midwest, the Australian tour, a poker tour in Latin America and many more. In addition, poker fanatics regularly gather in private homes and clubs for local games, all thanks to the amazing popularity of this classic game.
